While staying in Latvia, I made sure to include a trip to the country’s Baltic coast during my visit. It turned out to be a really easy destination from the capital Riga. All I had to do was take a 30 minute train ride for less than 2 euro to the stop (NAME). And since there were trains going about every half an hour, I had plenty of options as to when to go. For this trip, I went with Hana (see Awesome People and Lido Festival pages). Once there, we walked about 7 or 8 minutes down a trail through a forest. Eventually, we got to a clearing at the end, and suddenly the scenery opened up to reveal the Baltic shore and all its glory.

Surprisingly, the area was pretty developed, but thankfully in a way that did not hinder the natural beauty and overall feel of the place. The water was so clean and blue and the sand was clear and smooth (unlike the beaches of Long Island Sound, which I had grown up alongside), and garbage was nowhere to be seen. There were numerous little pavilions and cafes, many of which happened to be modestly priced, and Latvians from seemingly all backgrounds were out enjoying the day. Some were relaxing, others were swimming, a few were playing volleyball, and some were even riding bicycles… on the sand.

Just a side note to my readers. The Baltic is not the Medeterranean. It’s much further north, and as a result, significantly colder. That said, if you can handle the temperature, there are far less tourists here and you can really enjoy the waters without having to dodge screaming families. Just don’t expect bath-like conditions. Instead, brace yourself for an exciting adrenaline rush.

Also, you can walk on clear sands as far as the eye can see. It was pretty interesting since the sand began right as the forest ended. It was almost as if it were a clash of two different geographical areas. Sandy beach meets northern birch tree taiga. I, personally, hadn’t ever seen anything quite like it, but it was pretty fascinating and provided a nice calming effect. And on the way back, Hana pointed out the tree in which she made our leaf crowns out of (see Lido Festival story again). So, for now, that’s all I have to say. Go there. You’ll like it.