A short trip to the Riga gulf coast

Jūrmala – is the nearest and the most beautiful Riga gulf coast located in a half an hour journey by train, taxi bus, a bike (a bit longer) or a car from Riga. A wonderful white sand, a lot of sandspits, a broad coastal line with puddled sand strip, which makes bicycle driving along the sea pleasant and smooth, as well as a convenient planning of railway stations parallelly to the gulf coast, which makes walking unforgettable allowing to catch a train on the way home at any station afterwards. All these features characterise Jūrmala. Jūrmala is good in all seasons, in hot summer days, in autumn, winter or spring. The air is fresh and healthy here.

How to get from Riga
The first option is to go by train from Central station. In half an hour it will bring the passengers over Lielupe river – a conventional border of Jūrmala city. The most crowded part of Jūrmala lies between stations Bulduri and Dubulti. A slow two-hour walk from Bulduri leads to the centre of Jūrmala – Majori. In order not to get lost, Jūrmala city council has installed signs on the beach, which display directions and names of the stations. The number of beach cafés increases towards the centre. Those who like a more quiet and peaceful ambience will appreciate visiting far stations of Jūrmala, such as Pumpuri or Melluži.

Getting to Jūrmala by a taxi-bus is another option. Tickets for taxi-buses are a bit more expensive. The buses stop opposite the Central station and Origo shopping centre, near the public transport stop (trolleybuses №11, 18, and 23). The trick is to ask a bus driver if he goes through Jūrmala (there are also buses, which go via a ring road).

A car drive to Jūrmala will take a little time. The road to Jūrmala from Riga centre goes through Sala bridge or Vanšu bridge. Besides petrol expenses, there is also a cost of an entry ticket to Jūrmala that should be accounted for. It amounts to 2 euro. The entrance is free from October, 1st till April, 1st. One more lifehack for entry to Jūrmala is to use Mobilly application. It is especially useful in the summertime when there are a lot of cars going in that direction.

One more way to visit Jūrmala is to go there by bicycle. There is a bicycle road going from Riga centre: Vanšu bridge – Slokas street – Kandavas street – Jūrmalas alley – Imantas line 2 – a road along the railway line till the Priedaine station. The bicycle road is very picturesque, it goes through the greenery. Its proximity to the railway allows taking a train in case the journey seems to be too exhausting. Those who managed to drive till the end of the bicycle road will have to go over the Lielupe bridge and will able to enjoy a beautiful view from there towards the yacht club and a coastal line. There are some bicycle roads going through the forest along the Riga gulf, which are a good alternative to a marine atmosphere.

Some attractions
– recreational park Dzintari
– pedestrian street Jomas
– the exhibition hall at Dubulti station
– a wooden architecture