Dubrovnik’s pristine beaches, natural parks, and medieval monuments are what more than 18 million tourists come to Croatia for every year. They can be understood, because who can resist the blue of the Adriatic Sea and its picturesque shores surrounded by dense groves? Nothing will spoil such a holiday… except for the wrong choice of place. How to find a sandy beach in Croatia and avoid the crowds of tourists? Where can you have a good rest with children, and where to go for night entertainment? All the information for those who go to the sea in Dubrovnik, in this article!
Lapad
One of the most popular beaches of Dubrovnik in Croatia is Lapad, located on the peninsula of the same name. There is a crystal clear and absolutely calm sea, in which small fish swim. There are toilets, showers, changing rooms and two cafes. You can rent sun beds and umbrellas: 1+1 for 170 kuna for the whole day or for 50 after 16: 00, 2+1 for 170 kuna from morning to evening or for 90 after 16: 00.
For lovers of swimming! The buoys on Lampada are located almost 250 meters from the shore.
Conventionally, Lapad can be divided into three parts::
- Sandy, near the Kompas hotel. Here it is best to relax in the first half of the day, when tourists are either still asleep, or waiting for a brighter sun. The only place on Lapada where you can relax with children.
- Concrete – in the middle of the beach. It heats up very quickly and cools down just as quickly – it’s better to rest here early in the morning or after 18: 00. The bottom is covered with large pebbles.
- Kamennaya street. Suitable only for those who can swim well, as there are large rocks at the bottom. Paid inflatable slides with swimming pools are often installed in this area of the beach. Entering the water is inconvenient.
Caution! Do not step on large rocks in the water, so that from a possible encounter with small sea urchins you will have only good impressions.
Among the disadvantages of the beach, it is possible to distinguish relative cleanliness, since small garbage is rarely removed during the season, and a large number of people during periods when the water heats up to a sufficient level.
Copacabana
Copacabana beach in Dubrovnik is located in the northern part of the city, on the same Lapad peninsula. You can get to this place by bus numbers 6 and 7 or by car, there is free Parking nearby. The beach attracts tourists with unusual landscapes, a pleasant coating of small pebbles, clear turquoise water.
Copacabana has a lot of interesting activities: volleyball, water skiing, catamarans, bananas, inflatable slides with a descent into the sea, jet skis (500 kuna in 30 minutes), parasailing and kayaking. After 20: 00 on the beach, the typical Croatian atmosphere of the night comes to life, music is turned on in the cafe, soft drinks are served and rousing dances begin. A bar-restaurant is open during the day, and prices are higher than the average in Dubrovnik.
Important! Copacabana is a good place to stay with children, as the sea is quite shallow with a gradual setting.
Other amenities on the beach include umbrellas and sun beds (in different months – 300-350 HRK per set), a paid shower (2 kuna) and a toilet. In the right part of it there are all the necessary devices for people with disabilities. Copacabana also has several wooden piers where you can dive into the water.
The disadvantages include the relatively small size of the beach and high prices for food, entertainment, and sun beds.
Sveti Yakov
In the south-east, 4 km from the city center, there is another pebble beach in Croatia with clear water. Due to its remoteness, it is less popular among tourists, but despite this, the infrastructure is very well developed: there are water skis, boats and catamarans in the rental area, the restaurant serves delicious Mediterranean cuisine, and the cafe-bar offers a wide selection of drinks.
Sveti Yakov is located in a bay surrounded by rocks, to get to it you need to go down the steps. An old church is located nearby. The beach is surrounded by rocks with a dense grove, you can lie in the shade for up to 12 hours and not be afraid to burn. And the sea here, because of the difference in depth, seems to be divided into several parts of different colors. Of all the beaches located in Dubrovnik, this is the best place to take photos.
Despite the fact that Sveti Jakov is located in an elite, though not a tourist part of Dubrovnik, rest here is not like on other beaches. Sun loungers and umbrellas can be rented for 50 HRK each. For those who arrive by car, there is a secure paved parking for 30 HRK per hour.
Please note! The water in Sveti Jakob is colder than in other parts of Croatia, as the sea is deeper and takes longer to warm up. If the weather is windy, waves can rise on the beach.
Plaža Banje
If the phrase “Relax – so with music” fully describes your preferences, then Banje Beach is an ideal option. It is divided into two parts-paid, allocated for a restaurant and night club, and free – a small plot with a rental area. Unfortunately or fortunately, Yandex. Music doesn’t recognize this division of territory.
In the paid area for tourists, all the charms of a chic holiday are revealed – the opportunity to hide from the sun on a large bed with a roof (300 kuna), sunbathe on a separate platform for 400 HRK, drink delicious cocktails from the bar (about 60-80 HRK each) and enjoy the view of the Old Town at this time. At 19:00, a nightclub opens and rousing dances are added to all the entertainment.
On the free part, everything is more peaceful. Here, on marble-white pebbles by the warm, clear water, travelers peacefully drink drinks purchased in advance in the store. However, this does not last long – until lunch, because with the final appearance of the sun, too many tourists come to the beach. Here you can rent a sunbed for 100 HRK and an umbrella for 50 HRK, ride a banana, rent a boat or a water bike.
Bouzha
The most unusual beach and embankment of Dubrovnik, some photos of which both surprise and attract. Please note that children, elderly or injured people, or travelers who can’t enjoy a sea holiday without sun loungers and umbrellas should not go here. Buja is a unique place in Croatia, a rocky beach that is ideal for lovers of romance and extreme sports.
Bouzha is hidden from the eyes of a simple passerby. To reach the picturesque cliffs from which you can dive into the clear sea, you need to bypass the main Cathedral of Dubrovnik on the left side and enter the inconspicuous door of St. Stephen, located in the southern wall of the Old Town. Through it you will get not only to the beach, but also to the cafe of the same name with low prices and delicious drinks.
Important information! The sea on Buzha is very deep and surrounded by rocks, so do not risk your life if you do not know how to swim well – enjoy the views from the shore.
You will be interested in: A detailed overview of the city of Dubrovnik and its attractions with photos.
Kupari
“Ghost Beach” was one of the most famous resorts in Yugoslavia in the second half of the 20th century. Unfortunately, all that remains of it today is the ruins of old hotels, a small cafe with several dishes on the menu. There is a free toilet and changing room, rent a set of 2 sun loungers with a sun umbrella — 90 KN. But even despite the lack of infrastructure and not very convenient location (7 km from Dubrovnik), the beach still remains attractive for tourists in Croatia.
Kupari has a clear calm sea, a clear coast covered with small pebbles, wide free parking, almost no waves and few travelers, so we can safely say that this is a great place for families with children. Since the 2018 beach season, the Croatian government has started implementing a plan to revive the resort.
Štikovica Beach
Here on the shore there are 3 hotels of different classes with access to the shore. Due to its remoteness from the city center (more than 9 km), Stikovica is not very popular among tourists, so it is characterized by exceptional cleanliness and a calm atmosphere. The infrastructure on the beach is at an average level of development – here you can rent umbrellas and sun beds (28 HRK per piece), play water football, enjoy the aroma of coniferous groves.
A tip! Travelers who have visited Stikovica are advised to swim here only in special shoes, as there is a great chance to meet sea urchins.
Plaža Bellevue
If you want to stay in a Dubrovnik hotel with its own private beach, pay attention to Belva. Hotel Bellevue Dubrovnik is located here. Guests highly appreciate the hotel in all respects: service, cuisine, location, rooms and amenities. Its rating is based on booking.com — 9.5 / 10, cost of accommodation-from 195 euros per day.
A small beach surrounded by rocks is located in a closed bay, just 1.5 km from the center of Dubrovnik. Bellevue is one of the few sandy beaches in Croatia, so it is in high demand among vacationers.
About 80% of this coast belongs to the hotel, for residents of which free sun beds and umbrellas are installed. The remaining 20% is collected by other travelers who can use the changing booths, toilet and visit the hotel restaurant. The sea on Bellevue is shallow and clear, there are almost no waves, the sunset is comfortable and gradual. In the evening and at night, locals can gather on the two piers of the beach, and water polo training sessions are held here several times a week. A good place for families with children.
