I really enjoy going to the beach in summer time. After traveling the last couple of years to Flanders and then to Poland I knew that another northern destination was in order. Lativa has a long coastline and therefore a lot of beaches. I started with Cape Kolka, the meeting point of two seas. Where the Gulf of Riga meets the Baltic Sea.
It was also fairly easy to travel to Cape Kolka. Three hours on the bus and you are here. Once there though you realize there is nothing! So glad that I had figured that out before. I was only going to spend the day here. Although if you are into camping they have wonderful round ‘rolls’ at the beach which you can rent. I decided against them because there is no electricity or water inside. It’s all available though at the community center here.
The beach itself is gorgeous and exactly as I remember it from De Haan and Gdansk. It’s wide and sandy and empty! To get to it you pass you huge stone portal.
entrance to the beach @Cape Kolka
the Cape in all its glory @Cape Kolka
The sea is so shallow that the lighthouse is 6km from the beach. That’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? But of course there is always a downside to something amazing. So you will find here the largest ship graveyard in the Baltic Sea.
somewhere to the right far, far out is the lighthouse @Cape Kolka
If you find the time, go for a walk through the wood. I’s so peaceful and quite light inside. Such a pleasant experience that you don’t want to miss.
a walk though the woods @Cape Kolka
In Roja the beach is completely different. Still sandy, but narrow. And with quite a lot of stones. Some of them are really big and they must have come from a glacier. It’s beautiful to sit on one of these and just read a book. They are warm from the sun and sometimes so conveniently placed that you can put your feet in the water.
the biggest stone found on these shores @Roja
the narrow beach of the Gulf of Riga @Roja
I met a local artist who formed the stones into sculptures. All of this while his dog was guarding them jealously. You are not allowed in the water next to the stones.
stone sculptures on the beach @Roja
Jurmala is by far the biggest beachside resort. Only 30 minutes from Riga away it draws a crowd of locals and tourists alike. Sadly it started to rain almost the moment I arrived. That didn’t ruin my beach experience though which I could enjoy with a rainbow.
late afternoon at the beach @Jurmala
There is not much left of the former fishing village due to its popularity since 200 years. The big old wooden houses speak for themselves that this place has seen tourism for quite some time. The kilometer long Jomas street is a pedestrian zone full of shops and restaurants.
pedestrian Jomas street @Jurmala
The cloudy sky kept up the next day as well. The beach was still populated with people playing football while others were cycling on the heavy sand. What an amazing playground! Because of the sheer size of the beach, it doesn’t look crowded at all. Yours, Pollybert
cloudy beach day @Jurmala
