Why visit Estonia as Ecotourism Destination?

Estonian territory is about same as the Netherlands, but the
population (1.4 million) is eleven times less, which means that there
is lot of space for nature. About 50% of country is covered by forests
and woods, and is home to eagles, wolves, brown bears and lynx. People
of Estonia often call themselves the "forest people", and have lived
on these lands since Stone Age.

There is also a strong connection to the sea, as Estonian has a long
and curvy coastline and over 1,500 islands. Estonia's birdlife is one
of the richest in Europe, placing Estonia among most popular
birdwatching destinations. Estonia is a flat and wet country, with
about one quarter of territory made up of different kinds of wetlands,
marshes, coastal lagoons, fens and peat-bogs. Estonian rivers are
mostly unregulated and flow naturally meandering between meadows.
Flooded meadows are widespread, providing habitat for corncrake,
storks and other birds. Wooded meadows can be called Estonian national
landscapes, and these park-like landscapes are especially rich in
species.

TOP experiences

* Wildlife watching - Taiga forests of Estonia hold thriving
populations of Lynx, Wolf and Brown bear as well as other interesting
mammals such as Racoon dog, Elk, Beaver, European mink and Flying
squirrel.
* Bogshoeing - Peat-bogs, swamps and wetlands of different types
cover over one fifth of the country. About 10 percent of Estonia are
nature reserves and national parks. Bogshoing is a natural way of
experiencing ancient bog-landscapes
* Sea-Kayaking - There are more than 1,500 islands, sea-kayaking
is a great way to explore Estonian Archipelago.
* River-Canoeing - Estonia's natural river system can be regarded
as one of the most important values of Estonian nature - only a few
natural watercourses in Estonia have been straightened. Canoeing is
popular activity.



Ecotourism Association - ESTECAS

Estonian Ecotourism Association is a non-governmental and non-profit
membership organisation, formed in 1996, that connects individuals,
organisations and authorities for ecotourism development in Estonia.
ESTECAS aims to unite different stakeholders for development of
ecotourism - "responsible travel that contributes to the well-being of
local communities and conserves the natural and cultural heritage".

Ecotourism Cluster

Members of cluster are local travel companies, who are adopted
following principles:

* siia
* peak
* panema
* klastri peamised printssibid tulevad kohe siia...