Croatia Beach

Named by the National Geographic Adventure Magazine as the ‘Destination of the Year in 2006’, Croatia is the land of sun and sea surrounded by lush Mediterranean foliage. Croatia’s stretch of the Adriatic coast is considered as one of the most beautiful destinations in Europe. Find out the best of the Croatia beaches. The pretty Venetian old towns with terracotta roof tiles, the rugged mountain ranges and the pungent Adriatic seafood make for an exciting Croatia holiday.

Croatia Beaches

Croatian coasts are most often pebbly and rocky and yet some wonderful sandy beaches can also be found. Croatia Adriatic is one of the cleanest Mediterranean Sea. The jade green and cobalt colors of the deep waters are truly spectacular. The color of the Adriatic Sea is sometimes dark blue and sometimes greenish blue depending upon the time of the day and the angle of the sun’s rays.

• The Banje Beach near Dubrovnik on the Dalmatian coast in Croatia was voted by American Magazine Marie Claire as the third most beautiful beach in the world.
  
• The Brela Beach lies along the Makarska coast south of Split. This beach has recently been rated by Forbes magazine as one of the top twenty beaches in the world.
  
• Zlatni Rat beach near Bol is an unusually thumb shaped gravel beach.
  
• Baska Beach on Krk Island is a long sandy beach framed by barren mountains that constantly changes color with the sunlight.
  
• The Paradise beach near Lopar on Rab Island is the longest and most spectacular beach.
  
• Trstenica on Peljesac peninsular is a lovely wide pine fringed beach while Lokrum beach offers peace and quiet with naturalist and clothed areas.

Naturism in Croatian beaches

Naturists can be found along the Adriatic coast from Savudrija to Dubrovnik enjoying the sun, water and air, eating healthy food and indulging in sports living with nature. Many of the regular beaches also have a naturalist section and a tourist can sure spot a naturalist beach in the vicinity. Some naturalist destinations are Valalta, Rovinj, Koversada, Vrsar, Ulika, Cervar Porat and they sport the symbol of protected environment the ‘blue flag’.

Leisure sports in Croatia

Croatia is fast emerging as an adventure travel destination. Croatia is legendary for sailing with about five hundred harbors fully serviced marinas with restaurants, hot showers, mini marts and weather charts for sailing enthusiasts. Croatian coast is also ideal for yachting.

Croatian Adriatic is perfect for swimming as it is warm and calm and the sea is exceptionally clear and clean in this part of the world. Official beaches have designated areas for swimming. Usually there are no strong currents in the Adriatic and tides are low with high waves rare.

With a capacity of over thirteen thousand and two hundred sea berths and four thousand five hundred dry berths, Croatia is a haven for boaters. Many nautical tourism ports can be found in Croatia serving top quality traditional cuisine and providing facilities including electricity, water, health care clinics, charter company services et al to the discerning tourists.

Fishing is permitted in Croatia with a license. The whole Adriatic Sea is open for fishing although special limitations are applied in aquatoria of National parts such as Kornati, Brijuni, Krka, Mljet and other smaller locations.

Tourists can discover the fantastic caves and holes in Karstic area in Croatia. Underground spaces are protected with geomorphologic monuments such as Modra Milja, Cerovac caves, Furious Furnace and Veternica near Zagreb and many others. It is interesting to see that Speleo diving is gaining popularity in Croatia and many speleological sites reveal their links with other underground channels.

Croatia Split

Split is the second largest city in Croatia and it is the largest city on the Adriatic Coast. It is the main city of Dalmatia. The most important sight in Split is Diocletian’s palace. The main open space of the palace in Peristyled and is surrounded by a colonnade of six columns to the eastern and western sides. In the centre stands an arch with decorated garlands. On the eastern side of the Peristyle is a cathedral and on the western side is the People’s square ‘Narodni tra’ with the old town hall built in the fifteenth century.

Split is well connected by air from Zagreb through a host of airline services including Croatia airlines, British airways, Easy jet and Wizz Air flights from London. There are several trains a day from Zagreb to Split. Numerous ferries connect Split to nearby Adriatic islands and there are several coastal ferries between the city and Rijeka to the north and Dubrovnik to the south. There are also several buses from Zagreb and elsewhere in Croatia to Split.

Travel to Croatia

• Zagreb is the capital city of Croatia. It dates back to the eleventh century. The many museums and monuments in Zagreb go to reflect the history of this country as well as that of Europe.
  
• Rijeka houses the main seaport of Croatia and it is the third largest city in the country. Pula is the largest city in the region of Istria and is well known for its traditions of wine making and fishing. It is also known for its well preserved amphitheatres from the Roman times.
  
• Zadar is a city on the Adriatic Sea located in northern Dalmacia. It is one of the oldest cities in Croatia dating back to the ninth century and the Roman Forum, Aqueduct and the Five Wells Square are tourist spots in this place. The historic town of Sibenik is the center of education and politics in Croatia. Ploce has the historic seaport which was rebuilt after the World War II.
  
• Dubrovnik is said to be the most beautiful city in Croatia. Its southern location and its historical significance make it unique among the other cities of Croatia.

Croatia is a haven for gastronomes and sun worshippers alike. It is best to visit Croatia between April and September. The cultural season is in full swing around this time in Croatia and Zagreb should offer a comfortable stay for its guests from world wide.