Saulkrasti White Dune

The White Dune at Saulkrasti is a bluff of pale sand around eighteen metres high standing where the Incupe stream comes down to the Gulf of Riga, part of an older dune ridge exposed by the water, with pine forest on the top and the beach below. A boardwalk and steps run along and down it, with a viewing platform looking north and south along the coast and out over the gulf, and the Sunset Trail continues along the shore through the pines. It is the best-known viewpoint on this stretch of coast and is used particularly in the evening, since the aspect gives a direct view of the sun setting into the water.

What you actually see

• The white bluff - the pale sand face above the beach.
• The boardwalk and platform - the path along the top and the viewpoint.
• The Sunset Trail - the shore route through the pines.
• The Incupe mouth - the stream reaching the sea below the dune.

When to go

May to September for the beach and the walking; sunset is when most people come and the aspect works. Winter is quiet with icy boardwalks. Weekends bring Riga visitors.

Honest expectations

The dune is small and the visit takes under an hour. Boardwalks are slippery in wet or frost. Erosion has closed sections at times. Parking near the access is limited in summer.

Nearby

Riga lies south; Veczemju cliffs are north up the coast.