The Curonian Spit is the essential day trip: take the 5-minute ferry from Klaipeda to Smiltyne and continue by bus or bicycle to Nida (50km south). Nida is one of the most beautiful villages in the Baltics — pastel wooden houses, a lagoon harbour, and the 52-metre Parnidis sand dune behind the village. Thomas Mann spent several summers here.
Palanga, 30km north, is Lithuania's main beach resort, with a long sandy beach, a pier, and the Botanical Garden. The Nemunas Delta regional park, south of Klaipeda, is an extensive wetland of rivers and islands best explored by kayak or boat.