Jūrmala: Latvia's seaside resort

Why go

Jūrmala is not one town but a chain of former fishing and holiday villages, from Lielupe and Bulduri through Dzintari and Majori to Dubulti, Jaunķemeri and Ķemeri. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries it became a fashionable spa resort for the Russian Empire, and later a favourite holiday place for Soviet elites. Many of its wooden summer houses, with lacy verandas and towers, survive today, and the beach is one of the longest and finest on the Baltic.

The beach

The sand runs for more than twenty kilometres, wide, pale and backed by dunes and pines. **Majori** and **Dzintari** are the busiest stretches, with lifeguards in summer, cafés and changing cabins. Walk a little east or west and you can find quieter patches. The water of the Gulf of Riga is shallow and calm, warming up in July and August, though it is rarely tropical. Swim only where flags show it is safe and check water quality notices in summer.

Top things to do

**Jomas iela**, the pedestrian main street in Majori, is lined with cafés, shops and old villas. Walk or cycle the back streets of **Dzintari** and **Majori** to admire the carved wooden houses, some restored and some romantically decaying. **Dzintari Forest Park** has a tall observation tower above the pines, skate paths and playgrounds.

The **Dzintari Concert Hall**, an open air summer hall in the forest, has hosted concerts for more than a century. In **Dubulti**, the summer cottage of the poets **Rainis and Aspazija** is now a small museum, and the **Jūrmala Open Air Museum** in Lielupe shows the life of the fishermen who lived here before the resort.

For families, **Līvu Akvaparks** is a big indoor water park, ideal on a rainy day. Cyclists will love the flat forest and seaside paths, and bikes are easy to rent in Majori in summer.

Ķemeri National Park

At the western end of Jūrmala, **Ķemeri National Park** protects bogs, lakes, forests and sulphur springs that once fed a famous spa. The **Great Ķemeri Bog Boardwalk** crosses a raised bog of pools and mosses to a viewing tower, and it is beautiful at sunrise and sunset. The short loop is easy for most walkers, and a longer path continues across the bog. Bring insect repellent in summer.

Spas and wellness

Jūrmala has a long spa tradition built on sea air, mineral water and healing mud. Several hotels offer spa days to visitors who are not staying overnight, and they make a lovely plan for a cold or rainy day out of season.

Food and drink

Jomas iela has plenty of casual cafés, and beachfront restaurants serve fish, salads and cold drinks with a sea view. Try smoked fish from local stalls and, in late summer, wild berries and chanterelles.

Where to stay

**Majori** is the most convenient base, close to the station, the beach and Jomas iela. **Dzintari** is quieter and leafy, while **Jaunķemeri** and **Ķemeri** suit travellers who want nature over nightlife.

Getting there and around

Trains from Riga Central Station stop at every part of Jūrmala, with Majori around half an hour away. Visitors driving into Jūrmala in a private vehicle pay an entry fee at the town boundary in the warmer months, so check the town's official site if you are coming by road. Within Jūrmala, walking, cycling and the train between stations are easiest.