Zlatni Rat, Bol

Zlatni Rat, the Golden Cape, near the town of Bol on the island of Brač, is the most photographed beach in Croatia and one of the most distinctive in the Mediterranean. Rather than a curve of sand, it is a long spit of fine pale pebbles that projects several hundred metres straight out into the clear Adriatic, tapering to a point, and its shape is not fixed: the tip curls and shifts one way or the other depending on the prevailing wind and current, so it is never quite the same twice. Backed by a fragrant pine grove that offers shade, and lapped by turquoise water on both sides, it is a beautiful place to swim, and the steady afternoon wind that funnels along the channel here makes it one of the best spots in the country for windsurfing. It lies a walk or shuttle from Bol, a pretty stone harbour town, and the whole of Brač, an island of white stone and olive groves, spreads behind.

What you'll find

• The shifting spit - the pebble tongue jutting into the sea and changing shape with the wind.
• Swimming and the pine shade - the clear water on both sides and the shady grove behind.
• Windsurfing - the reliable afternoon wind in the channel.
• Bol town - the stone harbour town a short walk away.

When to go

June to September is the warm swimming season, busiest in July and August; late spring and early autumn are quieter with pleasant sea temperatures. The wind picks up in the afternoons, ideal for windsurfing but choppier for swimming. Mornings are calmest and least crowded on the spit.

Good to know

It is a pebble beach, not sand, so water shoes make swimming and walking in more comfortable, and the famous shape is best appreciated from above or from the water rather than while sitting on it. In peak summer it is very popular and can be crowded, with sunbeds packing the shore. Reaching Brač means a ferry from Split, and Zlatni Rat is a further walk or shuttle from Bol, so it takes some getting to.

Nearby

The island's interior and the white-stone quarries are inland; Hvar and Split are a ferry ride away.