18 Best Beaches in Croatia: Pebble, Sand and How to Get There

Croatian beaches are pebble, shingle and rock, not sand. Of the 18 beaches below, one is genuinely sandy, one is a coarse sand and shingle mix, and the other 16 are stones of various sizes, which is why water shoes are the single most useful thing in a Croatian beach bag. The second thing worth knowing before you pick one is access: four of these beaches can only be reached by boat or by a steep walk of half an hour or more, and several of the famous ones need a ferry and then a car. Croatia uses the euro and is in the Schengen area, so the money and the border are not the complications; the road, the boat and the shoes are.

Are Croatia’s beaches sandy?

No, almost none of Croatia’s beaches are sandy. The coast of Croatia is limestone karst that drops straight into the sea, so what passes for a beach here is graded stone: fine white shingle at the finest of them, fist-sized pebbles at most, and bare rock or concrete terrace in the towns. The water is exceptionally clear as a direct result, because there is no sand to stir up.

The genuine sand is rare enough to list. Šunj on Lopud near Dubrovnik, Rajska plaža on Rab, Queen’s Beach at Nin, Vela plaža on Krk, Spiaža on Susak and Bačvice in Split are the usual six, and Sakarun on Dugi Otok is a coarse sand and shingle mix with a sandy seabed rather than the Caribbean it gets compared to.

Two practical consequences follow. Bring water shoes, because pebble entries hurt and sea urchins live on the rocks, and expect to rent or carry shade, because pine cover is patchy and beach bars are seasonal.

The 18 beaches at a glance

The table below gives each beach’s location, its actual surface and how you get there, which are the three things that decide whether a beach suits your trip.

1. Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn), Brač

Zlatni Rat is the pebble spit that runs 500 m out into the sea on the south coast of Brač, about 2 km west of Bol. Zlatni Rat is the most photographed beach in Croatia because of what it does rather than what it is: the tip of the spit swings from one side to the other with the wind and current, so its shape genuinely changes through the season and between years.

The surface is fine, smooth white pebble, not sand, and the water deepens quickly at the point. The afternoon wind funneling down the Hvar channel is reliable enough that Bol is one of Europe’s established windsurfing and kitesurfing spots, with rental and schools along the beach.

Access is easy by Croatian standards: walk or cycle the pine-lined seafront path from Bol in about 25 minutes, or take the small tourist train. Bol is reached by car ferry from Split to Supetar and then a bus across the island, or by a seasonal catamaran straight from Split. Loungers, bars and a naturist section are all on site, and it is busiest from mid-morning when the excursion boats land.

2. Stiniva, Vis

Stiniva is the pebble cove on the south coast of Vis, hidden behind two limestone cliffs that almost meet, leaving a gap a few meters wide. Stiniva is the reason most day boats from Split and Hvar come to Vis at all, and the entrance is the whole point: the cove is invisible until you are through the gap.

The beach is small, white and gray rounded pebbles, and the cliffs shade it from the afternoon. There is one seasonal beach bar, an outdoor shower and a toilet, and no lifeguard.

Getting there is the filter. On foot it is a 700 m trail from a car park at Žužeca, 20 to 30 minutes down over loose stone and rock steps with almost no shade, and harder coming back up; flip-flops are a bad idea. By sea, only small boats fit through the entrance, so large day boats anchor outside and tender in. It is crowded from mid-morning to mid-afternoon in July and August and empty at either end of the day.

3. Banje, Dubrovnik

Banje is Dubrovnik’s main city beach, a 300 m pebble strip below the pines just east of the Old Town walls. Banje has the view everyone wants, straight back at the walls and out to Lokrum, which is why it fills up and why it costs more than any other beach on this list.

The pebbles are fine, the water is calm and there are no currents. Paddleboards, kayaks and pedalos are rented on the beach, there are showers, changing rooms and lockers, and a beach club with restaurant and bar sits behind it. Sunbeds and parasols are hired from the club rather than free.

It is a five-minute walk from Ploče Gate, which makes it the most accessible beach in the city, and concrete ramps and paths make part of it usable for wheelchair users. Cruise passengers reach it from mid-morning, so go before ten or after five. There is no public car park; the garages nearby are expensive.

4. Sakarun, Dugi Otok

Sakarun is the long shallow bay on the northwest coast of Dugi Otok, about 800 m of shoreline backed by pine. Sakarun is the beach that gets called the Croatian Caribbean, and the honest description is a mix of coarse white sand and small white pebbles on the shore with a genuinely sandy seabed underneath, which is what produces the pale turquoise water.

It shelves very gently and stays waist-deep a long way out, so it works well with small children. Two seasonal bars rent loungers and parasols and sell food; there are showers, toilets and changing cabins, and lifeguards in summer. There are no hotels on the bay and camping is not allowed.

Access takes planning. A ferry or catamaran from Zadar reaches Dugi Otok in about an hour and a half, and then you need a car, a taxi or a bike to cross the island, because bus service is minimal. Day-trip boats from Zadar also run in season. There is a car park above the beach and a short walk down.

5. Brela, Makarska Riviera

Brela is not one beach but a 6 km string of pebble coves under the Biokovo mountains, halfway between Split and Makarska. Brela’s coves are linked by a paved seafront promenade through the pines, so you can walk from one to the next and pick whichever is least full, which is a rarer luxury than it sounds in August.

The stones are smooth white and gray, the water is calm and clear, and the mountain wall behind puts the coves into shade earlier in the afternoon than most of the coast. Bars, restaurants, showers, changing cabins and rentals are spread along the promenade, with lifeguards in summer.

Buses on the coastal road from Split to Makarska stop at Brela, and the town is about 50 km (31.1 mi) from Split. Parking is on the road above the beaches and fills early. It is a family and couples resort rather than a party one, which is its whole character.

6. Punta Rata, Brela

Punta Rata is the most visited of Brela’s coves, a 300 m pebble beach at the northern end of the promenade. Punta Rata is the one with the Brela Stone, the pine-topped rock sitting a few meters offshore that appears on most photographs of the Croatian coast, and it is what people usually mean when they say they went to Brela.

The pebbles here are small and smooth, and the shelving is gentle enough for children. Loungers, parasols, paddleboards, kayaks and pedalos are rented on the beach, and there are showers, changing cabins, lockers and summer lifeguards, with restaurants and bars set back under the pines.

It is a 15-minute walk along the promenade from Brela’s center, and the promenade continues past it to quieter coves in both directions. The nearest car parks involve a steep climb back up. Go before ten, because this is the cove the tour boats and buses aim for.

7. Mlini, Župa dubrovačka

Mlini is the pebble beach in the village of Mlini, about 11 km (6.8 mi) southeast of Dubrovnik in the bay of Župa dubrovačka. Mlini is where people staying in Dubrovnik go when the city beaches are full, because it is a real village with a working waterfront rather than a resort strip, and the streams that gave it its name still run down through the plane trees behind the beach.

The stones are small and pale, the bay is sheltered and the water is calm. Cafés and konobas line the seafront, loungers and parasols are hired on the beach, and there are showers, changing rooms and summer lifeguards.

Local buses run from Dubrovnik in about 20 minutes, and taxi boats cross the bay in season. It works as a base as well as a day trip, and it is a great deal cheaper than staying inside the walls of Dubrovnik.

8. Sveti Jakov, Dubrovnik

Sveti Jakov is the pebble cove about 1.6 km (1 mi) east of Dubrovnik’s Old Town, under the cliffs by the church that gives it its name. Sveti Jakov has the same view as Banje, the walls and Lokrum across the water, with a fraction of the people, and the reason is the staircase.

Roughly 160 steps drop from the road to the beach, and they have to be climbed again afterwards. That single obstacle keeps the cruise crowds away and makes this the quietest beach within walking distance of the city. The surface is fine pebble with a few sandier patches, the water is calm, and there is a bar and restaurant, showers, changing rooms and a summer lifeguard.

Buses from the Old Town stop on the road above, and there is a small car park by the church. Late afternoon is the time to come: the cliffs behind mean the sun leaves early, but the light on the walls opposite is at its strongest.

9. Betina cave, Dubrovnik

Betina is the pebble beach inside a sea cave in the cliffs east of Dubrovnik, and it can only be reached from the water. Betina is about 50 m of white pebble under a rock overhang, with no road, no path, no facilities and no way in except by boat, kayak or a long swim, which is exactly why every Dubrovnik kayak tour stops here.

The cave is named after Marin Getaldić, the 16th-century Dubrovnik mathematician known locally as Beta, who is said to have used it for optical experiments with mirrors. The overhang gives real shade, which is scarce on this coast, and the water is calm and clear.

Bring everything: there is no bar, no shower and no toilet. Kayak tours from Pile Bay include it on the standard route, taxi boats will drop you, and dogs are not allowed.

10. Zrće, Pag

Zrće is the pebble beach on Pag, roughly 3 km (1.9 mi) from Novalja, that Croatia’s club industry has built itself around. Zrće is where the open-air clubs run from late morning until the following morning through the summer, and it is the one beach on this list chosen for the sound system rather than the swimming.

The clubs change. Papaya, Aquarius and Kalypso are the long-running three and are all operating for the 2026 season, with newer venues alongside them, while Noa and Rocks both closed in February 2026, so any guide still listing Noa as one of the beach’s four big clubs is out of date. The season runs roughly May to September and the beach is quiet outside it.

The surface is pebble and the water is clean and calm, with jet skis, wakeboarding, parasailing and paddleboards on offer by day. Zadar Airport is the usual arrival, then a transfer or hire car to Novalja and a shuttle bus down to the beach; parking above the beach fills fast. Loungers are hired from the clubs.

11. Divna, Pelješac

Divna is the pebble cove on the north coast of the Pelješac peninsula, about 10 km (6.2 mi) from Trpanj, with a small uninhabited islet sitting in the middle of the bay. Divna means “lovely” in Croatian, and the bay earns it: white and yellow pebble, pine to the water’s edge, and a swim out to the islet that takes a few minutes.

Facilities are close to nil. One seasonal café serves drinks and snacks, there are no loungers or parasols for hire and no lifeguard, so bring shade and water.

Access is by car and effectively only by car. The Jadrolinija car ferry from Ploče on the mainland to Trpanj on Pelješac runs year-round and takes about an hour, with up to seven crossings a day in July and August and four for most of the year; a foot passenger pays under €7 ($8, £6) and a car €18 to €25 ($21 to $29, £15 to £21) depending on season. From Trpanj it is a short drive on a narrow road, and parking by the bay is limited.

12. Šunj, Lopud

Šunj is the sandy beach on the south side of Lopud in the Elaphiti Islands, and it is the real thing rather than shingle. Šunj runs about 800 m along a sheltered bay, the sand is soft, and the water stays under about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) for a long way out, which makes it the most genuinely toddler-friendly beach on the Croatian coast.

Two cafés serve food and drink, loungers and parasols are hired, and there are showers, toilets and changing facilities. A section at one end is naturist. Pine covers the slope behind but not the sand itself.

Getting there is a ferry and a walk. Jadrolinija runs from Gruž in Dubrovnik to Lopud year-round in about 45 minutes, and Šunj is a 20 to 25 minute walk across the island from the port, or a ride on the little tourist train. Lopud has no cars at all, which is part of the appeal, and day boats from Dubrovnik also stop here.

13. Dubovica, Hvar

Dubovica is the pebble bay on the south coast of Hvar, about 8 km (5 mi) east of Hvar Town below the old coastal road. Dubovica is the one beach on Hvar that most people photograph, a curve of white stone with a stone house and terraces at one end and clear deep water in front.

The pebbles are smooth and the seabed drops away fast, with rock formations that make it one of the better snorkeling stops on the island. A small konoba on the beach serves fish and local wine, and there is a bar, a toilet and an outdoor shower; there are no sunbeds for hire, so bring a mat.

Parking is at a lay-by on the main road above and the path down is steep, rough and about ten minutes each way. Taxi boats run from Hvar Town, which is the easier arrival, and scooters are the other common way. There is nothing here after dark.

14. Nugal, Makarska

Nugal is the pebble cove between Makarska and Tučepi, under vertical limestone cliffs, reachable only on foot or by boat. Nugal was and largely still is a naturist beach, with a section now used by everyone else, and the walk in is the reason it stays quiet.

The trail runs from the end of Makarska’s harbor past the Osejava hotel and through the Osejava forest park along the coast, taking 30 to 40 minutes each way on a stony but marked path with sea views most of the way. There is nothing to buy on the walk or at the beach.

The cove itself is white and gray pebble with clear, calm water and a natural rock arch at one end. There are no loungers, no bar, no lifeguard and no shade apart from the cliff, so carry water, food and an umbrella. Boats from Makarska also run in, and day boats arrive mid-morning.

15. Oprna, Krk

Oprna is the fine-gravel beach in a cliff-ringed bay on the west coast of Krk, about 3 km (1.9 mi) north of the village of Stara Baška and some 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Krk Town. Oprna is the wildest-looking beach on an island otherwise known for easy access, because the only land route in is a path through bare karst.

The walk from Stara Baška takes 15 to 40 minutes depending on where you start and how sure-footed you are, over loose stone with no shade. The other option is a boat from Punat or Stara Baška, and small craft anchor off the bay in summer.

At the beach there is a bar on the shingle that rents loungers and parasols and serves drinks and snacks, plus a volleyball court, a basic changing hut, a shower and a toilet; there is no lifeguard. Krk is joined to the mainland by a toll bridge, so no ferry is needed to reach the island, and Rijeka Airport is on Krk itself.

16. Palmizana, Sveti Klement

Palmizana is the pebble bay on Sveti Klement, the largest of the Pakleni Islands off Hvar Town. Palmizana is really a small resort rather than a wild beach: the Meneghello family planted a botanical garden here in the early 20th century, and the bungalows, restaurants and art spaces scattered through it have been in the same family since.

The beach is white pebble with clear shallow water, with loungers and parasols hired through the beachfront restaurants and bars. Showers, toilets, changing rooms and lockers are on site, and paths lead over the low ridge to quieter rock coves on the far side of the island.

Water taxis run from Hvar Town harbor in 10 to 15 minutes through the season and are frequent in summer. There is an ACI marina on the north side for boats. The restaurants here are a destination in their own right and get booked out on summer evenings.

17. Stračinska, Šolta

Stračinska is the pebble beach in a deep sheltered bay on the south coast of Šolta, the island directly opposite Split. Stračinska is where boats moor for the night, because the bay is well protected and the water is very clear, and it stays quiet even in August because getting there by land is awkward.

The beach is white and gray pebble shelving gently, with pine to the shoreline. A couple of small seasonal konobas serve drinks and simple food, and there are basic toilets and a shower; there are no loungers for hire and no lifeguard.

Šolta is 40 to 50 minutes from Split by car ferry to Rogač, which runs year-round, and Stračinska is then a drive on a rough unsurfaced track with very limited parking, or a walk. Arriving by boat or water taxi is genuinely the easier option, which is not something you can say about most beaches.

18. Sveti Ivan, Lubenice, Cres

Sveti Ivan is the pebble cove below the village of Lubenice on the west coast of Cres, and it is the hardest beach on this list to reach on foot. Lubenice sits on a ridge 378 m (1,240.2 ft) above the sea, and the path down to the beach loses all of that height on loose rock.

Budget 40 to 50 minutes down and an hour or more back up, in proper shoes, carrying water. There is nothing at the beach: no bar, no shower, no shade beyond the cliff, and no phone signal in places. What there is, is white pebble, water of a color that explains the Caribbean comparisons, and a sea cave at one end.

The alternative is a boat from Cres Town, Valun or Martinšćica, which is what most people do and what anyone with children should do. Lubenice itself, a walled village occupied for thousands of years and home to a handful of permanent residents, is worth the drive regardless of whether you go down.

Which beaches can you reach without a car or a boat?

Seven of the 18 are reachable on public transport and your own legs, and the rest are not. The ones that work without a car are listed below in order of how little effort they take.

1. Banje, Dubrovnik. Banje is a five-minute walk from Ploče Gate and is the easiest beach in Croatia to reach from a city center.
2. Punta Rata and Brela. Punta Rata is a 15-minute walk along the promenade from Brela, and coastal buses from Split stop in the town.
3. Sveti Jakov, Dubrovnik. Sveti Jakov is a city bus ride plus about 160 steps down, and the same 160 back.
4. Mlini. Mlini is a 20-minute local bus from Dubrovnik and the beach is at the bus stop.
5. Zlatni Rat, Brač. Zlatni Rat is a 25-minute walk or a short cycle from Bol, and Bol is reachable by bus or seasonal catamaran.
6. Šunj, Lopud. Šunj is a year-round ferry from Gruž and a 20-minute walk; Lopud has no cars for you to need.
7. Zrće, Pag. Zrće has a shuttle bus from Novalja through the season, although getting to Novalja itself needs a transfer.

Four are boat-only or walk-only: Betina cave (boat, kayak or swim), Nugal (a 30 to 40 minute walk or a boat), Stiniva (a 700 m steep trail or a small boat) and Sveti Ivan at Lubenice (a 40 to 50 minute descent or a boat). Divna, Stračinska, Sakarun, Dubovica and Oprna all effectively need a car, a taxi or a boat.

If your itinerary includes more than two of the island beaches, compare car hire in Croatia against the cost of transfers, because the ferries take cars and the island bus networks are thin.

Which beaches in Croatia are near Zagreb?

None of them, and that is the honest answer: Zagreb is inland and the nearest sea is a drive of about two hours. The realistic options are listed below with their actual road distances, which most guides understate badly.

• Jarun, Zagreb. Jarun is a lake in the city with a man-made sandy shore, an aqua park, bars and rowing courses. It is not the Adriatic, but it is the only swim you can reach by tram from Zagreb.
• Crikvenica. Crikvenica is about 160 km (99.4 mi) from Zagreb on the Kvarner coast, with a long run of pebble and rock beaches and coves and a spa-town history going back over a century.
• Opatija. Opatija is about 165 km (102.5 mi) away, with the Lungomare coastal path linking rock and pebble bathing spots below its Habsburg-era villas.
• Krk. Krk is about 180 km (111.8 mi) from Zagreb and joined to the mainland by a toll bridge, so it is the easiest island to reach by car in the country. Vela plaža at Baška is one of the few sandy beaches in Croatia; Oprna is on the same island.

Which Croatian beaches host festivals?

Three coastal sites carry the summer festival calendar, and all three are beach venues rather than city ones. They are listed below with the venue each uses, and there is a wider list in our guide to festivals in Croatia.

1. Zrće, Pag. Zrće hosts Hideout in June and Fresh Island in midsummer, spread across the open-air clubs on the beach itself, with the season running roughly May to September.
2. The Garden Resort, Tisno. Tisno, north of Šibenik, hosts Dimensions at the end of August across stages on the site and boat parties off the beach, closing the Croatian festival season.
3. Stella Maris, Umag. Umag in Istria hosts Sea Star at the end of May, which is the first large beach festival of the year and the only one that happens before the sea is properly warm.

Festival dates move every year, so check the organiser before booking flights, and expect accommodation in Novalja, Tisno and Umag to be gone months ahead of each one.

Which Croatian beaches suit children?

The beaches that suit small children are the shallow, sheltered ones, and surface matters more than anywhere else on this list. They are listed below.

• Šunj, Lopud. Šunj is soft sand with water under about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) a long way out, and no cars anywhere on the island.
• Rajska plaža, Rab. Paradise Beach on Rab’s Lopar peninsula is sand with a very gradual slope, so children can wade a long way out, backed by pine for shade.
• Queen’s Beach, Nin. Kraljičina plaža north of Zadar is a long sandy beach on a lagoon with warm shallow water and healing mud nearby.
• Zaton, near Nin. The beach at the Zaton holiday resort is sandy and shallow with an inflatable water park, playgrounds and lifeguards.
• Sakarun, Dugi Otok. Sakarun shelves so gently that the water stays waist-deep well offshore, though the shoreline is shingle as much as sand.

For everywhere else, bring water shoes for the children before anything else. Pebble entries and sea urchins account for most of the minor injuries on Croatian beaches.

Are there nudist beaches in Croatia?

Yes, Croatia has one of Europe’s longest naturist traditions and marked FKK sections on many beaches. Koversada near Vrsar in Istria opened in 1961 and is the country’s first official naturist resort, with a long stretch of clothing-optional shore, camping and bungalows; Bunculuka on Krk near Baška and Jerolim in the Pakleni Islands off Hvar are both established naturist beaches reached by short boat or road hops.

Several beaches on this list have naturist sections rather than being naturist throughout: Zlatni Rat has one at its western end, Šunj has one at the far end of the sand, and Nugal was originally naturist and still largely is, with a section now used by everyone.

The etiquette is simple and worth knowing. FKK signs mark where nudity is expected, going nude outside a marked area is not accepted, and photography on any naturist beach is not.

How do you get to Croatia’s beaches?

Croatia’s beaches are reached by coastal bus, by car ferry, by passenger catamaran and by car, and which combination you need depends entirely on whether the beach is on the mainland or an island. The four options are compared below.

• Buses. Coastal buses run the whole length of the Adriatic Highway and stop at mainland beach towns such as Brela, Makarska and Mlini. They are cheap, frequent in summer and thin in winter.
• Car ferries. Jadrolinija’s car ferries are the year-round backbone: Split to Supetar on Brač, Split to Stari Grad on Hvar, Split to Rogač on Šolta, Split to Vela Luka on Korčula, Zadar to Dugi Otok, Ploče to Trpanj on Pelješac. These run through the winter at reduced frequency.
• Catamarans. Passenger catamarans are faster and carry no vehicles, and most of them are seasonal. The Split to Bol catamaran and the Split to Dubrovnik line run roughly April to October and then stop, so a February trip cannot island-hop the way an August trip can.
• Cars. A hire car is what unlocks Divna, Sakarun, Dubovica, Stračinska and Oprna, none of which has useful public transport. Croatian roads are good, and the Pelješac Bridge has removed the Bosnian border crossing from the drive south.

Book car space on summer ferries ahead, because foot passengers are almost never turned away and cars regularly are. Compare ferry, bus and train times in one search before you plan a beach day on an island, and there is more in our guide to transportation in Croatia.

Which Croatian towns have good beaches on their doorstep?

Four towns put a decent beach within a short walk of their old town, which is rarer on this coast than it sounds. They are listed below, and there are more destinations in Croatia inland and on the islands.

1. Dubrovnik. Banje sits just outside Ploče Gate, Sveti Jakov is a bus ride and a staircase east, and the Buža bars are cut into the outer face of the city walls themselves.
2. Split. Bačvice is ten minutes east of Diocletian’s Palace and is one of the country’s few sandy beaches, and Kašjuni and Bene are pebble coves under Marjan Hill west of the center. Our guide to Split has the detail.
3. Rovinj. The pebble coves of Zlatni Rt forest park start about 20 minutes’ walk south of the old town along the seafront path, with Lone and Mulini the two developed ones. See our guide to Rovinj.
4. Hvar Town. Pokonji Dol is a short walk or taxi boat east, and the Pakleni Islands, including Palmizana, are 10 to 15 minutes across the strait by water taxi.

Accommodation on the coast prices by proximity to the water and by month, so a room five minutes further inland in June can cost a third of a beachfront room in August. Check what is available across Croatia before fixing dates, because the coastal towns sell out earliest.

Frequently asked questions about Croatia’s beaches

Does Croatia have sandy beaches?

Croatia has a handful of sandy beaches and several hundred pebble ones. Šunj on Lopud, Rajska plaža on Rab, Queen’s Beach at Nin, Vela plaža on Krk, Spiaža on Susak and Bačvice in Split are the genuinely sandy ones; everything else is shingle, pebble or rock.

Do you need water shoes in Croatia?

Yes, water shoes are worth packing for Croatia. Most beaches are pebble and the entries are uncomfortable barefoot, submerged rocks are sharp, and sea urchins sit on rocky sections where you cannot see them.

When is the sea warm enough to swim in Croatia?

The Adriatic is comfortable from mid-June to early October, peaking in August. May and early June are swimmable for the hardy, and by late October the sea has cooled and most beach bars, boats and seasonal catamarans have shut for the winter.

Do Croatian beaches charge for entry?

No, beaches in Croatia are public and free to enter by law, including those in front of hotels. What costs money is the equipment: loungers and parasols are hired from a beach club or bar, typically for the day, and parking above a popular beach is usually charged.

Which is the best beach in Croatia?

Zlatni Rat on Brač is the one most people mean, because of its shifting spit and its easy access from Bol. For water and scenery, Stiniva on Vis and Sveti Ivan below Lubenice are harder to beat and much harder to reach; for families with small children, Šunj on Lopud wins on sand and shallow water alone.

WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips

The 4 tips below come from re-checking every beach, club and ferry route on this page against Croatian sources in 2026, and each one changes what you pack or how you plan the day.

1. Pack water shoes before you pack anything else. Seventeen of the 18 beaches here are pebble, shingle or gravel, and the one exception, Šunj on Lopud, is a ferry and a 20-minute walk away. The white-sand photographs you have seen of Sakarun are coarse sand mixed with small white pebbles over a sandy seabed.
2. Check the club list for Zrće before you book around it. Noa and Rocks both closed in February 2026, while Papaya, Aquarius and Kalypso are open for the season along with newer venues. Any guide still describing Zrće’s “four major clubs” as Papaya, Aquarius, Kalypso and Noa is at least a season behind.
3. The hard-to-reach beaches are hard in one direction only, and it is the way back. Sveti Ivan at Lubenice is 40 to 50 minutes down from the village at 378 m (1,240.2 ft) and over an hour back up; Stiniva’s 700 m trail is worse climbing than descending; Sveti Jakov’s 160 steps have to be done twice. Carry water, wear closed shoes and set off back before the afternoon heat.
4. Car ferries run all winter, catamarans mostly do not. Split to Supetar, Split to Stari Grad, Split to Rogač, Zadar to Dugi Otok and Ploče to Trpanj all operate year-round at reduced frequency, while the fast passenger catamarans to Bol and down to Dubrovnik run roughly April to October. Plan an out-of-season island beach day around a car ferry, and book car space rather than a foot ticket in summer.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh and covers Croatia for independent travelers, from the pebble coves of the Makarska Riviera to the sand at Šunj and the ferry timetables that decide which islands are reachable in which month. The team checks the beaches, access routes and operators named on this page and updates it when a club, a ferry or a season changes.