Lilaste combines a distinctive dune landscape with coast, nature and a variety of ways to spend time outdoors. The parabolic dune and Piejūra Nature Park are the area’s main landscape features; a hiking trail, fishing waters and summer leisure activities appeal to different travel interests. For your planning, it is worth considering the landscape, route and season separately, then deciding what you would like to shape your stay.

Coast, Dune and Nature Park

The parabolic dune of Lilaste reaches 20 to 28 metres above sea level and extends for several kilometres. Together, its height and extent convey the scale of this landscape feature: one describes its elevation, the other the longer course of the dune ridge.

Piejūra Nature Park preserves natural habitats and protected plants along the coast from Lilaste to the White Dune in Saulkrasti. The features preserved there also include a sand dune that once moved. Its former movement connects today’s protected landscape with a historical change in the shape of the dunes. The coast at Lilaste also has so-called “singing” sand.

Route and Waters

A hiking trail along the Garezers Lakes leads to Lilaste and is about 3.5 kilometres long one way. This distance is for one direction; if you plan to make a round trip, allow separately for the return journey.

Crossing the small Lilaste River depends on the water level. When the water is low, you can cross the river on foot; when the water is high, you have to go around it in Lilaste. You can plan the hiking trail based on its approximate length; for the river crossing, by contrast, the water level is the deciding factor.

In Saulkrastu novads, the Lilaste Lakes are considered particularly popular for fishing, while the Lilaste River is described there as a less well-known fishing spot. A fishing licence is required for fishing in rivers and lakes in Saulkrastu novads. This requirement generally applies to rivers and lakes there, not only to the waters around Lilaste. Check the requirements again before your fishing trip.

Summer Activities and the Winter Coast

In summer, the Lilaste recreation complex offers bicycles, boats, catamarans and canoes for hire. Water-ski rides are also available there. The distinction between the types of offerings may help with your planning: bicycles and watercraft are available for hire, while water-ski rides are a separate activity. These offerings are available in summer.

In winter, Lilaste Beach offers a peaceful coastal landscape with fresh sea air and white snow. This makes the seasonal highlights distinct: in summer, the focus is on rentals and water-ski rides, while in winter, the coastal scenery shapes the stay. When choosing when to travel, you can take this contrast between summer activities and winter scenery into account.

For the broader travel overview: Saulkrastu Rural Area.