Best of Kvarner & Istria, Croatia

The complete guide to Kvarner & Istria: 119 hand-picked beaches, towns, viewpoints and hidden spots, mapped and honestly described.

Green islands, dolphins off Lošinj and the historic port of Rijeka. Quieter than the south, greener than the beaches suggest. This is your complete guide to the 119 places we have mapped in Kvarner & Istria.

What’s here

Abandoned Place (33), Popular Beach (24), City & Town (18), Viewpoint (12), Cave (9).

Browse every spot

051 741. map
Bakar, a historic port set deep in a sheltered bay, known since the 19th century for bakarska vodica sparkling wine and for the steep vineyard terraces above the water. map
Biserujka Krk. map
Bribirska beach. map
Bunculuka. map
Byzantine Fort. map
Camp self administration centre. map
Carpe diem. map
Centre hall. map
Cestarska kuća. map
Convict’s halls. map
Cres, the largest croatian island by area, shared in a long-running freshwater dispute with neighbouring lošinj. map
Cres Town, the largest croatian island by area, shared in a long-running freshwater dispute with neighbouring lošinj. map
Crkva Sv Nikola. map
Crkvica Sv. Šimuna. map
Delnice, the highest town in the forested gorski kotar region and a climatic health resort since the habsburg era, a cool escape from the summer coast. map
Doričići dog beach. map
Dragodid, an abandoned dry-stone village on the island of cres, a centre for preserving the traditional suhozid building technique. map
FKK Kandarola. map
FKK Njivice Kijac. map
FKK Porat. map
FKK beach Njivice. map
Gavranova stijena. map
Goli Otok, a barren island in the kvarner gulf turned into a political prison in 1949 for tito’s opponents, especially those who backed stalin after the soviet-yugoslav split. map
Gradina Ledenice. map
Gradiška. map
Gradska kula. map
Great Wire. map
Grill Bar. map
Haludovo Palace Hotel Krk, a 1971 resort near malinska on krk, part-funded by bob guccione of penthouse magazine as a luxury playground for the yugoslav and international jet set. map
Izvor Klara. map
Izvor Kupe. map
Jasenova, a memorial at the site of the wwii jasenovac concentration camp, run by the ustaše regime, where tens of thousands of serbs, jews, roma and anti-fascists were killed. map
Kantrida dog beach. map
Kapela sv. Kristofora. map
Kastel Baska. map
Kavranova stena. map
Kraljevica, a coastal town at the mouth of the bakar bay with a frankopan castle. map
Križić. map
Krk, once thought to be the largest adriatic island, krk has been settled since roman times. map
Krk Town, once thought to be the largest adriatic island, krk has been settled since roman times. map
Lina wreck. map
Ljubimer. map
Lokvišće. map
Lubenice Cres, hilltown beach. map
Mali Bok Cres. map
Mali Losinj, dolphins. map
Medova Buža. map
Menula beach. map
Nehaj Fortress Senj. map
Novalja, zrce. map
Ogulin, a gorski kotar town founded around 1500 around a frankopan castle on the dobra river, where the river vanishes into the đula abyss cave. map
Opatija, austrian riviera. map
Ostaci crkve sv. Petar. map
Padova II. map
Pag Kayaking. map
Pag Salt Pans, solana. map
Pag Town, lace salt. map
Paradise Beach Lopar Rab, sandy. map
Peltastis. map
Pizin. map
Plava Grota. map
Plaža Babinjak. map
Plaža Girenica. map
Plaža Plava Grota. map
Podhumskim žrtvama. map
Portić. map
Providenca. map
Rab, an island known for its four bell towers on the old town skyline. map
Rab Town, an island known for its four bell towers on the old town skyline. map
Reporting Quarters. map
Rijeka, port. map
Rimska utvrda Lopar. map
Rock Factory. map
Roman bridge. map
Senj, nehaj fortress. map
Slano Lake Pag, ww2 camp site.
Slatina. map
Slonova brada. map
Spilja Morska Peć. map
Spomenik. map
Spomenik palim borcima. map
St Ivan Cres.
Stara Gavza. map
Stara Novalja Pag. map
Stari grad Stelnik. map
Stijene Imperator i Savjetnik. map
Straško. map
Stupova beach. map
Sv. Mara. map
Sv. Mikul. map
Sv. Nikola. map
Sveti Kristofor. map
Sveti Marak. map
Televrina. map
Toreta. map
Torpedo Launch Station Rijeka, rijeka was the birthplace of the torpedo: giovanni luppis and robert whitehead developed and manufactured the first self-propelled torpedoes here from the 1860s. map
Tunera. map
Tvornica Žakalj. map
Ucka Nature Park, vojak 1401m. map
Vela Plaza Krk. map
Vela Straža. map
Veli Zal. map
Vidikovac tete Olge. map
Vlastelinska kuća. map
Vojak Ucka, highest istria. map
Vrana Lake Cres, freshwater on island. map
Vrbovsko, a gorski kotar town on the old road and rail line between the coast and the interior, surrounded by the dense forests that define the region. map
Vučjak. map
Wasserloch. map
Women’s camp administration building. map
Wood Factory. map
Zeleni Hrast. map
Zrće, a long pebble beach on the island of pag, famous across europe for its open-air clubs and summer festivals that earned it the nickname the croatian ibiza. map
Čabar, a mountain town in the high gorski kotar near the slovenian border, one of the rainiest and most forested corners of croatia. map
Špilja. map
Špilja Biserujka. map
Špilja Vrelo. map
Šterna. map

When to visit

June and September are the sweet spot across Kvarner: warm, bright and thinner on crowds than high July and August. Winter is quiet and cheap inland, though coastal ferries run less often.

Part of the open Croatia library by Photograph by John, real places, real maps, no paywall.