Kitesurf spots in Ida-Virumaa

Narva-Jõesuu is a resort town on the Gulf of Finland near the Russian border, fronted by one of Estonia's longest sand beaches, a 7-plus kilometre ribbon of fine sand backed by pine forest. That huge open beach gives you generous, uncluttered room to lay out lines and launch, with plenty of space to land safely well away from swimmers. It works across a wide band of directions, broadly from the south around through to the east, with northeast or southwest giving the cleanest cross-shore setup; avoid the offshore component from the southeast. Wind is most dependable in the windier shoulder seasons, with lighter, more variable summers. Water tends to be flat to lightly choppy close in, building further out, so it suits freeriding and progression. The sheer width of the beach keeps things uncrowded outside peak summer tourist days, making it friendly for beginners through advanced riders.

Toila, on Estonia's rugged northeastern Ida-Virumaa coast, is one of the country's more demanding and exposed kite spots, an open Gulf of Finland beach that picks up real chop and the occasional short wave when it blows hard. It works across a broad range from north round through east, and from southwest through west, with side-shore easterlies or westerlies ideal; steer clear of straight offshore southerlies. Launch is off a sandy beach, but the shoreline is rocky in places so check your landing zone and footing carefully. It stays quiet, far from the Tallinn and Pärnu scenes, so expect open water and few other riders rather than crowds. The exposure, chop and rocks make it better suited to confident intermediates and advanced riders.