4 Beaches in Croatia on Europe’s 50 Best for 2017

Stiniva beach on Vis island (photo credit: Ante Babic)

One of the UK’s leading newspapers have published its Europe’s 50 Best Beaches List for 2017.

Not surprisingly Croatian beaches have made the cut – this time there are four beaches on the list of the ‘most glorious stretches of sand, or pebbles, in Europe.

Here are the four and what The Sunday Times had to say about each one.

36. Sveti Ivan – Cres

Sv. Ivan – Cres

The north coast of Croatia isn’t short of untamed beaches, but Sveti Ivan is the pick. This wild sliver of white shingle and cobalt shallows is a 45-minute walk from the nearest town (and feels more like twice that on the way back up), so solitude is all but guaranteed. For another thing, that town is Lubenice, a Unesco-listed hilltop hamlet dating back 4,000 years, where the Konoba Hibernicia cafe is the perfect spot for an après-beach rakija brandy.

37.  Stiniva – Vis

Stiniva (photo credit: Ante Babic)

Croatia’s most distant main island means Robinson Crusoe escapism, and nowhere on Vis does it better than this wild cove, accessed by steep trail or by taxi-boat from Komiza. Imagine an amphitheatre of cliffs (there’s always shade), floored with smooth pebbles and calm sea: a narrow notch leading out to the deeper Adriatic. Now furnish it with a fisherman’s shack taverna. Magic. The catch? Boat tours. Arrive early in high season.

38. Zlatni Rat – Brač

Bol (photo: croatia.hr)

The name is as unforgettable as the pictures of this pristine arrowhead-shaped spit, protruding from Brac’s southern shore. This is a plonk-and-laze beach, given the sink factor of the fine pebbles, though its social media-friendly aesthetics can make it rather busy. There are (pay) toilets, as well as parasols and loungers for hire. Don’t be tempted by the overpriced snacks; a delightful 20-minute stroll through the pines is Bol, with its excellent tavernas.

39. Šunj beach – Lopud

Šunj beach (photo credit: dubrovnikguideapp)

Smart people, aristocrats. Three centuries ago, they escaped Dubrovnik’s summer crush to tiny Lopud. While they holidayed in its lovely harbour, the colour of old ivory, you should traverse the island on a herb-scented path to Sunj for a day of simple pleasures: shallow seas that are safe for tots, a palm-thatch bar and a scimitar of sand fine enough for castles. Ferry timetables show Dubrovnik’s an hour away. It feels like decades.

Check out the other beaches to make the list here (you may need to register to read the full article)