Jurmala is a long, low beach resort strung out along the Gulf of Riga, about 25 kilometres west of the capital. It's been a summer destination for city dwellers since the mid-19th century, when Russian aristocrats and later Soviet-era workers came here to take the sea air. The result is an eclectic stock of wooden villas — many in ornate Jugendstil style — scattered among pine forests behind a wide sandy beach.
The beach itself runs for around 33 kilometres. The water is calm, shallow, and generally safe for swimming in summer, though the Baltic warms slowly and doesn't get properly warm until July. The centre of town — Majori — has the highest concentration of cafes, restaurants, and shops, and gets crowded on summer weekends.
Out of season, Jurmala has a pleasantly melancholy quality: empty promenades, shuttered villas, the smell of pine and sea. It's worth a half-day trip from Riga at any time of year just to walk through the older residential streets.
Frequent commuter trains run from Riga's central station to Majori in about 30 minutes. A day entry fee applies for cars during summer (June–August).