Saulkrasti means sun coast, which is a bold name for a place on the Baltic, and the town has spent more than a century living up to it. It lies about forty kilometres north of Riga, on a strip of white sand backed by dunes and tall pine woods, and it began as a string of fishing hamlets before the railway brought holidaymakers from the capital in the late nineteenth century. Today it is the main seaside resort of the Vidzeme coast, a town of wooden villas, a long beach promenade and a pier, with a gentle, slightly old-fashioned air.
The beach is the main attraction, a broad stretch of fine sand that slopes slowly into the water, with a dune ridge behind covered in pine and heather. A boardwalk runs through the dunes and the forest, and in summer the beach fills with sunbathers, while the winter sea is wild and grey and lined with ice. After autumn storms, amber washes up on the shore, and some people walk the tideline for hours looking for it. Sunset over the sea is a favourite event, as the sun goes down to the west over the Gulf of Riga, and people gather on the dunes to watch.
For riders, the coast road north from Riga is easy, flat and pleasant, with pine forest on either side and occasional glimpses of the sea. The Via Baltica, the main road to Estonia, runs nearby and carries heavy traffic, so the smaller coastal roads are more fun. The surface is generally good, with some patches of wear, and the bends are gentle. Elk and deer are a hazard at dusk and dawn, and in summer the road is busy at weekends with Riga residents heading for the beach. The best months are June to September, though May and early October are quiet and often sunny.
Services are good. The town has fuel stations, supermarkets, restaurants and cafes, many of them geared towards summer visitors, and a range of guesthouses and hotels. Local food includes smoked fish, rye bread and fresh berries in season, and a plate of grilled salmon with potatoes and dill is a good way to finish the day. Sigulda, about twenty-nine kilometres inland, is a larger town and the gateway to the Gauja valley.
If you want to see the town at its best, walk the boardwalk at the end of the day, when the sun is low, the pines smell of resin and the beach is quiet.