Spring is in full bloom right now, and it’s not even mid May! I honestly can’t think of a better way to spend sunny Sunday morning than driving out of town. Stepping my foot on a canoe has been a lifelong dream of mine. So, when I was going through the list of awesome activities Kõrvemaa Hiking Resort has to offer, that particular trip was an immediate decision! Here is my review of Canoe Tour in Kõrvemaa National Park.
How to get to Kõrvemaa National Park
The Hiking and Ski resort in Kõrvemaa is located in Oja Farm, on the border of North-Kõrvemaa nature reserve with total area of 12,691 hectares. It is a short driving distance from Tallinn – around 56km (1 hour by car). It’s one of the pretties National parks in Estonia!
There is an option to get there by public transport, although it’s not ideal. Take a train from Tallinn to Aegviidu and then walk around 5 km to the Hiking center.
Driving to the starting point of Canoe Tour in Kõrvemaa National Park
Once we arrived at the hiking center, paid for the tour (possible by debit/credit card), got ourselves some coffee and got to know our guide, it was time to get back in the cars and drive to the starting point.
The road is very bumpy and dusty. We had to drive around 7km through the woods to the starting point, where the guide was waiting for us with canoes ready to go on water.
Safety on water
Thorough instructions followed and then we were given life jackets. Our guide was very knowledgeable and explained in detail how to handle a canoe, what are the roles of people sitting in front and in the back, how to pass logs and trees and what to do when we are stuck.
Luckily the river was rather shallow so we got to enjoy the ride rather than stress out about dangers and obstacles.
To make things more secure, our guide attached a tracking device to our boats. You don’t need to wear anything special, although I’m happy I wore hiking boots (ended up getting my feet wet). At some point, fallen trees completely blocked the way, so we had to get out of the boat and drag it overland. Luckily, it wasn’t too heavy!
The experience
We were among the last ones going on water, so when everyone else disappeared from sight, it was just us and the nature. The river is stunningly beautiful, with lots of bends and turns. The weather was sunny and warm, I even got my first sunburn.
The current was slow so it was easy to maneuver and navigate. At times we just simply stopped paddling and enjoyed the silence and birds singing around. I saw lots of water lilies as well as results of beaver activity – fallen trees and dams.
Once we arrived in final destination, our guide helped us drag the canoe to the shore and drove us back to our cars. We ended our stay at this amazing place with a tasty lunch in the Hiking center.
Overall impression
It was my first ever time in a canoe and I’m happy to say I loved it and highly recommend to anyone, even families with children. Soodla river is very quiet and easy to navigate. Although we went in spring, flowers were already starting to bloom. You can easily forget time because it’s so peaceful and quiet. Observing forest from water is very different than from a hiking trail!
Kõrvemaa Hiking Resort is great for lots of outdoor activities, such as disc golf, hiking and mountain bike trails, adventure games and much more. It’s possible to stay overnight and go to sauna, organize events or just come for the day. We will be coming back soon for hikes and biking tours.
Have you ever tried canoeing? How did you like it?
Prefer hiking? Here is an awesome hike idea – Lake Pühajärv Hiking trail
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