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Riga lies on the Daugava, just before it flows into the Gulf of Riga, and its marinas are right in the city: Andrejosta on the right bank next to the passenger terminal, and the City Yacht Club opposite on the island of Ķīpsala. Here you can read how to get to Riga for the start of your sailing trip, where the marinas are, where to park and shop, what sailing weather to expect, which destinations are close by and what skippers should know about approach, harbour rules and entry requirements.
The essentials at a glance
- From Riga airport, bus 22 takes about 40 minutes to reach the centre; by taxi it takes 15 to 25 minutes.
- Andrejosta and the City Yacht Club face each other across the Daugava, both within walking distance of the Old Town. Andrejosta borders directly on the passenger terminal, while the City Yacht Club is about a 15-minute walk from the centre.
- From the City Yacht Club it is about 500 metres to the nearest supermarket, and from Andrejosta about 550 metres.
- There are no tides in Riga. However, the wind can raise or lower the water level by up to a metre.
- In Andrejosta you need a reservation for every berth.
Where are the marinas in Riga?
In Riga, visiting yachts moor mainly in two places: at Andrejosta on the right bank of the Daugava, directly next to the passenger terminal in the Andrejsala harbour district, and at the City Yacht Club (Latvian: Pilsētas jahtklubs) on Balasta dambis on the island of Ķīpsala. Ķīpsala lies on the left bank opposite the Old Town, while Andrejosta is just under a kilometre further north-east on the other side of the river.
Map from OpenStreetMap. When the map is displayed, data is transmitted to the provider.
More InformationThere are further marinas on Ķīpsala at the Riga Sports Sailing Centre on Matrožu iela, in Mangaļsala near the mouth of the Daugava (Jahtas.eu and Auda) and on the opposite side in Bolderāja (Latvijas Jahta).
| Feature | Andrejosta | City Yacht Club (Ķīpsala) |
|---|---|---|
| Location | right bank, Eksporta iela 1A, next to the passenger terminal | left bank, Balasta dambis opposite no. 36, opposite the Old Town |
| Berths | 150 | up to 200 yachts at a time |
| Water depth | up to 3.5 m | Draught up to 3.8 m |
| Visitors | Visitor pontoon E, reservation only | Reserve your berth online in advance |
| Operator | Laivu Centrs (SIA Marine Service) | Verein Pilsētas jahtklubs |
| Phone | +371 27 262 605, +371 20 012 500 | +371 29 196 943, berths +371 26 174 451 |
Arriving in Riga for the start of your sailing trip
Riga has an international airport, with buses and taxis running to the centre. From there you can walk to both marinas, and a bus also goes to Ķīpsala.

From Riga Airport into the city
During the day, bus 22 connects the airport with the centre, and the journey takes around 40 minutes depending on traffic. For the Old Town, get off at the Grēcinieku iela stop; for the bus station and the main railway station, get off at the Autoosta stop. At night, the N22 night bus runs hourly on almost the same route, leaving the airport at 00:30, 01:30, 02:30, 03:30 and 04:30.
A ticket costs €1.81 from the driver or €1.50 in advance (as of November 2026). You can buy tickets at the Narvesen shops and from the machines at the airport, or via the app. By taxi, the journey into the centre takes 15 to 25 minutes, and ride-hailing apps also serve the airport.
To the marinas on foot or by bus
Andrejosta (Eksporta iela 1A) is right next to the passenger terminal, and the Old Town is about 1.3 kilometres away. You can book a taxi in advance for pick-up at the passenger terminal.
To reach Ķīpsala, walk from the Old Town across the Vanšu Bridge, which takes 10 to 15 minutes. By bus, take line 37, 41 or 53 from the Esplanāde stop to the Ķīpsala stop.
Parking
At the passenger terminal next to Andrejosta there is a pay car park run by EuroPark. Another car park is on Rūpniecības iela, about 450 metres east of Andrejosta.
There are several pay car parks on Ķīpsala. The nearest to the City Yacht Club is on Paula Valdena iela, about 400 metres away, and another is on Āzenes iela, about 500 metres away.
Showers and sanitary facilities
The City Yacht Club on Ķīpsala has showers and toilets for the crews on the pontoons.
Shopping for the trip
From the City Yacht Club it is about 500 metres to a Rimi supermarket in the south of Ķīpsala, and a top! supermarket is about 1.2 kilometres away. For a bigger shop by car, there is a Rimi Hyper about 3 kilometres to the west on the left bank of the Daugava.
From Andrejosta it is about 550 metres to a Maxima X east of the harbour, about 1 kilometre to a Mego and about 1.4 kilometres to a Lidl. You can also buy fresh food at the Central Market on the edge of the Old Town.
Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services
The nearest pharmacy to the City Yacht Club is a Benu pharmacy about 550 metres away in the south of Ķīpsala. The nearest hospital to Andrejosta is Rīgas 1. slimnīca, about 1.8 kilometres to the east. From Ķīpsala, Paula Stradiņa University Hospital is about 2.8 kilometres to the southwest.
- 112: single emergency number for the fire brigade, ambulance service and police
- 113: ambulance service and emergency doctor
- On the water: VHF channel 16 or DSC on channel 70. Sea rescue is coordinated by the Latvian coastguard, call sign “Riga Rescue Radio”.
Where is Andrejosta?
Andrejosta is a harbour basin on the right bank of the Daugava in the Andrejsala port district, just north of the Old Town. The facility is part of the ExPorto leisure and entertainment complex and lies right next to the passenger terminal where cruise ships berth. The city's restaurants and nightlife are right next door.
Pontoon E is reserved for guests on short stays. Visiting boats moor on the right bank of the basin or at the pontoon adjoining that bank. The remaining pontoons are reserved for seasonal and permanent berth holders.
Facilities at Andrejosta
The harbour has 150 berths with a water depth of up to 3.5 metres and is designed for sailing and motor yachts of various sizes. As things currently stand (November 2026), the pontoons are being rebuilt, so a reserved berth may still change.
Where is the City Yacht Club on Ķīpsala?
The City Yacht Club is on Balasta dambis on the east side of the island of Ķīpsala, opposite the Old Town. From the pontoon you look across to the medieval skyline of the Old Town, and it is about a 15-minute walk to the centre. Right next to the harbour is Ķīpsala's sandy beach with beach volleyball courts.
The harbour was built by the port authority Freeport of Riga and is run by the club Pilsētas jahtklubs. The floating pontoons are 795 metres long in total and are anchored to the bottom with concrete blocks, and their surface is laid with larch wood. The club also runs a sailing school for children and young people.
Facilities at the City Yacht Club
The harbour can take up to 200 yachts at a time, with a maximum draught of 3.8 metres. The pontoons have electricity and drinking water, and ashore there are showers and toilets, as well as Wi-Fi and security. The club publishes a depth chart of the harbour on its website.
What is the weather like for sailing in Riga?
Storms come mainly in autumn and winter, while in summer thunderstorms bring short, strong gusts. It is noticeably windier on the coast than inland, with the strongest gusts in western Latvia on the open Baltic Sea.
There are no tides in Riga harbour. However, the wind can raise or lower the water level by up to a metre, which you will notice in your mooring lines and in the depth under the keel. From a wind speed of 14 metres per second, the harbour master may restrict shipping in the port.
Which sailing trip destinations are close to Riga?
From Riga you sail into the Gulf of Riga, whose shores belong to Latvia and Estonia. The marinas on the Latvian and Estonian coasts are mostly no more than 30 to 50 nautical miles apart (rounded distances over water on the usual course; use the nautical chart for precise planning).
- West coast of the Gulf of Riga: Engure and Roja have marinas with floating pontoons, and in Mērsrags the Yacht Club Kurland lies between two breakwaters. Roja has room for 50 yachts with a draught of up to 3.5 metres and offers showers and a laundry.
- Vidzeme coast in the northeast: In the harbour of Skulte near Saulkrasti, up to 50 yachts moor at a floating pontoon, and further north Salacgrīva lies in the middle of the town by the old lighthouse.
- Kihnu and Pärnu in Estonia: The Gulf of Riga Regatta, Latvia's largest sailing regatta, starts in Riga every year in early summer and leads across the gulf to Estonia, most recently via Kihnu to Pärnu.
- Saaremaa in Estonia: The town harbour of Kuressaare is in the centre right next to the castle, and the approach is dredged and buoyed, with a depth of at least 2.3 metres. The Roomassaare harbour, about 5 kilometres outside the town, is sheltered in any wind.
- Gotland: The Swedish island with the guest harbour in Visby lies on the other side of the Baltic Sea.
Longer sailing trips lead south along the coast as far as Marina Gdańsk in Gdańsk or north via Estonia to the guest harbours in Helsinki.
What can you do on a harbour day in Riga?
From both marinas you can reach the main sights on foot.
- Old Town: Riga's historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is about 1.3 kilometres from Andrejosta, and from Ķīpsala you walk across the Vanšu Bridge.
- Central Market: The market halls on the edge of the Old Town were built from Zeppelin hangars and are among the largest markets in Europe. Here you can buy fresh, regional produce for your trip.
- Wooden houses on Ķīpsala: Restored wooden houses of the former fishing village line the waterfront promenade, and they are part of Riga's timber-building heritage.
- Žanis Lipke Memorial: The small museum on Ķīpsala commemorates Žanis Lipke, who hid and saved dozens of people during the Second World War.
- Ķīpsala beach: The sandy beach next to the City Yacht Club was created in 2013 from dredged Daugava sand. It has beach volleyball courts and a playground, and a lifeguard station is staffed in summer.
For skippers: mooring, entry and marine weather in Riga
Both marinas accept guests only with a prior reservation. On the Daugava you share the fairway with cargo ships and cruise ships, and throughout the port you monitor VHF channel 9.
Registration and Berthing
- Andrejosta: Every berth must be reserved in advance, by e-mail or by phone on +371 27 262 605 or +371 20 012 500, Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. Guests moor at pontoon E on the right bank of the basin or at the pontoon adjoining that bank.
- City Yacht Club: You reserve your berth in advance using the booking form on the club's website, and the price depends on boat size and length of stay. For berths, you can reach the club on +371 26 174 451. You moor at floating pontoons.
How much does a guest berth in Riga cost?
At guest pontoon E in Andrejosta you pay €40 per day for boats up to 12 metres, €60 for 12 to 14 metres and €65 for 14 metres and over, in each case including VAT (as of November 2026). Yachts, sailing boats and small motorboats under 100 kW do not pay port dues to the port authority, only the berth in the marina.
Port regulations in the Freeport of Riga
- Yachts may sail throughout the port area, but must not obstruct ships in the main fairway.
- There is no fixed speed limit for boats under 24 metres. However, make sure your wash does not endanger anyone, especially moored vessels and landing stages.
- You may only moor in the marinas. Use other berths in the port only after agreement with the port authority or the quay operator.
- Organisers of regattas and other watersports events on the Daugava coordinate them with the harbour master.
Approaching via the Daugava
The Port of Riga begins where the Daugava flows into the Gulf of Riga, and the marinas lie upstream on both banks. Yachts of any size may enter without restrictions on length, height or draught. Keep a listening watch on VHF channel 9, as the port authority recommends for all small craft with a radio.
Fishing nets and fish traps are often set in the river. They are marked with flags: red on the right bank, green on the left bank, with one flag at the end on the shore and two flags at the end in the river. For leisure craft, the Latvian Maritime Administration publishes its own chart set of 45 nautical charts, plus monthly notices to mariners.
From 15 December to 15 April, the winter navigation season applies in all Latvian ports. In icy conditions, the harbour master decides on the use of icebreakers.
Entry and reporting
Latvia is part of the Schengen Area. If your boat is not subject to border or customs controls, you can still report your arrival and departure to the coast guard so that they know where you are in an emergency. The yacht club can also do this for you.
If your boat is subject to border or customs controls, you must submit the required information to the responsible authorities at the latest one hour before arrival and two hours before departure.
Which marine weather forecast applies to Riga?
The official weather forecasts for Latvia, including the coast, are issued by the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LVĢMC). Navigational warnings are compiled by the Latvian Maritime Administration. They are broadcast via NAVTEX and transmitted by the coast guard (MRCC Riga) over VHF in the Gulf of Riga and along the Latvian coast.
Sailing trips from Riga on Törnfinder
You will find sailing trips throughout the whole sailing area between the Gulf of Riga, Estonia and Sweden under Sailing in the Baltic Sea, all offers in the trip overview.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Riga Airport to the marinas?
Take bus 22 to the centre in about 40 minutes, or a taxi in 15 to 25 minutes. From the Old Town, continue on foot to Andrejosta or across the Vanšu Bridge to Ķīpsala.
Which marina in Riga is closest to the Old Town?
Both are within walking distance. The City Yacht Club on Ķīpsala lies directly opposite the Old Town, about a 15-minute walk away. Andrejosta is about 1.3 kilometres from the Old Town.
Where do I park at the start of my trip in Riga?
For Andrejosta, use the paid EuroPark car park at the passenger terminal right next door. On Ķīpsala, the nearest car park is on Paula Valdena iela, about 400 metres from the City Yacht Club.
Where do I buy provisions for my trip in Riga?
From the City Yacht Club, it is about 500 metres to a Rimi, and from Andrejosta about 550 metres to a Maxima X. You can get fresh produce at the Central Market on the edge of the Old Town.
Do I need to reserve a berth in Riga?
Yes. In Andrejosta you need a reservation for every berth, and visitors moor at pontoon E. At the City Yacht Club, you book your berth in advance using the form on the club website.
Are there tides in Riga?
No. However, depending on the wind, the water level in the port can rise or fall by up to one metre.
Which VHF channel do I need in the Port of Riga?
Channel 9. The port authority recommends that all small craft with a radio keep a constant listening watch on channel 9 in the port. The coast guard's distress and calling channel is channel 16.




