Beach Daze
- Location: Nin & Zadar, Croatia
- Aug 19, 2015
- 3 min read
The Dalmatian Coast, which takes up approximately 2/3 of Croatia’s coastline, is well known for its beaches and party life. There are plenty of bars, sandy beaches, and popular party spots all along the coast. There is even an island or two that turn into nightclubs at night – a couple of the locals really recommended these places if one is looking for a real part-ay. *wink*
Unfortunately, we didn’t really get to take advantage of any of the partying (after site seeing and hiking all day in the blistering sun, we were usually pretty done by evening), but we certainly took advantage of the beaches, swimming opportunities, and favorited a couple of bars.
While Zadar city isn’t exactly overflowing with white sandy beaches, we did manage to find a stretch of beach only 5-10 minutes walking distance from our apartment. We discovered it on our first full day in the city and returned to it every afternoon after exploring. And while the coastal waters aren’t quite as impressive as that of the national parks, Krka and Plitvice Lakes, it is still that clear, beautiful Mediterranean blue.
Another bonus: if you get too hot while site seeing in the city of Zadar, there are little ladders all along the coastal sidewalks that let you jump into the water for a swim, and climb out at your leisure. Quite an ingenious idea, I think.
And of course the sunsets on the beach are just not to be missed. Even after the sun sets, it leaves a beautiful glow upon the sea – which makes having a drink at a bar right on the water so alluring.
This is Hitch Bar. It is located right on the beachfront that we liked to frequent every evening, and therefore made it a great spot to kick back and enjoy a refreshment after an afternoon’s swim. There is an indoor area, which resembles a laid back nightclub, and that was never in use while we were there. Every night people opted for the warm summer air and beautiful scenery that the deck on the water provided. During weeknights business was pretty slow, providing a relaxing atmosphere for those present. However, once Friday hit, tons of people would glob onto the little deck for a chance to drink, dance, socialize, or get into a huge bubble fight with whoever else came out to party (no joke…there was a massive foam bubble “fight”). And with huge mojitos that come with 20″ neon straws for everyone to take a sip on, its pretty easy to slip into the party yourself.
From the Hitch Bar to the Garden Bar (where everything is made fresh), to the traditional bars housed in the center streets of Historic Downtown Zadar, there really is an atmosphere for everyone – these two just happened to be our favorites as they were located right on the water, making them both easy locations for drinks after swimming (which is much smarter than drinks before swimming ^.^).
Another local tip led us to this beach in Nin, only a 15-20 minute drive up the coast from where we were staying in Zadar. Here we found a long, soft sandy beach with lots of colorful umbrellas and towels all down the way. It was difficult not to feel a little euphoric just looking at it! And the happy faces painted on the sidewalk, leading us down to the waters edge, was just icing on the cake for my little sunshine heart. However, the most amazing thing about this beach and inlet was something we did not anticipate upon arriving.
Our experience with beaches in Croatia is quite a negligible example of what the country really has to offer for beach-lovers. I had hoped to make it out to the island of Dugi Otok, which is known for its beautiful scenery and absolutely incredible beaches – such as the famous Sakarun – and is just off the coast of Zadar. However, we ran short on time and it is now on our “Next Time” list for another trip to Croatia. And with such beautiful beaches and waters like this, who wouldn’t want to go back?! ♥M.
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