The Lopar Sand Beaches on Rab

Almost the whole Croatian coast is pebble or bare rock, which is why the Lopar peninsula on Rab draws the crowds it does. Sand here is real sand, and at Rajska plaza, the largest of the beaches, the water stays shallow enough to walk out a long way, which makes it one of the few places on the Adriatic that suits small children without qualification. Around a dozen more sandy coves are strung along the peninsula, reached by paths through low pine and scrub, and they get progressively emptier the further you walk. Several of the far ones are long established naturist beaches, clearly signed as such.

What you actually see

• Rajska plaza - the main sand beach, wide and very shallow, with full facilities behind it.
• The northern coves - a chain of smaller sandy bays reached on foot through pine and scrub.
• The pine belt - shaded paths connecting the beaches, useful because the sand itself has no shade.
• The view to Velebit - the bare grey wall of the mainland mountain range directly across the channel.

When to go

June to September. The shallow water warms early, so late June is already comfortable, and September stays warm well after the crowds thin. July and August fill the main beach completely by mid morning. The bura wind blowing off the Velebit channel can turn a calm day cold and choppy very quickly.

Honest expectations

Rajska plaza in August is packed shoulder to shoulder and ringed by loud commercial facilities; the quiet version of Lopar requires walking twenty minutes or more. The shallows mean the water is warm but also cloudy and full of children. Parking is charged and inadequate. Ferry queues in high season are long, and the peninsula has little architectural interest of its own.

Nearby

Rab town with its four bell towers is fifteen minutes south, and Krk is one ferry away.