Bolderāja / Daugavgrīva

About this spot

Bolderāja and the neighbouring Daugavgrīva beach are where Riga's kiters go after work. The spot sits on the Gulf of Riga just west of the Daugava river mouth, about 20 minutes from the city centre. Because the gulf is semi-enclosed and shallow, the water is much flatter than on the open Baltic: small chop on most days, with short, steep wind-swell only in strong northerlies. The sand bottom stays shallow for a long way out, which makes it a good place to progress.

The beach faces north, so north-west, north and north-east winds blow onshore to side-onshore and are the safe directions. West works as cross-shore but gets gusty over the land; any southerly wind is offshore and must be avoided. The Daugavgrīva breakwater and the Daugava shipping channel lie to the east — stay well west of them, as the river current and ship wakes are dangerous. Water quality and temperature can change after rain because of the river.

Facilities are simple: parking at the end of the beach roads in Bolderāja/Daugavgrīva, a few seasonal cafés, and kite schools that operate at Riga-area beaches in summer. It is one of the more beginner-friendly spots in Latvia in onshore northerlies, while experienced riders enjoy flat-water freestyle when it blows.