Ventspils beach and the seaside park — what to do a few minutes from Kaia House

Kaia House stands where the streets of Ventspils end and the seaside park begins. That is the whole idea of the place: most of what a holiday here is made of — sand, pines, paths, a swim, a sunset — starts at the gate. Here is what is within walking distance, in the order you meet it, with the minutes we measured on the map. They are approximate, and a family with a pram will take a little longer.

The nearest beach: five minutes through the pines

Out of the door, the gravel path runs through the pines for about two minutes — packed sand and needles, fine for a pram. Then the wooden boardwalk starts, with lamps and benches along the way. At about five minutes you are over the dune with the whole bay in front of you and the pier to the north. The sand is white and faces west, so the sun sets over the water. On an ordinary weekday morning there is usually nobody on it. This stretch is unguarded — the lifeguards are at the main beach — so swim with care.

Turn left: empty coast for kilometres

Look north-west and the coast runs on almost empty: dunes, pines and white sand up the Kurzeme shore. On a summer weekday you can walk for an hour and meet nobody. Take water; there is nothing to buy on the way.

Turn right: the city beaches

The other way the beach belongs to the city, and each stretch has its own character:

• Naturist beach — a marked stretch south of the main beach, about 7 minutes on foot.
• Surfers' beach — where the wind-surfers and kiters go in, about 9 minutes. Watch from the dune, or bring a board.
• Beach volleyball — courts on the sand with a small stadium behind them, about 12 minutes.
• Blue Flag beach — the main Ventspils beach, about 17 minutes on foot or 6 by bike: lifeguards in season, showers, changing rooms, playgrounds and the promenade behind the dune.
• The guarded swimming area by the pier end, with first aid and a viewing platform, about 22 minutes.
• The South pier — about 25 minutes. A long walk out into the sea with the port on one side and open water on the other. Go for the sunset and the ships.

The seaside park, next door

The park starts at the fence. It has kilometres of paths through the pines, a bike track, ponds and benches, and a narrow-gauge railway that runs in a ring. About seven minutes away is the open-air museum, with fishermen's houses, boats and anchors under the trees and the little steam train that circles the park. The city camping, five minutes on foot, has cabins, tents and bike hire in season.

When it rains

The aqua park, with indoor and outdoor pools and slides, is about 18 minutes on foot or six by bike. The old town, the market, the promenade along the Venta and the cafés are about ten minutes by car.

A day that uses all of it

A morning walk to the dune with coffee. The beach through the pines until lunch. The two bicycles along the coastal cycle path to the Blue Flag beach and the playgrounds in the afternoon. Out on the South pier for the sunset, and back through the park as the lamps on the boardwalk come on.

Good to know

• Emergency number 112. In season the main beach has lifeguards, first-aid points and a rescue service on the water.
• No cars, fires or camping on the sand.
• Dogs stay off the guarded beach in season; there is a marked dog stretch to the south.
• Quiet after 22:00 — in the park too.

The minutes above are the ones we read off our map of the seaside quarter; the house page has the drawn map with every place on it, and the dates if you want to see it for yourself.