A dune forest and a long white beach is not the first thing most people expect near Riga, but that is what Jūrmala is. The town is a string of seaside villages strung along a narrow strip of land between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe river, about twenty-five kilometres west of the capital. Over fifty thousand people live here, and in the Soviet era it was the main resort of the Baltic region, a place where party officials and ordinary workers took their holidays. Today it keeps that holiday atmosphere, with spa hotels, sanatoriums and a very long beach of soft pale sand that stretches for some thirty kilometres.
Much of Jūrmala's character comes from its wooden architecture. Pine-lined streets are full of nineteenth and early twentieth century villas, with carved verandas, turrets and painted shutters, many restored in recent years. Jomas iela, the main pedestrian street in Majori, is lined with cafes, shops and small restaurants, and in summer it fills up with strollers. In the dunes behind the beach, the smell of pine resin and salt air makes for a pleasant walk, and the sea is shallow and cold even in July.
The ride starts easily here. Roads in the area are flat and straight, with speed limits that are lower than you might expect and police who enforce them, so keep an eye out. The A10 and the old road towards Kurzeme lead west along the coast and through forest, and you will soon be out among farms and small wooden villages. The scenery is gentle, and the coastline is more about space and quiet than about drama. Traffic can be heavy on summer weekends, when Riga empties toward the beach, so go early or midweek if you can.
Jūrmala is large enough for fuel, food and any repairs, and the stations along the main road are frequent. Piņķi, a smaller place to the east, also has services. Past here, as the road leaves the built-up area, stations are fewer, so it is sensible to arrive in Kurzeme with a full tank.
Try the smoked fish sold in small stalls, and a cup of strong coffee on a veranda. Late June, around the midsummer festival of Jāņi, is a special time to be in Latvia, with wreaths, bonfires and a very long twilight.