Sakarun Beach

Sakarun is a wide bay on the northern side of Dugi Otok with a beach of small white pebbles and sand and a bottom of the same pale material shelving very gradually, which is what produces the colour: light bounces off the white floor and the water reads bright turquoise for a long way out. Pine woods come down to the back of the beach and give the only shade. Behind it lies a small salt lake. Getting there means a ferry from Zadar and then a drive along the island, which limits numbers, though in August it still fills and the parking area behind is the constraint.

What you actually see

• A white pebble and sand bay - the pale bottom that colours the water.
• A very gradual shelf - shallow a long way out.
• Pine woods behind - the only shade on the beach.
• A salt lake inland - just behind the bay.

When to go

June to September. Half a day.

Honest expectations

It takes a ferry and a drive to reach, so a day trip from Zadar is a commitment. Shade is limited to the pine edge and goes early. Facilities are seasonal bars. Parking is charged and fills by mid-morning in August.

Nearby

Veli Rat lighthouse is north; Telascica is at the island's far end.