Split & islandsBol · Brač
Zlatni Rat
The Adriatic icon
An independent guide to the Adriatic
From pine-shaded shores to hidden island coves. Find the beach that fits your day—and know what to expect before you go.
60 guides · 6 coastal regions · Sources included
In focus · Vis islandInside StinivaThe beach directory
Sand or pebbles. An easy town swim or a wilder cove. Start with what matters to you.
Split & islandsBol · Brač
The Adriatic icon
Split & islandsBrela · Makarska Riviera
Pines meet turquoise
Split & islandsVis island
A cove behind the cliffs
Zadar & islandsDugi Otok · Zadar archipelago
The long, pale shallows
KvarnerLopar · Rab island
Room for a family day
KvarnerBaška · Krk island
A bay beneath bare mountains
KvarnerLubenice · Cres island
The beach below the village
IstriaMedulin · Southern Istria
A softer side of Istria
Split & islandsHvar island
A quiet-looking island classic
Dubrovnik & southDubrovnik
A swim beside the city walls
Dubrovnik & southPopovići · Konavle
At the foot of the cliffs
Split & islandsMakarska · Osejava
Beyond the resort waterfront
IstriaVerudela · Pula
A compact Verudela cove with a gradual pebble entrance and a developed resort setting.
KvarnerCrikvenica · Kvarner
A central Crikvenica beach choice for people who prefer a town-based holiday to an island transfer.
KvarnerStara Baška · Krk
A striking cove near Stara Baška where the approach deserves as much attention as the water.
KvarnerBaška · Krk
A remote bay reached from the Baška area by a substantial walk or a boat outing.
Zadar & islandsNin · Zadar region
Queen’s Beach brings an extensive sandy shoreline to the Nin area, with long shallow stretches rather than a cliff-cove atmosphere.
Zadar & islandsNovalja · Pag
A developed Pag beach known for beach clubs and a lively summer atmosphere; the water deepens relatively quickly.
Zadar & islandsMetajna · Pag
An open, pale landscape near Metajna, with no natural shade on the beach.
Split & islandsSplit · Dalmatia
Split’s best-known sandy city beach, with shallow-water picigin and a busy urban backdrop.
Dubrovnik & southLopud · Elaphiti islands
A sandy bay on Lopud for a beach day that begins with a passenger-boat journey.
Dubrovnik & southSaplunara · Mljet
The smaller Saplunara beach on Mljet’s southeastern coast, distinct from the larger neighbouring bay.
Rabac · Istria
A sequence of resort-side swimming spots where pebbles meet rock and built bathing areas.
Rabac · Istria
A pebble beach with a gradual water entry on Rabac’s waterfront.
Fažana · Istria
A public beach near Fažana, with the Brijuni islands across the water and pines behind the shore.
Rovinj · Istria
A developed Rovinj bathing area where the seaside promenade meets a more polished beach-bar setting.
Rovinj · Istria
A bay at the edge of Rovinj’s protected Zlatni Rt forest park, suited to combining a walk with a swim.
Kamenjak · Premantura
A Kamenjak cove for visitors who want to make the protected peninsula part of the day.
Verudela · Pula
A small pebble cove below Park Plaza Arena, with rocky underwater terrain beyond the entry.
Selce · Kvarner
A developed Selce beach that keeps the village waterfront within the day’s walking plan.
Dramalj · Kvarner
A peninsula setting near Dramalj, useful for a different coastal day from central Crikvenica.
Crikvenica · Kvarner
A designated dog-beach setting beside Podvorska harbour, for a swim planned around your dog as well as yourself.
Mošćenička Draga · Kvarner
The village beach at Mošćenička Draga, a useful starting point for a stay at the foot of the Učka slopes.
Medveja · Kvarner
A coastal village beach on the Opatija Riviera, with the mountain landscape close behind the bay.
Mali Lošinj · Lošinj
The camping shoreline at Srebrna Uvala combines rocky bathing areas with three pebble sections.
Lopar · Rab
A sandy Lopar alternative beside Rajska Plaža, with pine-backed places to pause away from the water.
Nin · Zadar region
A sandy Nin beach associated with wind and kite sports.
Stara Novalja · Pag
A shallow sandy bay at Stara Novalja, a useful contrast to Pag’s rockier, more exposed shores.
Caska · Pag
A bay east of Novalja where the seabed drops away more quickly than its sandy entry may suggest.
Metajna · Pag
A remote pebble shore identified by three large rocks, also spelled Beriknica locally.
Zadar · Dalmatia
A city beach choice that can fit around a stay in Zadar without a separate island journey.
Murter · Šibenik region
A shallow, sandy Murter bay beside the Colentum hotel, with a lively developed-beach character.
Murter · Šibenik region
Several linked bays on Murter, so the beach name covers more than one kind of water entry.
Murter · Šibenik region
Another Murter bay to consider when choosing where to base a coastal stay.
Primošten · Dalmatia
A developed pebble beach on the eastern side of the Raduča headland, close to central Primošten.
Primošten · Dalmatia
A pebble shore with a view towards Primošten’s old town, rewarding even when a swim is not the main plan.
Šibenik · Dalmatia
A public city beach in Crnica, with the old town across the waterfront view.
Marjan · Split
A pebble bay on the western side of Marjan, with a different feel from Split’s central sandy beaches.
Split · Dalmatia
Split’s large eastern beach area reopened in summer 2025 after redevelopment, with promenades and recreation spaces.
Rukavac · Vis
A pale pebble beach near Rukavac, with pine shade behind the shore.
Stončica · Vis
A sandy Vis bay with shade at its edges and a restaurant setting behind the beach.
Murvica · Brač
A pebble beach below the hillside village west of Bol, for a day with a descent and a quieter village backdrop.
Postira · Brač
A sandy Brač bay near Postira, with an archaeological site adding a second reason to visit.
Split · Dalmatia
A small sandy bay east of Bačvice, with a sheltered shape and a strong connection to Split’s tennis history.
Saplunara · Mljet
A sandy, enclosed bay near Saplunara, also called Limuni, on the opposite end of Mljet from the national park.
Ploče · Dubrovnik
A Dubrovnik beach in the Ploče area, for visitors willing to consider the access as well as the city view.
Lapad · Dubrovnik
A beach base in Dubrovnik’s Lapad district, useful when swimming is a daily part of your city stay.
Babin Kuk · Dubrovnik
A Babin Kuk beach choice for a Dubrovnik stay based outside the old town.
Lumbarda · Korčula
A sandy bay near Lumbarda, with an open-sea outlook and a different orientation from Bilin Žal.
Lumbarda · Korčula
A sandy bay northeast of Lumbarda, an alternative to Vela Pržina when choosing the day’s swimming side.
Try another place or remove a filter.
A coast of many characters
Follow the coast from Istria to Konavle, with time for the islands in between.
From Rovinj and Rabac to Pula, Medulin and the Kamenjak peninsula.
02 /Mainland promenades and the island shores of Krk, Cres, Rab and Lošinj.
03 /Nin’s sand, Pag’s open bays and an island journey to Dugi Otok.
04 /Murter bays, Primošten pebbles and a city swim in Šibenik.
05 /Brač, Hvar, Vis and the pine-fringed Makarska Riviera.
06 /Dubrovnik, Konavle, Lopud, Mljet and the sandy bays of Lumbarda.
A little more considered
For softer landings
Compare real sand, shallower bays and the practical details that make a family day easier.
A place out of the sun
Pine shade or cliff shade? Choose carefully: shade behind the shore is not always beside the water.
Worth the walk
Extraordinary settings with a more demanding approach. Plan water, footwear and the journey back.
Practical before picturesque
Start with the entry, the shade and the toilets. These are starting points, not guarantees of safety.

Before you unfold the towel
A beautiful photograph cannot tell you how steep the path is, where the shade falls or whether the toilets are open. Our guides put those questions first, and say when an answer still needs a local check.
Read the field notes ↗Punta Rata photograph: Silverije · CC BY-SA 4.0