Traveling to Croatia and looking for the top beaches in Zadar Croatia? Zadar is the oldest and continuously inhabited Croatian city, located in the northeastern section of Ravni Kotari on the Adriatic Sea.
Zadar is around 3,000 years old and is home to many cultural and historical sights. Today, it has become among the top tourist destination in Croatia. It is normally full of life and has a wonderful climate.
It has a perfect traffic infrastructure, which makes it well-connected to other cities and towns via sea, roads, and air.
One of the common things that makes Zadar a popular destination is its crystal clear waters, natural beaches, small islands, and perfect climate. My father is from a town just outside of Zadar so we have had the opportunity to visit several times.
Top Beaches In Zadar Croatia
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Zadar beaches are among the top things that make this place popular and among the top tourist destinations in Croatia.
Borik Beach
Borik Beach is located just outside of the Zadar city center, which is part of the hotel complex Falkensteiner and you will have to pay a fee.
This is a perfect place for you if you want to have a fun beach day with your kids because it has a shallow bay and a sandy bottom. The whole beach is solely set aside for tourism, but there are many activities for kids, including pools and slides.
There are also many games and entertainment activities for you to do like jet-skiing, windsurfing, paragliding, paddle boat riding, riding tubes, and water sports. There are also facilities like showers, toilets, changing booths, and many places for you to get your snacks and refreshments.
Kolovare beach
This pebble and sandy beach is a public city found in the eastern section of Zadar, outside of Kolovare Hotel, near Old Town.
This beach receives a lot of sunlight, but there is a green section above the beach that has deep shade where you can relax when you don’t want to get too hot.
Along the beach are changing rooms, showers, and sanitary facilities. There are also well-equipped bars, restaurants, and shops, for you to get supplies and snacks.
Some of the activities you can do along this beach include beach volleyball, water polo, go for dips in the sparkling blue waters, and throw beach balls with your kids. You can also rent equipment like kayaks for other beach games and activities.
Kolovare beach won the Blue Flag award, which symbolizes purity of the sea and quality. If you are looking for holiday apartments, you can find the Karuzz Apartment 100 meters from the beach.
Vitrenjak beach
Also known as Uskok beach, this is a pebble beach located in the Borik region, outside a town close to the Uskok sailing club. It is also a public beach, meaning that you do not have to pay any entrance fee.
It has a small playground, making it a perfect place for you to go with your kids. Since it also receives a lot of sunlight, you can find shelter at a cafe bar near the beach. There is a section of the beach specially adjusted for physically specially-abled people.
One of the main activities that people do is swim in the ocean and walk along the beach, watching the sunset.
Puntamika beach
Beach Puntamika is one of the quietest beaches in Zadar, which is a perfect place if you want to relax away from the busy areas with high traffic. Located four kilometers from the historical peninsula, this coarse pebble beach is a perfect place to swim for you and your children
At the beach, there is a lighthouse, a playground, a small marina at the lower end, a café on the upper end, and a bamboo bar near the lighthouse. Because of how quiet, clean, and peaceful the beach is, it is a perfect place for couples who want to spend some romantic time together.
There are holiday apartments behind the beach, which are perfect for you to take a vacation by the sea.
Punta Bajlo beach
Situated near Pod Brig in the Arbanasi settlement, this beach is a famous meeting point for people from Zadar, Arbanasi, and tourists worldwide. It is a mix of rock, pebble, and concrete beach, with a lot of cliffs.
It is a cool and cozy beach, which makes it the ideal place for you to swim, relax, and have quality time with your family, mainly because there are not many people during the summer. There is plenty of parking near the beach, which means you don’t have to worry about bringing your car.
There is also a serene pine forest behind the beach, which provides ample shade from the hot sun. You can also visit Tequila Sunrise bar to have a cup of coffee, a beer, or food-like delicious pizza barbecues.
Beach Riva
This concrete beach is located in Old Town, which is a perfect place for you to get some refreshment on your hot summer days if you stay in the city or take a city trip.
There is a promenade that is around one kilometer long, which has several ladders and access points that lead to the crystal-clear waters. This beach is popular for sunbathing and swimming, especially at the sea organ steps and a long concrete pier in the center of the promenade.
If you want to stay near the beach, there is a perfect boutique hotel nearby called the Almayer Art and Heritage.
Beat Beaches Near Zadar Croatia
Apart from the gorgeous Zadar beaches, there are other beaches you can visit around the region that are just as good.
Queen’s beach
This three-kilometer sandy beach is found in Nin, a town that is northwest of Zadar. It is part of the Nin lagoon and is surrounded by the beautiful Mount Velebit, making it one of the most beautiful and known beaches in Nin.
It is also the longest of all the other beaches in Nin. According to the area’s tradition, King Tomislav’s (first Croatian king) wife was taken aback by the beauty and calmness of the beach.
Therefore, whenever the Royal Family visited Nin, they would go and have some relaxing and enjoyable moments there, hence its name.
This beach has soft sands and is also very shallow, making it perfect for a perfect family time even if you have kids.
Sakarun beach
Situated on the northwest coast of Dugi Otok, or Long Island, this is one of the most beautiful and famous sandy beaches in the Zadar archipelago. The beach is around 800 meters long and only gets deep after 250 meters from the shore.
That means that it has a large and shallow bathing area, making it perfect even for kids. Aside from the soft sand and crystal clear water, pine trees along the beach serve as a perfect shade from the hot sun.
There are also two catering facilities along the beach where you can get snacks and refreshments. You do not have to worry about getting there because you catch the tourism train from Bozava to Sakrun that leaves after every two hours.
Zaton beach
Situated in the Zaton Holiday Resort, this sandy and pebble beach is 13 kilometers away from the city center and is one of the most common beaches where people go for beach vacations in Zadar.
The 1.5-kilometer beach also has some concrete sections especially made for sunbathing, and they also allow people with disabilities to access the beach. Apart from the beautiful crystal clear waters, there is a playground and some pine trees offering the perfect shade.
It is also shallow, making it perfect for families with children. Some of the activities you can do include building sandcastles in the sand, relaxing under a beach umbrella, or splashing and swimming in the shallow clear water.
There are also other activities and water sports set for adults. Guests of the Zaton Holiday Resort enjoy a small aqua park, a big pool area, and leisure facilities such as tennis and golf courts.
Pine beach
Located in Pakostane, this is a natural and beautiful sandy beach that is one kilometer long and part of the Pine beach resort. Apart from the soft sand, the beach also has hidden wooden pontoons and cliffs, perfect for swimming and sunbathing.
It is quite a shallow beach, making it a perfect place for children. There are also several water sports and an entertainment program for adult visitors to enjoy. Some of the activities you can do include kayaking, sailing boats, beach volleyball, visiting the water park, windsurfing, and diving.
Since it is part of a resort, you have to pay an entrance fee, but you get deckchairs for you to use at the beach. You can also get yourself some refreshing drinks from the nearby Jedro bar.
When you go for your vacation or holiday in Zadar, there are many Zadar beaches to choose from, and you can also explore the others on the islands and neighboring regions. All you have to do is decide what kind of beach you want and the activities you want to do.
Zadar Beaches Conclusion
There are so many wonderful places to visit in Croatia. If you are planning your trip to Croatia then you might want to check out these posts as well:
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- Brac Croatia Beaches
- Things to do in Trogir
- Croatia Waterfalls
- Croatia National Parks
- Best Croatian Food You Must Try
- Top Things to Do in Rijeka, Croatia
- Discover the Best Things to Do in Hvar, Croatia
- Amazing Day Trips from Split, Croatia
- Best Day Trips from Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Game of Thrones Dubrovnik Tour