Welcome to Brač Croatia! Located in the Southern part of Brač (pronounced Brach), it is the largest island in the Dalmatia region of Croatia. Here are the top Brač Croatia Beaches as recommended by Croatian photographer Timotej.
I love Bol. I’ve visited many times over the years for short periods, but this past summer I decided to spend a couple of weeks there and discover everything it had to offer.
Zlatni Rat has been heavily marketed over the years, which has had a negative impact on the Bol region and resulted in the overwhelming majority of Bol’s visitors coming for a day or two, to see this famous beach. There is a bit of a misconception as a result that that’s all there is, and nothing more.
I hope through this guide you will see that you could easily spend a week here, in an unhurried way without the pressure of having your time-limited. If you are coming for a day, however, I hope to leave you with a serious dilemma choosing what you will decide to miss out on.
Top Beaches to Visit in Brač Croatia
Zlatni Rat Beach
It just wouldn’t be right to start any guide to Bol’s beaches without starting at one of the most iconic and picturesque beaches in the world, Zlatni Rat beach, also known as Golden Horn beach in English. Frequently appearing in lists featuring the top and most beautiful beaches in the world, this beach is about 500m long, made up of natural small pebbles, not sand, as many assume from the numerous sandy-looking aerial photographs.
This beach also has a shape-shifting ability. It never looks quite the same. That’s because wind, tide, and the current have the ability to reshape it on a daily basis by altering and moving the pebbles around. This past summer I was lucky enough to find it empty because of the coronavirus epidemic but this beach is usually jam-packed full of people. There’s space for ten thousand people on its twenty thousand square metered surface.
If you dislike big crowds, this is not your beach, but it’s still worth coming to see it for a little while. Getting here is as simple as walking 20 minutes from Bol Town along its beautiful promenade. You can also drive, the beach has parking, but it’s pretty pricey. If you have a boat or some kind of watercraft you can stop right in front of it. The water is amazing, crystal clear with plenty of blue shades and it gets deep fast.
The wind is always blowing here from one side. If it’s blowing from the West, the Eastern side of the beach will be calm, and wave lovers will have plenty to enjoy on the other. See those pine trees in the middle? It’s full of beach bars and clubs, pop-up food places, and activity centers where you can rent pretty much anything for the beach. There are toilet and shower facilities too.
I highly recommend arriving at this beach as early as you can in the day because it’s just magical to take in the sights from the tip of the beach when there is no crowd. It’s a beautiful place.
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 0%
Paklina Beach (Nudist Beach)
About five minutes to the west of Zlatni Rat beach, there is a Nudist beach called Paklina for those into living and enjoying the summer and sea truly free. It’s a stunning beach itself, very picturesque, raw, with an amazing view of Zlatni Rat Beach. It’s one of a few FKK beaches in Bol.
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 34%
Dominican Beach
Dominican beach is located to the east of Bol Town. It is my favorite beach in Bol. It’s magical for many reasons. It gets its name because of the Dominican Monastery located by the beach. More on the Monastery later in the guide.
Someone said to me it’s the only beach in the world with a Monastery right next to it, giving you a truly unique background while you swim. The water here is simply beautiful. There’s plenty of shallow water before it starts getting deeper. It’s another pebble beach, with pine trees all along its back edges creating plenty of shade. This beach also features a mental orchestra of chirruping crickets creating a truly authentic Adriatic beach experience.
It’s a 5‑10 minute walk from Bol town to get here, and there is a free car park next to the Monastery too. Stairs take you down to the beach. One of the best things about this beach is that it never gets crowded, as most of Bol’s ‘other’ beaches, as everyone is on Zlatni Rat beach! Anyone that’s been to both, will tell you though, this one will leave you way more in awe. It’s perfect in every way.
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 23%
Martinica Beach
Martinica beach is located on the other side of the Dominican Beach and Monastery. This is a long pebble beach with crystal clear and pretty shallow turquoise water. It’s very popular for families with small children. There isn’t much shade here either though so pack a sunbrella.
You can see the car park opposite the Monastery, and there are actually a few refreshment kiosks there too. There’s even a little water sports hut where you can rent kayaks and paddleboards. Again doesn’t really get too crowded. It’s has a very Mediterranean vibe to it with the Olive trees right there next to the edge of the beach.
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 8%
Bijela Kuća Beach
Bijela Kuća (White House) beach has been given this name because of an iconic hotel that once was, but no longer is. It was called the White House Hotel, a popular place for British and American tourists before the Yugoslavian war broke out, with some of the best water, beachscape, and views in Bol, if not the best.
Sadly, during the war, it was stripped bare and today it’s an abandoned building that’s falling apart. The land and the beach are actually for sale for around 15 million euros as a conflict of ownership has finally been resolved. I have no doubt someone will buy it soon because it’s a stunning location on the very edge of Bol town!
Has a view of the iconic fisherman’s house to the right of it, mountains in the back, and Dominican Monastery to the left. It’s a pebble beach. Plenty of shade too from the pine trees. Easy to access, and again not very crowded. On your way to and from the beach wander around the hotel, as some of the best graffiti artists around have created some beautiful artwork.
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 18%
Murvica Beach
Remember this list is not in any particular order or ranking. All these beaches were magical to me including the nudist one. Loved all of them for their differences. The next one on the list is Murvica beach which is located by the village of Murvica to the South and is a fifteen-minute drive from Bol Town.
The route to get here is so scenic. The beach is surrounded by vineyards and olive trees. Plenty of trees here for shade too. It’s a fairly long beach made up of stone and pebbles. The water is beautiful. (Is it ever not beautiful?) Plenty of blue shades, and it gets deeper gradually. There’s a car park. One of the best beach bars in Bol is located here, called Sedam Maslina in Croatian, which translates to The 7 Olives in English. Make sure you grab a refreshing drink here, or a few!
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 10%
Dračevo Beaches
These two beaches are actually part of Dračevo Bay and pretty much look the same, although one has a super cool diving board sticking out into the sea. The beaches are a fifteen-minute drive from Bol Town. Furthermore, you need to park the car in the village of Murvica, where there is plenty of free parking but space is limited so come early.
Once you’re parked, it’s another twenty minutes of walking down to the beach and the terrain is not kind. Wear good shoes. I decided to go in flip flops, and not only cut my foot but got stung by a little scorpion. There are no facilities here or crowds. That usually means it’s a special beach which many consider hidden, and one I really enjoyed a lot, and wish I could have spent more time at.
Amazing spot for snorkeling and freediving too. The water is fantastic. The beaches are a mix of pebbles and rocks. It’s a very scenic place. Lots of couples here, not many families.
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 32%
Borak Beach
Borak beach is located opposite the Bluesun Elaphusa Hotel along the Bol promenade. It has a direct view of Zlatni Rat beach. Amazing spot if you want to take a picture of you with Zlatni Rat beach in the background. This beach is full of things to do including bars, the Borak restaurant (more on that later in the guide), diving school, it has water sports centres, a sand volleyball court. Plenty of pine trees for shade.
Easy access. The tip of the beach is made up of tiny pebbles, surrounded by sharp rock, and fits about 2 beach towels. If you can get that spot, I went at 6 am, you’ve hit the jackpot! The water here, and along the entire promenade is incredible.
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 13%
Beaches in Selca Brač
Almost every destination in Croatia has a tourist office and I highly recommend you go there, grab a map, and feel free to ask for recommendations. You often discover things that there is absolutely no other way to discover in Croatia. Family-run activities and businesses. Like the Dragon’s Cave tour in Bol from part 1 of the Brač Island guide. They circled all the beaches in the regions, and off I went to the first one. Great news for you all, the beaches in Sumartin are less than a 20-minute walk away from the center. No car is needed here.
Jezero Beach Brač
Welcome to Jezero Beach which in Croatian translates to Lake Beach. My first beach stop in Sumartin. Funnily enough, almost all the beaches in this region don’t really have an official name yet. See for yourself on Google maps. I’ve even heard the locals call them by different names. There are no names on the map. The region is raw. It really felt like the whole place is a brand new world fresh out of the factory so to say.
Back to this beach, it gets its name, because there is a freshwater spring somewhere above it, and cold spring water is flowing and mixing into the sea. This means the temperature of the water is colder here than anywhere else in the region! The weather was really hot, so the water was a refreshing enjoyable cooldown!
The beach itself is stunning. Room for about 10 people on the tiny pebbles. There is some small trees for shade and hammock hanging, and there is even a freshwater shower room built under the road using that spring water. Whenever I came here there was almost no one here. That’s because it’s a beach really only known and used by the locals, and they come out after 4 pm during summertime. The water here is a little colder than the other beaches, but the water is as clear as day.
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 5%
Baywatch Beach
The main beach in Sumartin. It’s beautiful. With distant views of Makarska in the background. I’m not sure why it was named Baywatch Beach, as you certainly won’t find the Croatian versions of Mitch and Pamela running around rescuing people. But if anyone knows feel free to share and let me know. The beach also has a beach bar so you don’t need to worry about bringing refreshments. A beautiful walk down to the beach where you find tiny white pebbles makes it an unforgettable beach day. It’s just past Jezero Beach. A short walk away from the centre of Sumartin.
Once again, the water is perfect. The water clarity in the entire region is fantastic, regardless of which beach you find yourself on. What they’ve done here is also thrown a lot of super smooth white pebbles on the beach and at the entrance into the sea to make it super comfortable for young children.
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 0%
Sumartin Village Beach
It’s located right in the centre of Sumartin. Tiny pebbles yet again. The water is fantastic. Crystal clear and blue. It’s very child-friendly and thus the main beach spot for young families.
There’s also a floating platform here. I don’t know about you, but I love them. Best place to chill and tan as it gently rocks you with each passing wave. Probably some of the clearest water I’ve seen in Croatia this close to a harbor.
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 0%
Rt Povlja Beach
Another beautiful Selcaesque beach. Located to the east of Povlja village. Can’t miss it if you follow the road along the coastline. Tiny pebbles, beautiful water. It’s the go-to beach for all those staying in Povlja.
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 5%
Povlja Beach
Located to the west of Povlja village, it’s a long natural bay, with a sandy beach at the end, although it does have stones mixed into the sand. Interesting shape. Near enough symmetrical.
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 15%
The Coves of Selca
The Selca region has a lot of coves and this is by far the most stunning with its unique shape. It’s a very popular spot for sailboats. Of course, the water everywhere is fantastic, and you have two mini beaches at the end made up of slightly large rocks.
Chance of stepping on a sea urchin: 20%
One warning above the coves. There’s a lot of them. You can check it out on Google Maps earth view. Most of them can only be easily accessed from the water, or by bike/quad bike. There are no roads for cars leading to them. The region is still very raw. And it’s too far to walk from the villages. Especially in the summer heat. However, the attraction is … not only is the landscape raw, but everything below the surface is untouched and has more marine life, and this is a hotspot for scuba divers and freedivers, and avid snorkeling lovers. In most coves, there is no one. So you pretty much have it all to yourself.
Author: Timotej Croatian photographer. Passionate about showing you my beautiful country.
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:
- Top Things to Do in Istria, Croatia
- 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
