By now, everyone is familiar with Zlatni rat and Bačvice, which is why they’re crowded. With Croatia enjoying its best summer ever, where can you go to spread out your towel without stepping on somebody else’s? Here are ten great suggestions!
Barbariga
Close to the Brijuni islands you’ll see off in the distance, the beach at Barbariga requires a bit of effort to reach but once you do, you’re rewarded with pristine water and plentiful shade from the adjacent pine trees. Most times, there won’t be many fellow bathers, most of whom will be locals. If you’re making a day of it, you’ll find a bar reasonably close by, or you can pick up provisions from Barbariga market in the village.
Betina Špilja, Dubrovnik
Between the Grand Villa Argentina and the public beach Đivovići, Betina Špilja is a cave with a pebble beach, only accessible from the sea. You can kayak over from the Old Town – allow 30 strenuous minutes – or rent a taxi boat at the old harbour, arrange a pick-up time and get the captain’s number.
With no buildings around, the sea life is plentiful so this is perfect snorkelling country. As there are few – in fact no – other features or facilities, it’s just you, nature and the horizon. Take provisions and plenty of water with you.
Gradac
Seclusion is the key to this stretch of beach at Gradac, beyond the far southern tip of Makarska. Nearby, the beach of Gornja Vala attracts families, but here, a few steps from the affordable Hotel Sunce and restaurant, you’ll almost have the place to yourself. There’s little to do but swim, sunbathe, drink beer, swim, sunbathe, drink beer, on repeat, until hunger drags you to a nearby restaurant. Stay over, you can do the same tomorrow. It can become a habit.
Kraljičina plaža, Nin
Sandy beaches seem to be at a premium in Croatia – Nin near Zadar has a particularly stretch that is 3km long. This means that there’s plenty of room to pick your spot and take a dip. As well as being sandy, once you get in, it’s shallow, so ideal for kids, with showers provided, plus beach bars for the grown-ups. The sea air here is particularly healthy, which is why it attracted the wife of a medieval Croatian king – which, in turn, is why it is called Kraljičina plaza, ‘Queen’s Beach’.
To push the boat out on health and well-being, there’s a bank of peloid mud just behind, which soothes sore joints and muscles.
Luka, Rakalj
The east coast of Istria is far less explored than the west – and Rakalj in Raša bay is even more isolated. The beach here is a fair walk from the last place anyone can leave their car, meaning that it usually attracts discerning bathers rather than mass crowds.
The key feature here is somewhat bizarre, an abandoned boat resting at an angle, untouched for many a summer. If the family needs something more lively than that to keep them entertained, round the headland is a jet ski and kayak rental service, plus a beach bar and restaurant.
Mala Kolumbarica, Kamenjak
First things first. Mala Kolumbarica isn’t a beach in the conventional sense of the word – you don’t come here equipped with a transistor radio and a good book. Signposting the far southern tip of Istria, the surrounding nature reserve of Kamenjak is lined with unspoiled beaches and, in this case, cliff faces, attracting swimmers, divers and snorkellers to jump off into the crystal-clear waters and explore. This isn’t the only attraction at Mala Kolumbarica – here you also find Croatia’s best beach bar, Safari, fashioned from bamboo and palm fronds, its tables slabs of log or stone. Celebrate your bravery at taking the long plunge with a chilled beer and hefty helping of Balkan grilled meat, čevapčići.
Nugal, Makarska
Hidden away from the busy shoreline of the resort-lined Makarska Riviera, this secluded pebble beach is reached by trekking along wooded trails or coming with your own boat. Its very isolation attracted the naturist community, which had sole use of this half-moon of white pebbles and patches of sand.
As more heard about this idyll, more came, though in nothing like the numbers you’ll see further along the coast. Today, the naturists share Nugal half and half with those happier in swimming gear, and both can take advantage of the clear waters.
There’s little else around, so bring your own water and provisions, and probably headgear of some sort, as shade is limited.
Proizd, Vela Luka
The first thing you should know about Proizd is that it’s a 40-minute hop by scheduled taxi boat from Vela Luka, from the far western tip of Korčula island. The second thing you should know is that it is uninhabited, so don’t miss the boat back – and don’t expect too many facilities once you get there.
That’s the main attraction, of course – follow one of a handful of trails through pine forest to get to a tranquil bathing area, the sea crystal clear, one or two beaches featuring flat stones for sunbathing without the back pain of pebbles. There’s a single restaurant by the pier as you arrive, open in season until 5.30pm, roughly around when the last boat leaves for civilisation.
Saplunara, Mljet
Many visit Mljet for the national park that covers a third of this idyllic island in the deepest south of Croatia – but two sandy beaches await on its eastern tip. In recent years, a handful of food outlets and accommodation options has sprung up, but Saplunara retains the same remote feel as when St Paul was said to have been washed up here in 61AD. Archaeologists are drawn to nearby Podškoj to investigate the hidden ruins of a fifth- or sixth-century church named after the saint.
Sveti Jakov, Dubrovnik
Locals leave behind Dubrovnik’s main city beach, Banje for Sveti Jakov, down the coast past the Villa Dubrovnik, a 20-minute walk along quiet, tree-lined Vlaha Bukovca. Buses 5 and 8 run most of the way from north of the Old Town. Although this is everyone’s secret beach, it’s rarely crowded, and out on the near horizon, Dubrovnik seems very far away. The sun stays warm until late in the evening, bathing the Old Town in a golden light. It’s part shingle, part pebble, with showers, sunshades, and a bar and restaurant at beach level. It is accessed via a long stairway you’ll be reluctant to climb back up.