Lielupe Estuary Cruise

A concentrated cruise around the picturesque islets of the Lielupe Estuary.

Fancy relaxing, but pressed for time? Why not indulge in a brief but leisurely cruise on a sailing yacht along the picturesque Lielupe Estuary, departing from the dock at Bulluciems? Even if you only have an hour to spare, this is a sublime yacht cruise in any weather conditions and one that will give you plenty of time to enjoy a new experience after uncorking a bottle of good champagne.

The beauty of the Lielupe Estuary is characterised by a broad floodplain and fens dotted with numerous islets. Wending their way in between them are branches of the river, which are the preferred nesting habitat for a wide range of water birds. And luckily for you, the river’s tributaries are deep enough to accommodate a sailing yacht with a draught of up to 2.5 metres.

This is quite sufficient to give you a close up view of the scenic Lielupe white dune, which rises up on the right bank of the river, encompassed by pine trees. In between the Lielupe Estuary and the white dune, you will catch sight of the Bullupe Estuary and the marshes and shores of the Vakarbulli floodplain, which are popular with lots of anglers.

Nearer the sea, you will see a bluff which formed after the spring floods of 2010. At the time, controlled explosions were carried out to break up ice. These resulted in a significant portion of the right bank and numerous pine trees being washed away, altering the configuration of the river bed. As a result, you will now find yourselves midway between the beach at Vakarbulli and the Lielupe nudist beach.

On the cruise back, you will pass the once impressive “Uzvara” fish farm (later renamed “Juraslicis”). This 23 ha territory now belongs to Guntis Ravis and Andris Skele. Their company SIA “Balta Kapa” is currently drawing up major redevelopment plans for the area, which, if realised, would involve the construction of 42 metre high 12 storey buildings. Hardly surprisingly, these plans are already the subject of protests from local activists.

Cruise prices start from €70 if you choose to take the cruise on the sailing yacht “Turaida”. No. of passengers: up to 12 people of all ages.

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