For a city-break destination, Tallinn has a remarkable secret in plain sight: a forested island on the horizon with kilometres of beach and almost nobody on them. Naissaar’s shores were closed to the public for half a century, and they are still far emptier than any beach on the mainland.
The east and south coasts are the gentle ones, with pale sand, shallow water and pine forest right behind. The west and north face the open gulf: dunes — the highest on the island are here — shingle banks, boulder fields and trees sculpted by the wind.
Top things to do: Beaches & Dunes
Swim near the harbour
The nearest sand is a short walk from the harbour, which makes it the obvious choice if you have only a few hours. The water is shallow for a long way out and warms up on calm summer days, though the Baltic is never exactly warm.
Walk to the south coast
The beaches around the southern end of the island, near Lõunaküla and the Hülkari point, look straight across the bay to Tallinn. On a clear evening the city’s towers and ferries line the horizon.
Climb the dunes
The island’s high dunes rise behind the western shore, held together by pines. The highest point of Naissaar, Kunilamägi, is only 27 metres above the sea, but after the flat forest it feels like a summit.
Beachcomb the wild side
The west coast collects driftwood, sea-polished stones and the occasional rusted mine casing. It is the place for long, solitary walks rather than swimming.
How to get to Beaches & Dunes
- East coast: beaches begin within 10–15 minutes’ walk of the harbour.
- South coast: about 4–5 km from the harbour, an hour on foot or 20 minutes by bike, and easy to combine with Lõunaküla and Männiku.
- West and north: reached by the central and northern trails; allow most of a day or bring a bike.
Insider tips
- There are no lifeguards, no changing cabins and no kiosks. Bring everything, and take all your rubbish back to the mainland.
- Fires are allowed only at the prepared campfire sites — this is a nature park and the pine forest is dry in summer.
- A rusty sphere on the beach is almost certainly an empty mine casing. Anything else metallic and unidentifiable should be left alone and reported.
- A sea breeze can make the crossing and the beach much cooler than Tallinn. Pack a jumper even in July.
Best tours & tickets: Beaches & Dunes
These experiences are the easiest way to see Beaches & Dunes:
Private island trip from €796 per group From Tallinn: Half-Day Guided Tour to Naissaar Island
The only Naissaar trip listed on GetYourGuide: a private half-day outing from Tallinn with the crossing and a guide on the island. It is new and has no reviews yet, and the price is for the whole group — it makes most sense when you can share the cost.
- Boat crossing of Tallinn Bay with your own group
- Guided visit to the island’s nature park and military heritage
- Priced per group, not per person
Sailing cruise from €65 Tallinn: Sunset Cruise on a Luxury Yacht
A relaxed evening sail in the same bay you cross to reach Naissaar, with a small group on board. It does not land on the island, but on a clear evening you see its long, low silhouette on the horizon.
- Small group on a sailing yacht
- Tallinn’s skyline from the water at sunset
- Calm two- or three-hour cruise in Tallinn Bay
