Top Family-Friendly Beaches in Croatia
Punta Rata Beach is located in the city of Brela on the southwestern coast of Croatia in the Dalmatia region. Brela is a small city that lies just south of Split, with a population of about 2,000 people. Life in the city revolves around nature and all its glory, with attractions such as the Brela Stone and Punta Rata Beach.
Popular activities in Brela include hiking the Biokovo mountain range, scuba diving offshore (gear rental is available at the Bikini Dive shop), and kayaking around the Brela Stone (depart from the Kayak Brela center). A trip to Brela would not be complete without a visit to the historic, local church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which still holds Mass every Sunday after 300 years in the making. After visiting the church, head back to the water and stroll along the seven-kilometer, seaside walkway, called the Lungo Mare, which offers sweeping views of Brela’s pebble beaches. Eventually, you’ll stumble upon the best beach in Brela -- Punta Rata Beach.
Punta Rata is actually split into two parts, a long, easily-accessible main beach and a smaller, more hidden alcove, often referred to as Punta Rata Two. Visitors to Punta Rata are greeted by an expansive, white pebble beach leading into the turquoise waters. The beach offers three nearby restaurants – Restaurant Punta Rata, Adriatic, and Macic Café – and a small ice cream shop called Slasticarnica Roma. Two of the most intriguing activities at the beach are swimming or diving at the Brela Stone, which lies only 100 yards offshore. After a long day of activities in Brela, turn in to one of the nearby hotels such as the Hotel Marina or the swanky Villa Paulina. With so much to see and do in Brela, you must put this beautiful town at the top of your travel list!
Dugi Otok Island – which translates to “Long Island” – is a 50-kilometer long sliver of island inhabited by only 1,500 locals, and is home to some fantastic beach escapes. Sakarun Beach consists of 800 meters of brilliant white pebble beach, curling around an enclosed bay with a shallow swimming area that extends 250 meters from the beachfront. The tantalizing, clear waters shine with turquoise hues, reminiscent of the Caribbean.
Situated on Dugi Otok’s uninhabited and untouched southern coast, Sakarun Beach is the most popular beach on the island. Although this sandy stretch is located over a mile from the nearest towns (Soline, Veli Rat, and Verunić), you’ll never feel the need to leave the beach during your perfect vacation day. Amarcord Beach Bar sits on the southern edge and offers beachfront picnic tables, food, drinks, and rental lounge chairs. You can also escape from the sun into the thick pine forest, just a few feet behind the beach.
Reaching the beach area can be a bit complicated – you can take the daily ferry from Zadar, which runs about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The beach itself can be reached by train from Božava, bus, or car on a dirt road that leads to beachside parking. Taking a boat over to the beach is also an option, and the bay is a popular spot to anchor for the day and enjoy the beach. Since the island has so few inhabitants, transportation is not readily available, so your best choice may be to rent a car. While in the area, be sure to visit the Veli Rat lighthouse – built in 1849, it’s the tallest lighthouse on the Croatian coast at 138 feet (42 meters). Overall, Sakarun Beach is a gorgeous vacation destination that has it all!
The difficult passage to Lubenice Beach is made completely worth it when you emerge from the forest and see the untouched, pebble beach and calm, turquoise waters. Located on Cres Island in Croatia, Lubenice Beach can only be reached by boat or by a challenging, 40-minute hike. Bring water for the hike and food for your day at the beach, as there are no amenities at Lubenice Beach.
If you’re looking for a more luxurious way to experience Lubenice Beach, charter a boat or small yacht from Martinscica and pass beautiful coves on a ride that lasts about 45 minutes. Most boat services offer lunch and other amenities for their patrons. After reaching Lubenice Beach and taking in the breathtaking views, hop in the water and swim to the Blue Cave on the left side of the beach. The Blue Cave features a blue ceiling in the afternoon hours when the sun is shining through the rocks of the cave -- a mesmerizing sight that will prove to be a lasting memory.
After a day at the beach and hard trek back up to the village, reward yourself by watching a picturesque sunset while perched atop the cliffs of Lubenice. Indulge in some authentically prepared lamb at Konoba Hibernicia, the only restaurant in town. Find accomodations on Cres Island, a place easy to find Airbnb rentals. Enjoy your stay at the incredible Lubenice Beach!
Located on the island of Brac off the coast of Split, Zlatni Rat Beach – also called Golden Horn Beach or Golden Horn and originally called Dugi Rat and Long Cape – is a 500-meters-long, popular, and south-facing beach with gravel, some light-brown sand, many pebbles, and nearby pine trees in Croatia. This pebble beach has a unique shape, which resembles the English alphabet “V” and it is located near the town of Bol. The tip of this V-shaped beach seasonally changes in size and shape because of natural wind and water movements – the tip of this V-shaped beach is usually straight in the summer. However, its tip sometimes turns eastwards in early summer and it sometimes turns westwards in autumn.
Travel+Leisure magazine and The Times newspaper have listed Zlatni Rat Beach as one of the 15 best and most beautiful beaches in Croatia in 2024. Travel+Leisure magazine listed this beach as one of the 20 best beaches in Europe in 2024. In addition, a travel website named Big 7 Travel also listed Zlatni Rat Beach Croatia as one of the 50 best beaches in the world, and it is also a favorite of Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as Mr. Beach. In addition, Zlatni Rat Beach is family-friendly beach that also been awarded a Blue Flag because of its cleanliness.
This beach is also a popular nude beach – the western side of this clothing-optional beach is particularly popular with nudists.
