Best beaches in Dubrovnik (including the sandy one)

26.07.2024 - 17:18 / lonelyplanet.com

Jul 26, 2024 • 5 min read

Sun-soaked Dubrovnik has culture in spades – stupendous medieval walls, beautifully preserved monasteries and palaces, and a whole slew of museums and galleries. However it also has plenty of beaches (most of them quite small) both close to the old town itself and in the surrounding area. Some of these are very well known and extremely popular, others a little more remote and well hidden.

Whether you’re after a refreshing dip or a place to lounge by the water’s edge with a cocktail, read on and discover some of the best beaches in and around Dubrovnik. If you really want to beat the crowds, you could also join a kayak tour and paddle off to one of the swimming spots less easily accessible on foot or on wheels, such as the rocky coast of the nearby Elafiti Islands.

Best for families

Just a hop and a skip from the harbor, this popular pebble beach has stunning views of the old town, and plenty of facilities including restaurants and sun-loungers. This is Dubrovnik’s main city beach, so it’s also enormously popular – meaning it’s best to get here early before it fills up. It’s good for families, and in the evening transforms into a lively beach bar and party spot.

How to get there: Just walk along from the Ploče Gate past Lazareti.

Best local beach

A little way past Banje but still less than a 25-minute walk from the old town, this local favorite is set below cliffs and is accessed by a flight of steps leading down from the Sveti Jakov Church. The alluring stretch of shingle and pebble beach has sun-loungers for rent, and there’s a restaurant, bar, and toilets. Like Banje, it also has stunning views of the old town.

How to get there: If you don’t feel like walking, you can take the 5 or 8 bus from the old town.

Best for activities

Located on the northern shore of the Babin kuk peninsula at Seka Bay, the chic Copacabana is rather smaller than its Brazilian namesake – but is still a good spot for a swim, sunbathing and enjoying that requisite cocktail. You’ll find a small armada of white sun-loungers and cabanas, and a gentle arc of pebble beach – and there’s a restaurant and bar. You can keep busy here by renting jet-skis here, getting a massage and renting sports equipment.

How to get there: Take bus 2a or 6 from Pile. 

Best for swimming

These rocks below the city walls, accessed by a doorway off ulica od Margarite, are something of an iconic spot for swimming and sunbathing (or sipping a drink or two), though they’re not quite the (relatively) hidden gem they once were. There are a few small tables with sun umbrellas, served by a small bar, and a few concreted areas where you can try to fit a towel or just jump off into the sea. The rocks at Buža are not sheltered, so it’s not the