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For travellers
For meetingsPärnu County is known for its 635-kilometre coastline. Here, you will find beautiful views and lots of places to discover any time of the year. It is said that this place right here, in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Riga, boasts the most sunny days in the entire west coast of the Baltics. There are beautiful beaches everywhere around Pärnu Bay. Some of the beach gems feature less known spots located away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the central beach of Pärnu that is crowded in high season, allowing you to enjoy the proximity of the sea and the starry night sky right in the middle of nature, without the distracting street lights.
Thanks to the rapidly warming seawater, Pärnu Bay is one of the best places in Estonia to enjoy the pleasures of the beach or just wander around the coastal areas. The picturesque coastline and the soothingly murmuring sea please the eye every season – in summer, you can watch the waves quietly splashing on the beach, and in winter, you can admire the mighty ice hummocks. In addition to the beaches, you will find wild coastal meadows and sunsets along the coastline of Pärnu, which will leave an unforgettable impression even on a seasoned traveller.
Ready to explore Pärnu beachfront? Check out the route we have put together of the most beautiful beach gems and definitely recommend visiting. On this trip, you can explore the different places in Pärnu County in three days.
In addition to exploring the coastline, you can learn about the local culture by visiting museums that introduce the history of the region. We also recommend popping in local shops, where you can buy fresh pastries made with love and care, and buy yourself some warm mittens made by local crafters.
1. Kabli beach, a favourite of holidaymakers
The beautiful Kabli beach is located about twenty kilometres from Ikla towards Pärnu. It is a true beach gem, famous for its picturesque sunsets and shallow sandy beach.
There are camping areas at Kabli where you can stay overnight to enjoy the soothing sounds of the sea and the beautiful sunset colours in the sky. The beach with its beautiful views is perfect for stopping by and having a picnic any time of the year. In Kabli village, you will find the popular Kabli bakery where you can buy fresh pies and pastries.
Kabli beach is an exciting spot for nature lovers as well. Just a few hundred metres from the beach, there is the Kabli Bird Centre, where bird migration is studied. The Bird Centre is the beginning of the 1.8-kilometre Kabli nature study trail. The Kabli Visitor Centre is located right by the beach, and you can visit an exhibition about nature and learn more about the region here.
About a 43-minute drive from Pärnu city centre.
It will take you about 35 minutes to get to the next destination, Reiu beach.
2. The quiet Reiu beach near the city
A few kilometres from the city borders of Pärnu towards Ikla, one of the favourite places for families with children can be found – the sandy and shallow Reiu beach. Right next to the beach is the popular Lottemaa Theme Park which is open in the summer season and can be accessed by a footpath from the beach. You can also ride a bicycle from Pärnu to Reiu along the nice light traffic road. The beach is a great place to visit when visiting Lottemaa, or to just enjoy a dip or a view of the sea.
At the beach you will find a picnic area and a boat turned upside down, where you can take shelter from the wind or the hot sun. In summer, a café is open on Reiu beach, serving light meals and ice cream.
Visiting Reiu beach in the evening, you can enjoy a particularly beautiful view and can see the sun setting in the sea or behind the forest, depending on the season.
About a 17-minute drive from Pärnu city centre.
It will take you about 19 minutes to get to the next destination, Pärnu beach.
3. Pärnu beach – the best-known gem
The best-known gem on the coast of Pärnu County is Pärnu beach, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. Pärnu beach is the largest beach in Estonia, perfect for surfing, swimming and just for spending time. The two-kilometre sand strip has plenty of room for beachgoers. Thanks to the shallow seabed, the water is always warm here, and water temperature can even rise up to 30 degrees. The average water temperature at Pärnu beach is 20 degrees in summer. Pärnu is the summer capital of Estonia, where in addition to the sandy beach you can enjoy a beautiful seaside promenade, colour-changing fountains, busy beach cafes, and hotels and restaurants. Near the beach you can also see the elephants that have become a symbol of the summer capital.
Access to people with reduced mobility is also provided through the accessibility area, where a floating wheelchair can be used for bathing with convenient access to the sea. A spacious dressing room with a special lift, and lockers, is also available, and sunshine can be enjoyed on the terrace in special sun loungers.
In winter, Pärnu Bay is covered by ice, and hummock ice builds up on the beach. Walking here in the winter months, you may encounter impressively large ice hummocks that you can climb as well.
At the left end of Pärnu’s central beach, there is a 600-metre hiking trail built above the coastal meadow, with an observation deck. At the Pärnu River side end of the central beach, there is the mole of Pärnu, and according to a legend, lovers should walk to the end of the mole to seal their eternal love.
About a 6-minute drive from Pärnu city centre.
It will take you about 19 minutes to get to the next destination, the Valgerand beach.
4. The Valgerand coastline with the amazing white sand
Located ten kilometres west of Pärnu, the Valgerand beach boasts exceptionally white sand. In addition to the beautiful beach, Valgerand is a great place to spend some active time. If you park your car by Valgerand golf course, you can take a walk through the woods to the adventure park and from there on to the seaside observation tower, playground and disc golf courses.
Compared to Pärnu beach, Valgerand has fewer people and more space. Near the beach, there are several camping and leisure spots to have a picnic or stay overnight.
Driving from Valgerand to Saulepa, you will reach the beautiful Valgerand coastline, which opens up a gorgeous view of Pärnu Bay. The coastal road runs along the seaside and passes through the Audru Polder’s Nature Reserve – a conservation area for endangered birds, where you can see rare species of birds.
About a 14-minute drive from Pärnu city centre.
You can reach the next destination, Kavaru harbour beach, in about 24 minutes.
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5. The quiet Kavaru harbour beach area
Driving through the seaside villages from Valgeranna towards Tõstamaa, make sure to drop by Kavaru harbour. The harbour boasts a beautiful view of the spacious coastal meadow, where you can see white-tailed eagles and other birds nesting. The beautiful small harbour has everything you need for a nice stop – a picnic spot, a campfire place, a children’s playground and a village swing. Next to the harbour there is a fisherman’s shed, where you can take shelter in rainy and windy weather.
A few dozen of kilometres away from Kavaru is Tõstamaa, the local regional centre. The small town features several churches, a handicraft shop and a mediaeval manor surrounded by a beautiful park, which houses the Tõstamaa school and museum. You will also find several diners here.
About a 33-minute drive from Pärnu city centre.
You can reach the next destination, Matsi beach, in about 35 minutes.
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6. The beautiful Matsi beach
Driving from Tõstamaa towards Varbla, you will reach a genuine beach gem – the quiet and beautiful Matsi beach, bordered by charming coastal sand dunes and pine trees.
Matsi beach is very private and most of the time, there are not many people here. It is a wild sandy beach, a great place to stop by in a campervan or car or by bicycle. There are leisure and campfire spots near the beach, as well as camping sites with beautiful sea views.
We also recommend visiting the nearby Matsi harbour and the Sõmeri lighthouse, accessed from the harbour along a seaside footpath winding through the pebble beach meadows. A couple of kilometres from the harbour is the Sõmeri birdwatching tower, which opens up a beautiful view of the bay and allows you to watch the activities of the birds.
About a 51-minute drive from Pärnu city centre.
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7. Rock City beach – drop by Kihnu Island as well!
When exploring Pärnu County, we recommend taking a quick detour to Kihnu Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that will welcome you with a unique cultural space, beautiful nature and hospitable island people.
Kihnu is just the size to be best discovered by bicycle. Most of the attractions are located only a few kilometres from each other, and you can rent a bicycle right from the port of Kihnu. You can also stay overnight on Kihnu. You can find accommodation at a cosy homestay or campsite. The island has plenty of beautiful places for setting up camp.
The most famous swimming spot is the Rock City sandy beach located in a pine grove, only 800 metres from the port. As you reach Rock City, you can take a walk along the seaside to Pilli ots and from there on to the four-kilometre Kakra säär.
Legend has it that Kihnu and Tõstamaa men once decided to jointly build a bridge between the island and mainland. The men from Kihnu started with the work but when they saw that the mainland men were slacking, Kihnu men also stopped working and so the plan was dropped. This is how Kakra säär was born.
Munalaid harbour, through which you can get to the island of Kihnu, is located about a 36-minute drive from Pärnu city centre.
