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Beach frequently asked
questions and tips
FAQ
- When is the best time to come?
July
and August are the warmest months when the sea temperature reaches
up to 28° C (83° F) and air temperature exceeds well over 35°
C ( 95° F). This is
the peak of the season, especially between July 15 and Aug 15,
and you can expect crowds on the most popular beaches. If you
prefer not so hot weather and less crowd, then June and September
are ideal for you. Water is still warm and you will get plenty
of sunshine. Swimming and sunbathing is also possible in May
or October (if you come from Scandinavia or Canada and are not
afraid of a bit colder water). Depending on the weather, even
April is sometimes nice and warm enough for the beach.
- Is
topless legal in Croatia?
Yes.
The attitude to topless bathing is typically relaxed, in fact
topless is practiced on every beach in Croatia and it is considered
normal.
- Is it OK to wear a thong?
Yes, but you'll notice that thongs are quite rare and chances
are you'll attract a lot of looks.
- Is nudism / naturism legal in Croatia?
Yes, naturism is well accepted all along Croatian Adriatic coast.
Except on official naturist beaches and resorts, you can enjoy
on many more unofficial. Maybe it is not unimportant to point
out that naturist beaches aren't in remote hard to find areas.
Most of them are usually just a walk away distance from centers
of towns, villages or resorts. Many of the regular beaches have
also a naturist section (usually at the end of the beach). So
wherever you go, you can be sure there is a naturist beach in
the vicinity.
- Is it true that there aren't many sandy beaches?
Yes. Croatian coast is mostly pebbly, rocky and narrow but there
are some wonderful sand beaches as well. Take a look at our
Best sandy beaches
section.
Some people are a bit dissapointed with the fact that Croatia
doesn't abounds in sandy beaches, but you will often hear same
people later saying that this is maybe even better because this
is the reason sea water is so clean and crystal clear. And when
we say crystal clear, we really mean it. Croatia Adriatic is
for a reason referred as the cleanest Mediterranean sea.
The Adriatic deepens from the clear shallows to jade green and
cobalt colours of the deeper waters. Not many people can determine
the color of the Adriatic sea. Sometimes it's dark blue, sometimes
greenish-blue. The fact is that the sea, depending on the time
of day and the angle of the sun's rays overflows into a thousands
nuances. However, it is always beautiful and unique.
- I am afraid of sharks!
Well, in Croatia you don't have to be. Dangerous sharks don't
live in the Adriatic, although sometimes they follow big overseas
ships that sail from the Med to Adriatic ports eating garbage
that ships let out into the sea. It is a rare thing those sharks
come close to the coast and when it happens it is a top story
for all TV news crews.
- Are there good facilities on beaches?
Most official beaches have numerous facilities, from sport and
watersport facilities to catering facilities, parasols and beach
chairs rentals, lifeguards etc. Croatia has 98 Blue Flag beaches
and marinas (in 2004) and this number increases every year.
The Blue Flag is an European award
for beaches
of the highest standard as per EU rules.
Tips
- Sun danger
You are probably familiar with dangers for your skin that come
along with excessive sun exposure. Always put on some sunscreen
and try avoiding sunbathing during hottest part of the day.
First couple of days take it slow, exposing your skin to the
sun only before 11am and after 4pm. In between these hours do
what locals do - take a rest. Even when you get a perfect tan,
limit your sunbathing during hottest hours.
Especially be careful with small children. Never expose small
babies directly to the sun more than a few minutes and always
use sun protection cream with the highest blocking factor.
- Hot sun
Never jump into the water after spending longer period of time
on the hot sun. Take it slow and allow some time for your body
to adjust to the water temperature. Especially young men, don't
play macho in front of the girls by jumping to the water straight
after frying under the sun. Your heart might not take it.
- Shade
Take a sunshade or look for a beach with trees to provide shade.
Your body will be thankful if you take pauses in sunbathing
under hot sun.
- Foot wear
Bring, or buy when you get there, a pair of plastic water shoes.
Maybe it doesn't look the best, but it will help you moving
around the rocky and pebbly beaches or getting in or out of
the water. In many places, especially isolated beaches, you
will find sea-urchins, which is another good reason to have
some sort of a foot wear. But be glad when you see sea-urchins,
it means the water is absolutely clean because they live only
in especially clean waters.
- Swimming
Croatian Adriatic is perfect for swimming. It is a warm and
calm sea of exceptional clearness and cleanness. Official beaches
have designated areas for swimming where speedboats and jet-skiis
are not allowed. Don't put your self at risk by swimming outside
those areas. On remote beaches you'll just have to use your
common sense and not swim far from the coast or go out far in
the open sea with an inflatable raft, especially during bad
weather conditions. There aren't strong currencies on the Adriatic,
tides are low (from 40 cm to 1m), high waves are rare, still
you need to be careful. As mentioned before, a specific danger
presents many speed boats and jet-skiis.
- Help with litter
Bring out everything that you bring in, especially trash. It
is important to leave sites as clean or cleaner than you found
it for the next person. This especially applies for isolated
beaches, so if you don't take out your trash, the area will
be spoiled, since no municipality is likely to do it. Also,
strip cigarette butts from the ground. No one likes sunbathing
in an ashtray. Respect and protect the wildlife.
- Fire regulations
Follow local fire regulations. Open fires or even using camping
stoves outside of campgrounds is strictly prohibited. Also be
careful when lightning out the cigarette. Croatian coast is
high fire risk area especially in the summer. Even a few seconds
of inattention can cause forest fires.
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