Beach holidays in Croatia, where to go?
Better Istria or Dalmatia? The islands or the coast? Here is useful information and advice for deciding where to go in Croatia for a sea holiday.
“How many beaches are there in Croatia?” could be a TV quiz question, to win the life-changing billion.
There are so many that it is impossible to answer, including secluded bays, crowded beaches, city beaches, coves that are almost impossible to find, bays that can only be reached by boat, nudist beaches, gay-friendly beaches, party beaches for young people looking for summer fun and flirting, and even surfing beaches.
The majority of Croatian beaches are rocky or pebbly, but there are also long sandy beaches and a few sandy strips here and there.
What all beaches in Croatia have in common is their clean and clear water: a survey of almost 900 beaches showed that as many as 97.96 per cent were declared suitable for bathing.
We cannot tell you the exact number, but we have created a list of the most beautiful beaches in Croatia for you. Lie back in the sun, breathe in the scent of the maritime pine with its needles as green as the sea water, and drift off to sleep with the sound of cicadas.
When the heat becomes unbearable, dive into the transparent sea.
Istria is the area of Croatia most easily accessible by car. The Istrian peninsula boasts some of Croatia’s most famous resorts, such as Rovinj, Poreč and Pula, each with a good choice of beaches between free and equipped areas.
Rabac has developed from a small fishing village into a well-known tourist resort, earning the nickname ‘the pearl of the Kvarner Bay’. There are numerous beautiful beaches around this resort, including bays, coves, pebble and pebble beaches.
These include Girardella, suitable for young people who want to enjoy sports activities or nightlife.
Punta Kamenjak is a peninsula approximately 3km long and between 500m and 1600m wide, located within a nature park, with more than 30 bays and 11 islets.
The local flora and fauna are very rich, but what leaves visitors speechless are the extraordinary colours of the sea.
The peninsula is uninhabited and there are no hotels or campsites. If you are looking for a beach surrounded by wild nature, this is the area for you.
Listed by Forbes magazine as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, alongside famous beaches and iconic destinations such as the Maldives, Copacabana and Saint Tropez, Punta Rata in Brela is a pebble beach on the longest and most beautiful stretch of coastline in Dalmatia.
Surrounded by the greenery of a pine forest, which creates striking colour contrasts with the crystal-clear sea, Punta Rata beach is located within a protected area. The iconic image of this beach is the Brela Rock, a rock that proudly emerges from the sea on which pine trees grow.
The beach is a little difficult to reach, but its beauty will reward you for your efforts.
The most picturesque bay on the Zadar Riviera is Bibinje or Bibigne, with 4 km of coastline washed by a sea of enchanting shades of turquoise and green.
You can walk along the coast on a pleasant seaside promenade, and then descend to one of the numerous beaches dotting the bay.
Zaton, near the town of Zadar, is a 1.5 km long sandy beach surrounded by pine trees. The numerous facilities available and the shallow and calm waters make this beach suitable for families with children, but it is also frequented by many young people who come here to play beach volleyball and enjoy water sports.
The Dubrovnik city beach is located just outside the walls of the old city and offers a beautiful view of the old port of Dubrovnik and the uninhabited island of Lokrum.
It is a small tongue of gravel and sand bathed by a crystal-clear sea, frequented by tourists and locals alike, the latter often engaged in exhausting but highly entertaining games of picigin, a traditional game in which participants throw a ball at each other that must never touch the water.
Beloved by celebrities, Banje reveals its VIP and nightlife soul when the sun goes down, attracting to Eastwest an audience of sportsmen, models and young people ready to rock out to the beat of the trendiest music.
Once the first tourist centre in southern Dalmatia, Kupari is still a popular destination for its pretty sand and pebble beach at the foot of Pelegrin Hill, on top of which stands an old church. The waters are shallow, making it suitable even for inexperienced swimmers and children.
A path leads from the bay to other small beaches in the vicinity, in the cool shade of pine trees.
Behind the city of Dubrovnik, Orebic is the second largest seaside resort in southern Dalmatia in terms of the number of pretty beaches, generally less crowded than in other parts of Croatia. They are mostly pebble and pebble beaches.
Some of Croatia’s most beautiful beaches can be found on one of the thousands of islands emerging from the Adriatic Sea off the Croatian coast, such as the Paradise Beach in Lopar on the island of Rab, the sandy beach of Sakarun on the island of Dubovika or the Spiaza beach on the island of Susak.
Dubovika is an enchanting pebble beach nestled in a quiet bay, accessible by taxi boat from the port of Hvar or by following a steep path through the trees.
Adding to the beauty of nature is the romantic charm of the tiny village, with a small church and a handful of fishermen’s houses.
Zlani Rat in Bol, on the island of Brač, is certainly the most photographed of the Croatian islands: its image is featured on thousands of postcards and tourist guides, and in person it never disappoints its visitors.
Seen from above, it looks like a coral atoll due to its pure white sand and the striking blue colour of the water that suddenly turns deep blue, but this tongue of sand and pebbles can change shape depending on the sea currents and the wind.
Its clear waters and the absence of algae make it perfect for snorkelling.
If you are looking for a specific type of beach, regardless of the location, we have grouped together for you some beaches suitable for a specific audience:
If the idea of basking in the sun for days on end is not for you, but you prefer to explore the deep, Croatia offers countless opportunities to dive and discover ancient shipwrecks, beautiful seabeds or archaeological finds.
Here are three sites where you can make unforgettable dives:
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
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