Popular Beaches in Kvarner & Istria, Croatia

24 popular beaches in Kvarner & Istria, Croatia, with map links and honest tips. Browse the best popular beach spots across the region.

Croatia’s beaches are the reason most people come, and the Kvarner & Istria coast has more good ones than you can visit in a week. This guide rounds up the 24 beaches we have mapped, with what to expect, when to go and how to avoid the worst of the crowds.

The 24 best popular beaches in Kvarner

• Bribirska beach. map
• Bunculuka. map
• Doričići dog beach. map
• FKK Kandarola. map
• FKK Njivice Kijac. map
• FKK Porat. map
• FKK beach Njivice. map
• Kantrida dog beach. map
• Menula beach. map
• Padova II. map
• Paradise Beach Lopar Rab, sandy. map
• Plaža Babinjak. map
• Plaža Girenica. map
• Plaža Plava Grota. map
• Portić. map
• Slatina. map
• Stara Gavza. map
• Straško. map
• Stupova beach. map
• Sv. Mara. map
• Sv. Mikul. map
• Vela Plaza Krk. map
• Veli Zal. 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

Practical tips

Arrive before 9 or after 5 to dodge crowds and catch the light. Bring reef shoes, most Croatian beaches are smooth pebble rather than sand.

When to go

For popular beaches in Kvarner, aim for May to October, with June and September the quietest warm months. Bring water and shade, facilities are thin at the more remote spots.

Every spot is mapped and verified. Share this guide if it helped plan your trip.