Vilsandi ‘It’s not the forest behind this forest, but the sea…’ Every Estonian knows that the author of this song is Jaan Tätte – singer, writer and actor who lives on Vilsandi, a small island of 9 sq km situated to the west of Saaremaa. Across the sea, the distance between the Papissaare harbour on Saaremaa and the Vikati harbour on Vilsandi island is 10 km. When the water is shallow, one can just wade through the sea from Saaremaa to Vilsandi. Only 2-3 people live on the island in winter. In summertime the population grows twenty-fold. One of the newest sights on the island is the restored former house of the lighthouse guard. It has been renovated into a sustainable low-energy building, which with sustainable technical equipment still provides all modern conveniences. Much of the island is now part of Vilsandi National Park, which grew from the Vaika bird reserve founded in 1910. It is a highly sensitive ecosystem due to the use of the surrounding islets by many migratory birds as a breeding and nesting ground. Hunting is absolutely prohibited. Vilsandi has been listed among the highest category of international bird reserves.
Abruka With an area of 8.78 sq km, Abruka is situated 6 km from the Roomassaare harbour on Saaremaa. The first records of inhabitation on the island date back to the Middle Ages, when the bishops of the Saare-Lääne county established a horse-breeding manor there. A permanent settlement on the island can be traced back to the 18th century. The maximum number on inhabitants on the island has been 150. 10 or less people live there in the winter. The most famous people to come from Abruka are the twin writers Jüri and Ülo Tuulik. Abruka’s largest neighbouring islands are Vahase (which can be reached on foot through the water and which is home to only one person), Kasselaid and Linnusitamaa.
The so-called rear lighthouse with a metal frame, built in 1923, is situated on the Limbi Nina. The front lighthouse, built in 1931, is 36 metres in height. Abruka is home to the 92-hectare botanical-zoological reserve – the broadleaf forest, which is very voluptuous and rare for its geographical location. From 1878-1880, the so-called ‘deer garden’ was established on the island and 13 deer were brought there from Kuramaa. Deer can also be spotted on the island today. The pleasant host is the island guard Rein Lember, whose interesting stories told by the bonfire are guaranteed to stay with you for a while.
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