Beachgoers seek better facilities as vandalism limits toilet access

Beachgoers in Lithuania are calling for more convenient infrastructure, including public toilets and showers closer to the shore, while companies responsible for maintaining the beaches say vandalism is a serious problem, LRT reported.

Visitors point to the beaches of Liepaja, where toilets are available along the entire beach. “There are toilets on the beaches in Liepaja. They are really, really lacking here, especially when you have children,” one woman told LRT.

Holidaymakers in Karklė said infrastructure was also improving on undeveloped beaches, where no lifeguards are stationed. Benches and changing cabins have been installed, they said.

Palanga has 40 public toilets along its entire beach, but their opening hours vary. Gediminas Valinevičius, director of Palanga Municipal Services, said access was restricted primarily because of vandalism. He added that some toilets near the pier could be reached at any time and operated around the clock.

Valinevičius said Lithuania’s beaches were much narrower than those in Latvia. During windy weather and rough seas, waves wash over the dunes, meaning toilets and showers cannot be installed everywhere. New cafés have been designed in Palanga, with container toilets planned nearby and showers also under consideration for next summer.

Klaipėda has permanent public toilets near all six of its largest beaches, as well as five more in Smiltynė. They operate around the clock, although visitors complain about cleanliness. Žigintas Narmontas, director of Klaipėda Beaches, said cleaners visit three or four times a day during periods of heavy visitor traffic, but facilities can become dirty again before they return.

Future plans in Klaipėda also include showers and additional toilets. Narmontas said bringing utility networks to the beach would not be difficult, but preventing damage to the facilities would be more challenging. A toilet in Giruliai was blown up, he said, while another in Second Melnragė was badly damaged this spring.

Visitors told LRT they wanted toilets as close to the beach as possible, particularly in Šventoji, where facilities are located farther away. In Neringa, eight public toilets operate in the beach zone: one each in Pervalka and Preila, and three each in Juodkrantė and Nida. Another eight are located in the settlements.