Let’s begin with what Ezermaļi gets very, very right: at €10 for everything, it is astonishingly good value.
My tent pitch, parking, shower and electricity were all included in that price, and I could park the car right beside my pitch. That makes unpacking considerably less annoying—especially when you travel solo and every bag is, mysteriously, your responsibility.
The setting itself is beautiful. The pitches sit among mature trees beside the lake, there are picnic shelters and established fire pits, and the lake water was clear and inviting. On location and facilities alone, I could easily have given Ezermaļi five tents.
Facilities, firewood and things to do
The facilities were clean, well equipped and maintained. There is a fully equipped shared kitchen, two outhouses conveniently close to the tent pitches, and proper cubicle toilets in the centre of the campsite beside the kitchen. A warm shower was included in the already excellent €10 price.
You can also buy an entire wheelbarrow of firewood for €7—which is genuinely excellent value. At many campsites, roughly the same money gets you one small carrier or basket and a quiet sense of betrayal.
There are rental houses on the property, plus boats and SUP boards available to hire. The lake also seemed popular with fishermen, although I cannot offer useful fishing commentary because that is not a hobby I intend to acquire any time soon, if I can help it.
There were swans too, including youngsters, and people were feeding them. I acknowledge that some readers may consider this charming. I personally considered it useful information about where the swans were so I could be somewhere else. 😬
The problem after dark
Unfortunately, I choose camping for nature, peaceful evenings and somewhere quiet to sleep—and that was not the experience I had here.
There was loud music around the campsite on both evenings. On the second night especially, it seemed to be coming from several different areas. The overall noise became intrusive enough that I eventually gave up on sleeping in my tent and moved to the car. I have camped at many places across Latvia and had never needed to do that before.
Sleeping in the car was surprisingly okay, as improvised escape plans go. I was simply extremely annoyed that I had been driven out of my spacious tent palace and into the car boot by other people’s music.
Google reviews mention that quiet hours are monitored. During my two-night stay, that did not appear to be the case.
When I mentioned the noise as I was leaving, I did not get the impression that maintaining a quiet atmosphere was particularly important. I was essentially told that tents are always noisy. That simply has not been my experience at other campsites.
To be fair: I may have been particularly unlucky with the guests staying at the same time. This is one person’s experience over two nights—not a claim that every night at Ezermaļi is like this.
The tent verdict
Two tents—because I do whatever the hell I want
If you want a lively campsite where people socialise, play music and do not mind a louder atmosphere, this may be exactly your kind of place. The price, location and facilities are genuinely excellent.
But if, like me, quiet evenings and dependable sleep are central to why you camp, I cannot recommend Ezermaļi on the basis of this particular stay.
What I loved
- Exceptional €10 all-in price
- Beautiful, clear lake
- Parking beside the pitch
- Good facilities and scenery
What cost it tents
- Loud music both evenings
- Quiet hours not enforced during my stay
- Had to sleep in the car
- Dismissive response when raised
After the verdict · What I ate
The first-night barbecue becomes a meal plan
I travel with a cooling bag and ice packs, not a proper cooler, because proper coolers are heavy, bulky and expensive. So I usually barbecue on the first night, while everything is properly cold, then turn the leftovers into breakfast, lunch or dinner the following day. This is not laziness. This is a system.
Chicken, vegetables and the superior utensil
Marinated chicken fillet from Lidl went onto the grill with peppers and mushrooms, then onto a small—and therefore aggressively piled—plate with whole-wheat pasta and adžika sauce. Earl Grey is compulsory camping equipment.
And yes, those are chopsticks. They stir, turn things on the grill, retrieve food and take up almost no room. A camping multitool disguised as cutlery. I will not be taking questions.
Leftovers, but make them increasingly ambitious
Lunch was my own baked rye bread—smug—with tinned sautéed pork. It sounds questionable, but it is surprisingly delicious, high in protein and excellent camping food. Dinner became Tangled protein ramen with mushrooms, corn, tofu and, yes, the last of the first-night barbecue. The original chicken had now worked three shifts.
If my route passes through Kuldīga, I buy books, marinated olives and sometimes focaccia. If it does not pass through Kuldīga, I have been known to quietly redesign the route until it does. Marinated olives beside a fire are an elite camping snack. I said what I said.
