The viewing tower is in a seaside meadow near Mērsrags. It is an unusual type of biotope in Latvia and is located to the North of the Mērsrags port. The tower offers a good view of reed-filled meadows, areas where wild cattle have grazed, and an amazing wealth of different kinds of plants.

The Sunset trail starts in the centre of Saulkrasti town and takes you to the White Dune. Saulkrasti town with its municipal rural territory, occupies a 17km long stretch of coastal land to the North from the river Lilaste and the lake Lilaste.

The White Dune stands on the right side of river Inčupe mouth. It is covered by old pine forest. The white, 18m high sand outcrop in olden times served as a landmark for fishermen. The White Dune formed as winds carried the sand from the beach over clay sediments of the Baltic Ice Lake. Some 150-200 years ago, the dune had been drifting as witnessed by several layers of soil buried within it. Local fishermen and farmers at Bātciems initiated afforestation of the drifting dunes. At that time, the 30m high dunes which are now covered with forest, were bare, shifting and even buried a farmstead. To speed up afforestation, mountain pines were planted. The White Dune was partly washed away in heavy storm in 1969, and 4-6m high precipice formed. Now the wind and sand have levelled out the dune surface, it has been fixed with willow-twigs or grown with forest where the largest pines are more than 170-190 years old. The pines are notable with their large trunks and branches, the scars obtained during their lifetime and the typical “crocodile skin” – the bark forms rhombuses resembling those of the reptile’s scales. Scots Pine (Pinus Silvestris) is one of the most common tree species in Latvia. It grows in dry, meagre sandy soil in dunes as well as in marsh. However, it does not stand overshadowing. Forest fires help pines to get rid of competitors as pine endures fire better than other trees because of its thick bark and high crown. The wood exudes resin and burned wounds close soon. Fire cleans space for seedlings of young pines. Pines can live 300-350 years.

Ground cover in dune forests is very sensitive. If the sparse vegetation is destroyed, not only the natural biodiversity and landscape is damaged, but also the dangerous shifting dunes can possibly “wake up”.

Embryonic dunes, White (yellow) dunes, Grey dunes and Wooded dunes are EU protected biotopes. Grey Dunes are protected by Latvian law as well.
A wooden trail with watching platform is built to protect the White Dune and to facilitate the sightseeing. In winter, a skiing trail in the vicinity of the White Dune is arranged.

The mouth of the most beautiful river of Vidzeme. On the seashore between the mouths of River Gauja and River Daugava, one of the largest dune ranges in Latvia with distinctive parabolic dunes overgrown with forest (wooded dunes) is situated. The Mouth of River Gauja is unique as it is one of the few major rivers in Latvia and in EU countries to flow into the sea naturally. There is no harbour or other hydro-engineering construction. It is a popular recreation area in the vicinity of Riga and Saulkrasti while, unfortunately, the lack of infrastructure makes it suffer from anthropogenic load.

Not far from the rivermouth, hidden in dunes, there are pillboxes which were built in 1920 or 30ies as anti-airborne barriers. There was a whole range of them along the coastline from the mouth of the River Lielupe to the mouth of the River Gauja forming a part of the Daugavgrīva Fortress fortifications. The pillbox is made of concrete, ca 1.5m thick.

Every year, on the 3^rd Sunday in August, a lamprey festival takes place in Carnikava town by the Gauja rivermouth. Carnikava is called the Lamprey Capital as it is famous for its lamprey fishing tradition and generous catches.

The Mouth of the River Gauja is a good bird-watching area, especially in spring and autumn when one can observe the highest variety of species. Just few of the many bird species that can be observed near the Gauja rivermouth

An important complex of the coastline and its sand dunes along with the mouths of three major rivers – the Lielupe, the Daugava and the Gauja. This area has ancient traditions of recreation and spa services. The territory has lovely shoreline landscapes and features one of the few coastline meadows in Latvia. The nature park includes several restricted areas – the meadows of the Lielupe estuary, Vakarbuļļi, Daugavgrīva, Vecdaugava and Ummis (see the section on “Restricted Natural Areas”). Interesting elements of nature in this area include the amphitheatre of the Garciems dunes, along with individual dunes such as the Legzdiņi dune and the so-called ski mountain dune. Visitors will be attracted by various cultural and historical monuments – fortifications on the Mangaļi peninsula, military buildings from the period of the Russian tsars all the way through the late period of the Soviet occupation, the fortress of Daugavgrīva, the Vecāķi spa with its old shoreline buildings, and the beaches at Daugavgrīva and Vecāķi. The proximity of the city of Rīga and various important recreational resources are the reason for the massive anthropogenic burden that is placed on this territory. The nature park is appropriate for active tourism (hiking, bicycling, boating, driving), distance skiing, nature and bird-watching, cultural tourism, passive leisure and educational tourism. There are nature trails at Daugavgrīva and the Rožu dunes, along with other elements of infrastructure.

The Dviete Wetlands Nature Park contains a unique natural territory – the ancient Dviete River valley with the Lake Skuķi and the Lake Dviete and the surrounding wetland meadows. During flooding season, these wetlands store up waters from the Daugava River. They absorb a lot of floodwater at first and then slowly return it, thus reducing the level of floods in the Daugava River valley. This process is the reason for the unique ecosystem which exists in this area. It is an important location for plants and birds both during migration and nesting season. The river valley is important for birds during migration and nesting. In 2006, wild cows were released into the meadows. There is also work to improve the tourist infrastructure in the area.