Jurmala

Jūrmala emerged in the late 19th century as a Baltic seaside resort when Riga's wealthy merchants and Russian nobility began building wooden villas along the Gauja River estuary. The town exploded during the Soviet era into a sprawling beach destination, then nearly collapsed after independence before slowly reinventing itself as a modern yet nostalgic escape. Today, the 32-kilometer stretch of white sand beach remains the draw, but the real texture comes from wandering Jomas iela (Jomas Street), the pedestrian spine lined with art nouveau facades, local cafés, and galleries that feel genuinely lived-in rather than staged. The Dzintari Concert Hall hosts everything from classical to contemporary acts in a modernist structure overlooking the water. Head to Majori for the densest cluster of restored villas and the Jūrmala Museum, housed in a 1903 mansion that traces the town's transformation from fishing village to imperial playground. Bulduri, to the west, offers a quieter residential feel with access to pine forests that back directly onto the beach—locals jog and cycle here year-round, and the air carries that particular Baltic pine-and-salt smell that makes the place feel separate from the rest of Latvia.

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VRBO Vacation Rentals

With over 2 million bookable vacation rentals, Vrbo connects homeowners with families and vacationers looking for something more than a hotel for their trip. The Vrbo community offers families an array of rental property types such as condos, cabins, lake rentals, beach houses, and more. Discover properties in destinations that everyone dreams of visiting.
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