Things to do in Jūrmala

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga in Jūrmala. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

A bar right on the beach at the Baltic Beach Hotel: grilled meat, seafood and cocktails with sea views. Sit at the bar or rent a sun bed on the sand. Open 12–22.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga in Jūrmala. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

A laid-back sports bar on Jomas iela with an industrial, steampunk-style interior and a summer terrace. Burgers, wings, cocktails and Latvian and foreign draft beer, with sport on screen. Weekdays 18–23, weekends 12–23.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga in Jūrmala. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

Latvia’s oldest concert hall: the enclosed Small Hall dates from 1936 and was restored in 2015; the summer Great Hall with about 2,100 seats was built in 1963. Festivals and big concerts in summer, concerts in the Small Hall in winter.

A 33.5 m viewing tower in Dzintari Forest Park with 12 platforms at different heights; from the top you look out over the pine tops to the sea horizon. Free to visit; open daily 9–22, during the park’s hours.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga in Jūrmala. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

Official bathing site on the Lielupe in Jūrmala. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

A fishing village from the late 19th and early 20th centuries at the foot of Raga Dune: a net shed, a dwelling house, a granary and a fish-smoking hut, plus a large collection of anchors and fishing boats. On Thursdays in July and August there are rope- and net-making masterclasses and fish smoking. Tue–Sun, free entry.

Boat, kayak and SUP rental with routes on the Lielupe and Buļļupe rivers.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga in Jūrmala. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

A wooden boardwalk across the raised bog in Ķemeri National Park: the short loop is 1.5 km (about an hour) and the long one 3.5 km (about an hour and a half), leading to an observation tower. The boardwalk is free; the car park, about 800 m away, costs €3 for the first hour (Mobilly). Not wheelchair accessible, slippery in rain, and snow isn’t cleared in winter.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga in Jūrmala. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

The Latvian National Sports Centre’s tennis base in a pine forest: nine courts in two indoor halls and nine outdoor courts. There is also squash, beach tennis, a mini-tennis court and a gym.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga in Jūrmala. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga in Jūrmala. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga in Jūrmala. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

A restaurant on Jomas iela in Majori with a varied menu, from traditional European dishes to more exotic flavours, and a summer terrace overlooking Jomas iela. Open daily 12:00–23:00 all year, with gift cards from €25.

Rope jumps from 47 m on the grounds of the old Sloka paper mill, solo or as a tandem. The summer season runs from early May to the end of September; in winter there is one jump day a month, announced in advance.

Leisure spot on the Lielupe: sunrise and sunset trips on a floating terrace, a floating jacuzzi, SUPs, kayaks and pedal boats.

Waterski and wakeboard lessons on a historic channel by the Lielupe. SUPs, kayaks and boats are also for rent.

SUP rental in Majori with all the gear. Rides on the Lielupe and the sea, plus 10 km expeditions towards Lake Babīte.

Sunrise SUP trip across a bog lake with a guide and all the gear.