The Nõva Nature Reserve protects a section of the northwest Estonian coast with its characteristic landscape of juniper meadows, alvars (limestone grasslands), pine forests, and shoreline. The reserve is habitat for a range of wading birds and raptors, and the coastal meadows in spring and early summer have a good selection of orchids.
Walking trails are marked but not heavily managed — this is not a groomed park. A marked trail runs along the coast through the reserve, giving access to stretches of shore not reachable by road. The western Estonian coastline in this area is genuinely wild by European standards, and the reserve preserves a representative section of it.