January 8, 2017 – Forget the cold, it will soon be summer, and 4 Croatian Beaches are some of the best beaches in Europe, according to The Sunday Times on January 8, 2017.
Beaches, beaches – it will soon be summer, and the Croatian coast will once more be visited by millions of sun-worshippers. But which beaches are the best? According to The Sunday Times, four Croatian beaches make the top 50 in Europe for summer 2017. Thankfully they have not yet discovered our favourite secret beaches… To see the full Sunday Times list, click here.
© Valentina Frlan / Turistička zajednica općine Lastovo
36 Sveti Ivan
Cres
The north coast of Croatia isn’t short of untamed beaches, but Sveti Ivan is the pick. This wild sliver of white shingle and cobalt shallows is a 45-minute walk from the nearest town (and feels more like twice that on the way back up), so solitude is all but guaranteed. For another thing, that town is Lubenice, a Unesco-listed hilltop hamlet dating back 4,000 years, where the Konoba Hibernicia cafe is the perfect spot for an après-beach rakija brandy. JL
Fly to Rijeka, then take the ferry (1hr 25min)
Cres © Romulic & Stojcic
37 Stiniva
Vis
Croatia’s most distant main island means Robinson Crusoe escapism, and nowhere on Vis does it better than this wild cove, accessed by steep trail or by taxi-boat from Komiza. Imagine an amphitheatre of cliffs (there’s always shade), floored with smooth pebbles and calm sea: a narrow notch leading out to the deeper Adriatic. Now furnish it with a fisherman’s shack taverna. Magic. The catch? Boat tours. Arrive early in high season. JS
Fly to Split, then take the ferry (2hr 20min)
38 Zlatni Rat
Brac
The name is as unforgettable as the pictures of this pristine arrowhead-shaped spit, protruding from Brac’s southern shore. This is a plonk-and-laze beach, given the sink factor of the fine pebbles, though its social media-friendly aesthetics can make it rather busy. There are (pay) toilets, as well as parasols and loungers for hire. Don’t be tempted by the overpriced snacks; a delightful 20-minute stroll through the pines is Bol, with its excellent tavernas. DC
Fly to Split, then take the ferry (50min)
39 Sunj
Lopud
Smart people, aristocrats. Three centuries ago, they escaped Dubrovnik’s summer crush to tiny Lopud. While they holidayed in its lovely harbour, the colour of old ivory, you should traverse the island on a herb-scented path to Sunj for a day of simple pleasures: shallow seas that are safe for tots, a palm-thatch bar and a scimitar of sand fine enough for castles. Ferry timetables show Dubrovnik’s an hour away. It feels like decades. JS
Fly to Dubrovnik, then take the ferry (1hr)
Learn more about beaches in Croatia on our TC page.
For more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
