Looking for one of Croatia’s iconic coastal beaches, but trying to ditch the crowds of popular Dubrovnik? You’re in luck – just 11 kilometers from Croatia’s most popular tourist destination is Mlini Beach. Mlini is a historic fishing village within Croatia’s tourist capital, Dubrovnik, offering the same gorgeous beaches and amenities, but with fewer crowds. The beachfront consists of beige pebbles and gravel, as well as some rocky areas that are perfect for climbing. The calm, clear, and aqua-colored waters are particularly inviting for swimming, kayaking, and paddle boarding. This well-equipped beach offers public showers, beach chairs, and umbrellas for rent, so you can relax if you forgot a few beach essentials.
Mlini Beach boasts a number of beachfront cafes and restaurants in the area, including Caffe Bar Gusar, Konoba Lanterna, Caffe Bar Hogar, Mlini Pizzeria, Bistro Oleander, Restaurant Puntižela, and Konoba Lanterna. Looking for a place to stay? Mlini is well served by beachfront hotels and bed and breakfasts including Guesthouse Villa Mlini, Hotel Mlini, Hotel Astarea, Villa Carmen, Villa Nina, and Residence Lantoni – a luxury villa on a hill overlooking the bay. Best of all are the accommodations for the adventurers in the mix. Beta Adventures, operating out of Mlini’s boatyard, offers wakeboarding, water tubing, flyboarding (trust us, you’ll want to check this out), and paddleboarding, as well as jet ski, boat, and ATV rentals. You’ll have the time of your life on an adventure in Mlini! The village is easily accessible via a short car or bus trip from Dubrovnik airport.
While you’re there, be sure to spend some time in Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you’ll find a number of other attractions including boat and kayak tours. Dubrovnik was also a filming site for the popular HBO TV series Game of Thrones, in which it depicted the capital city King’s Landing. Just 11 kilometers away and home to a number of hotels and beaches of its own, Mlini could easily serve as a less crowded base camp for visiting Dubrovnik.