Girls’ getaway? Why Estonia could be the perfect fit for an all-female trip

Estonia may not sound like the obvious location for holidaying with your friends, but it bills itself as one of the safest countries in Europe for female travellers on solo or group trips, so when the chance to visit came, I jumped at it.

It was also refreshing to go somewhere new, without the chaotic crowds or the unbearable heat of our usual girls’ holiday destinations.

After flying into Tallinn, I met our group and we began by making our way to the small port town of Rohuküla where we took an hour-long ferry to Hiiumaa, Estonia's second largest island.

Here, at Kassari Ratsamatkad horse riding stables (kassari.ee), we rode through forests, marshes and along the serene coast of this quiet island with an instructor.

Although my horse, Rahuleio, had a habit of slowing down and stopping to eat grass, In our minds we looked like the cast of The Lord of The Rings galloping off to battle.

After building up a healthy appetite, we headed for lunch in iiUmekk (@iiumekk), where the chef is a former judge on Master Chef Estonia, so as you can imagine, the food was to die for, using only the freshest local ingredients.

The restaurant was right beside the sea and decorated to feel like we were in the owners’ living room – with their kids' drawings on the wall and board games available to play which just made the experience so charming.

Continuing around the island, we visited Ouk distillery tasting room (ouk.ee). This distillery specialises in gin production and hosts gin tasting events – but what’s unique is it makes the gin out of groundwater from a local meteorite crater, claiming to have one of the oldest production lines in the world, going back 455 years. The whole experience got thumbs up all-round.

A must-see on Hiiumaa island is Kõpu Lighthouse, one of the world’s oldest. We were able to climb up the very narrow stairs inside it – not an experience fort the faint-hearted, but worth it when we got to the top and could take in breathtaking views overlooking the whole island.

We ended our busy day with dinner in Hõbekala Guesthouse (@hobekala). This unique spot is located in a forest and encourages guests to do some bird watching. Owners Kätlin and Siim are so sweet, and welcomed us into their kitchen to watch while they prepared dinner. We heard how they get up at dawn to get the freshest fish, and ate in their sunroom as the sun set.

The next day we took a quick ferry to Saaremaa, the biggest of over 2,000 Estonian islands.

There was a lot more life here compared to the remoteness of Hiummaa. Kuressaare, for example, is a beautiful town where streets are lined with picturesque brightly coloured wooden buildings. The star of the town is Kuressaare Bishop's Castle, built during the 14th century.

My friends and I love a good ghost story and were hoping to uncover some chilling myths and stories surrounding this castle during our tour. We weren’t disappointed. Our favourite was the ‘Cellar of the Immured Knight’, a small room said to have imprisoned a 16th-century monk, walled-in alive due to a forbidden love affair.

At last it was time to visit a Baltic spa. We headed to SÖRWESPA, with multiple saunas, a steam room, pool and jacuzzi with big glass windows looking out at a beautiful forest. We took our time to experience all the facilities before piling into the jacuzzi together.

We also ate some authentic local food in the restaurant here. After chatting to the chef, Kaur, he mentioned he actually used to live and work in Limerick and had a cúpla focail... what an odd experience to be on an Estonian island where the Estonian chef starts speaking in Irish!

Keeping with the spa theme, we visited HOIA Homespa and partook in a body-scrub workshop. Martin, the owner, showed us around the quaint resort and guided us in making our own body scrubs – we were able to pick our own scents from the wide range of oils. I went with lemongrass, magnolia and lime. This was such a fun activity to do as a group, where we discovered that we all had very different tastes when it came to scents.

We finished this day by checking into the amazing Pilguse Manor. This is a really special hotel. It has multiple guesthouses and glamping options, but the highlight of the property was their mirrored cabins, cleverly located surrounding trees. These cabins were such a unique place to sleep.

We also did a guided sauna session in a restored smoke sauna. I had never been to a sauna with such intense dry heat – we had to keep candles lit to make sure there was enough oxygen circulating.

Here, we learned all about Estonian sauna culture and how saunas are a place where people go and feel safe to open up and talk about things they usually wouldn’t in the presence of others. We had a few vodkas in the sauna which probably helped, but I can confirm, it was the perfect place for some deep, meaningful conversations.

The third and final Estonianan island we visited was Muhu. With a population of about 2,000, this small, beautiful island is rich in culture.

As we drove by the busy Saturday market, we made our way to Pädaste Manor, a stunning building with parts dating back as far as the 14th century. We walked around the beautiful gardens before heading into the main building for a meal in its Alexander restaurant.

Here, food was carefully plated and bursting with flavours from the island. The chef, Achim, showed us around his impressive garden and explained how they prioritise and serve whatever is in season. White asparagus was thriving that week, so most of the dishes had white asparagus elements. Each of the three courses was paired with a wine for a sensational experience.

Full to the brim with good food, we returned to Tallinn, exploring on our final day.

We headed for three areas – starting with the bustling Old Town, filled with fellow tourists rambling around the cobblestone streets and main square. Next was the more laid-back Telliskivi Creative City, an area located in a former industrial complex. They have converted these old industrial buildings and filled them inside and out with artworks, art galleries, independent shops, creative companies and lots of unique eateries.

The third was Noblessner, an up-and-coming seafront quarter where a former submarine shipyard has been converted into a cultural and culinary hub with theatres and craft beer venues to name a few. All three areas were unique in their own way and each worth a visit.

Estonia really surprised us. This country had everything we wanted from a holiday and more. The locals on the islands really prioritised local, fresh, and healthy food. I didn’t even notice one takeaway. The landscapes were breathtaking. The importance of spas and in particular, saunas which are central to their culture really impressed me.

The hospitality would give Ireland a run for its money, and I couldn’t have felt safer.

Get there

Finnair flies from Dublin to Helsinki, with a 30-minute connecting flight to Tallinn. finnair.com

Anna was a guest of Visit Estonia, and stayed at the Mövenpick Hotel and hotel Telgraaf in Tallinn, Kassari Holiday Resort on Hiiumaa and Pilguse Manor on Saaremaa.

See more at visitestonia.com