Hiiumaa

Hiiumaa is the second biggest island in Estonia. The Swedish and German name of the island is Dagö.

Villages

 * – The touristic center and capital of the island.

Understand
Hiiumaa is just north of Saaremaa Island and west of the mainland. Formed 455 million years ago as a result of a meteorite explosion Hiiumaa is one of the oldest islands in the world, and known for its wealth of lighthouses.

The people of Hiiumaa are peaceful and tolerant. They live close to nature and have their own language – Hiiu, even though basically all also speak Estonian. Also spoken by many are Russian, English, German and Finnish.

The most important thing to remember about the people is their sense of humor – they like to laugh at themselves and love all kinds of jokes - especially the ones about their neighbours (the people of Saaremaa).

The tourist information is located in Kärdla.

Climate
Thanks to the surrounding sea, the climate on Hiiumaa is a bit different from the one on the continent. There are more sunny days and less rainy days. Best time to visit Hiiumaa is from May to September. If you would like to sunbathe it is recommended to visit in July or August. Close to shores it might be very windy compared to the continent even during summer, so be sure to take some warm clothes.

By plane
The quickest way to reach Hiiumaa is by air. Regular flights between Tallinn and Kärdla are operated by NyxAir daily (twice a day on weekdays, once a day on weekends) and all the year round. It takes 35 minutes to fly from Tallinn to Kärdla.

By bus
Although Hiiumaa is very small, some of the buses do not head to Kärdla: some go along the southern part of the island to Käina and Emmaste. See Estonia for bus schedules.

By boat
Mostly people come to Hiiumaa by ferries, either from Rohuküla (on mainland) to Heltermaa or from Triigi in Saaremaa to Sõru. See West Estonia and Islands for details.


 * Rohuküla-Heltermaa – Takes around 1 hr and costs €10/car plus €3.50/person. Be sure to be at the ferry earlier than 20 minutes or buy in advance.
 * Sõru-Triigi – A smaller ferry (Kõrgelaid) is sailing this route. The ferry is more ascetic but the trip lasts only 1 hr. No sailing during severe ice condition in wintertime.

There are a few guest marinas for private vessels. The sea around Hiiumaa is shallow with a lot of rocks, so keeping to the fairways is essential already quite far from the coast. See Boating on the Baltic Sea.

By ice road
During winter time an ice road – yes! a road over the sea ice – connects the mainland to Hiiumaa.

The ice road allows people drive at quite a high speed with safety belts open. The speed is reduced only while approaching the occasional board-covered cracks. The crossing takes approximately 20 min to cover the distance in favourable conditions. You can even overtake the ferries that "drive" on the next lane.

Get around
Peatus.ee route planner has information about public transport. Bus connections are bad, and none goes to the lighthouses directly. Only Kõpu Lighthouse might be reached by bus along the nearby main road with buses going to the tip of the peninsula. Best to ask in the place where you stay if people with cars are planning to visit the lighthouses and you can come along.

Do
In Estonia it is difficult to find a place with more picturesque nature than on the island Hiiumaa. The variety of landscape is what makes Hiiumaa unique. During a sunny summer one could enjoy kilometres-long alluring sandy beaches along the coastline of Tahkuna and Kõpu peninsulas.



Sleep
Several accommodation options exist in the towns and villages of Hiiumaa, many in Kärdla.

Camping
Estonian State Forest company has built a number of free campings with designated places for fire all over the island.



Go next
Not having a car, it is not quite straight forward to continue travel around West Estonia and the islands. Bus connections are sparse and infrequent, especially between the islands, and even between Haapsalu and Pärnu. Hence, you will probably have to go back to Tallinn or Tartu, and to Pärnu and the rest of West Estonia and the island from there.


 * Saaremaa – The largest Estonian and wild seaside character island with castles and fortresses, one perfectly preserved, a beach, a spa and famous mills. Saaremaa is even sometimes called Sparemaa.
 * Muhu – The third largest Estonian island, and a rural municipality connected to the nearby Saaremaa by an artificial embankment, where ferries to the harbour of Virtsu arrive. Has an open air museum, and its locals are known for still sewing woollen clothes. Sleepy fishing villages, working windmills, thatched cottages, plenty of deer, moose and birds.
 * Vormsi – The fourth largest Estonian island, very close to the mainland. Vormsi is a small island covered with forests and a Swedish community. A unique blend of Soviet and Swedish history mixed with unspoilt nature.
 * Pärnu – Estonia's 4th largest city and the summer capital of Estonia, popular for its balneo-therapy complexes and spa centres, surrounded by numerous beaches.
 * Haapsalu – "Venice of the north", good for visiting spas, taking mud baths, sailing, swimming, interesting monuments of the middle ages, like the cathedral and the Ruins of Haapsalu Castle, and a famous and picturesque Railway Museum.
 * Tallinn – The capital, and financial and cosmopolitan centre of Estonia, with a medieval Old Town. Beautiful and expensive.