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 hotel right on the beach in Majori with the status of a medical institution. More than 300 treatments, including Ķemeri mud rituals; the “The Garden” water centre has a 25 m pool with warm seawater, a Roman steam bath, a Himalayan salt sauna, a cedar sauna, a whirlpool, a children’s pool and waterfalls, and there is a separate Russian bath complex, “The Banya”.

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.

One of the largest spa hotels in the Baltics, with a conference centre, on Jomas iela. The Wellness Oasis has saunas and pools, and the spa and beauty salon offer more than 200 treatments, such as chocolate, linden-blossom and amber rituals.

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.

The city’s culture centre on Jomas iela in Majori: concerts, shows, film screenings and events.

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 medical resort in Jaunķemeri where the focus is on treatment rather than luxury: mud baths (prepared mud at 38–39 °C), bromine mineral-water baths and sulphur mineral water for drinking. Rehabilitation courses with or without accommodation.

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.

A spa hotel among the dunes at Lielupe: a 25 m pool with cascades, a heated children’s pool, a whirlpool, a Finnish sauna, a Turkish bath and a contrast shower. Treatments for children and teens use cosmetics that are safe for young skin, and there are Latvian rituals with cranberry, honey and amber oil.

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.

One of the largest water parks in the Baltics: more than 20 slides, ten pools, saunas and a spa. In summer there is also a beach area with a terrace.

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 boutique spa hotel on Jūras iela in Jūrmala. The spa has a salt cave, a jacuzzi, a pearl bath, a milk-and-honey bath, a Turkish bath and a classic sauna; massages include a warm-candle massage and a “golden” massage.

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.

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 right on the beach in Dubulti, listed in the MICHELIN Guide. Fish and meat are cooked over charcoal, with vegetarian dishes too; for dessert there is a Riga Black Balsam tiramisu. Closed on Fridays.

Bike rental, sales and repairs in Majori, with 20 years in the business. Children’s, youth, sport, touring, mountain, beach-cruiser and city bikes can be hired, as can bike trailers; the company also runs group rides, races and corporate events.

Tennis academy in Lielupe, Jūrmala.

Combat sports club in Jūrmala. Wellness services are available too.

Three outdoor courts and four indoor Soft Hard courts in Bulduri, all available to rent.

Yoga and Pilates studio in Jūrmala. Wellness services are available too.

Tennis court in Vaivari with individual and group training; equipment provided. Open daily 07:00–21:00 in summer.

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

Yoga studio in Jūrmala. Weekday hours: 09:00–17:00.

A 34-room design hotel in Dubulti, about 400 m from the sea. The spa spans two floors with six treatment rooms, a lounge, a Turkish steam bath and a sauna; massages, peels and Turkish and Moroccan hammam rituals, with birch-whisk or lemon-and-honey sauna sessions. A seminar hall for up to 50 is in a separate building next door.

A restaurant on the bank of the Lielupe in Bulduri with a minimalist interior. Contemporary Latvian cooking from local produce: lightly salted herring, Riga sprat pâté, fried blood sausage and other classics with a modern twist. Open daily 12–23.

Pilates studio in Jūrmala. Weekday hours: 09:00–19:00.

Combat sports club in Jūrmala: MMA.

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

Combat sports club in Jūrmala: boxing.

Pilates studio in Jūrmala.

Yoga and Pilates studio in Jūrmala. Combat sports training too.

Pilates studio in Jūrmala. Wellness services are available too. Weekday hours: 09:00–21:00.

Sports centre in Jūrmala with a gym and a swimming pool.

A hotel in Majori with a spa centre: live-algae wraps, therapeutic mud, amber peeling, massage with volcanic stones and herbal pouches, and a Turkish bath.

Two outdoor tennis courts in Majori, 150 m from the beach, with rooms and a beach café.

Tennis courts in Bulduri, on Bulduru prospekts.

A banya in Melluži offering four rituals that combine warming up, whisking, herbal tea with honey, a chocolate wrap and a massage with hot jadeite stones. Book on the website.

Wakesurfing and wakeboarding behind a motorboat in Jaundubulti.

Scuba diving sessions of about two hours with an instructor in the Sloka quarry.