12 Best Beaches in Dubrovnik

Koločep Island, one of the Elaphiti Islands, is only 20 minutes from Dubrovnik by boat. On the island, there are 2 villages: Upper Celo and Lower Celo. The island itself offers several beautiful sandy beaches and rocky ocean pools.

You can take your time swimming, search the water for crabs and other small marine life, or just lounge and soak up the sun. These beaches are smaller than the ones in Dubrovnik and usually have fewer tourists and visitors.

Uvala Lapad Beach is one of the most popular beaches outside of the Old Town and it’s not hard to see why. Loved by tourists and locals alike, not only do you get a sandy-pebbled shore, bright sun and sea, you can also enjoy a waterslide, bars and restaurants too. There are even walking paths that lead to smaller, more secluded beaches and coves.

Thanks to the pebbled paths, numerous sunbeds and excellent amenities all around, you can enjoy Uvala Lapad even on the hottest days.

Copacabana is a half-moon shaped, sandy-pebbled beach hugging the turquoise sea. It’s a popular choice for tourists and locals who love parties, cocktails, fresh fruit smoothies and private cabanas. Thanks to the popularity of the location, beachgoers visiting Copacabana will often find a DJ spinning tunes or a fun beach party right on the shore.

If you’d prefer to just relax, though, there are sun loungers and umbrellas available along the shoreline. Kids and younger beachgoers will also find fun inflatables in the shape of watermelons and unicorns, perfect for an Instagram beach photo.

Banje Beach is very popular in Dubrovnik – it’s often shown on postcards that feature the Croatian city. Located just a short walk away from Ploče Gate, Banje Beach is also the closest beach to the Old Town. While the shoreline is mostly pebbles, the water is clear and calm with a big shallow area that’s great for kids.

There are jet skis and inflatables, accessible showers and rentable sun loungers and deck chairs. These are a bit pricey, though, so you may want to bring towels or sarongs to lounge on instead. While beautiful, Banje’s popularity does mean it gets quite crowded, especially in the summertime.

One of the most popular beaches in Dubrovnik, the rocky little stretch of Danče Beach features sunbathing terraces and beautiful turquoise waters. Located just a short, 10-minute walk west of Pile Gate, the beach is easy enough to get to, but far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the Old Town.

For travellers looking for a relaxing afternoon with fewer folks, Danče is the ideal choice. You can chat with local beachgoers while enjoying a beer from the beach bar that’s open all day. If you’d like to swim, the water is calm and clear. There’s also a small cave nearby you can swim into and explore.

Located in Konavle, Pasjača Beach is regularly recognised as one of the best beaches in Europe, making it popular among tourists. A short walk along the cliffside takes you to the heart of the beach, surrounded by cliffs of grey and red rocks with spots of green vegetation.

While small, the beach’s incredibly beautiful scenery more than makes up for its size. Beachgoers don’t mind the trek required to reach it or the descent down the stairs to get to the sand and sea because the view from the top is utterly breathtaking.

Lokrum Island has several beach options for tourists offering sandy shores, crystal-clear seas, and a beautiful botanical garden filled with peacocks. However, if you want to explore Lokrum’s breathtaking coastline, the best way to do so is by kayak.

There are several kayaking tours available that allow you to explore the picturesque cliffs on the coast. They can even stop on the island to let you sunbathe on the rocky beach and take a quick swim. If you want to avoid tan lines, you can also check out the nudist beach on Lokrum.

Located in Zupa Dubrovacka, in an area near Dubrovnik, Plat is fairly small but has 5 beautiful public beaches – averaging the most beaches per square meter compared to other small towns and villages in Croatia. Hidden behind rocks, this beach offers a quiet, peaceful place for families with kids and couples.

For beachgoers who want a nice meal, there’s a great local restaurant called Poseydon located right on the water, as well as a beach bar right next door for refreshing drinks. If you want to escape the crowds, Plat is the place to do it!

Sulic Beach not only has beautiful pebble-sand shores and bright blue waters – its surrounding scenery is incredible too. Two cliffs tower over the islet and, if that wasn’t enough, Game of Thrones fans will recognise that on one side is Fort Lawrence, more popularly known as King’s Landing!

You can enjoy and photograph Sulic Beach’s beautiful surroundings or swim and lounge on the pebbled beach. If you get thirsty, there’s a beach bar with swings that you can use while you enjoy your drink and take in the view.

Also known as Miramare, Bellevue Beach is about a 20-minute walk from the Old Town. This secluded pebble, beach is accessible via a staircase. It’s a beautiful bay with calm waters, sun loungers, and a café and bar nearby that offers delicious snacks and drinks.

Other than just swimming and sunbathing, Bellevue is also popular as a cliff-jumping beach spot. On certain days, you’ll even be able to catch athletes playing water polo. Be careful though – on windy days the water can get rough.

St Jakov’s Beach is a secluded beach at the end of a coastal walk east from Dubrovnik Old City. Variously known as St Jacob’s Beach, St James’ Beach or Plaža Sveti Jakov, the shore here is pebbly sand while the sea is especially clean and vividly blue – well worth taking the 163 steps down the cliff. There are sun loungers and parasols available for rent and there's a small eatery at the southern end.

Off in the distance, you’ll see the bustling harbour with the mighty Fort St Ivana guarding its entrance. Up on top of the cliff is the St Jakov Church, which gives the beach its name. Old and charming, it's worth checking out.

Lopud Island is home to 2 coves, one of which has a small village in it. You can reach the island by taking a ferry that drops you in the small marina at the northern end of Lopud Beach. The beautiful Franciscan monastery overlooking the bay is a sign of the romantic charm to come. As you walk or cycle around the village, you can find many lovely cafés.

If you walk through the hilly interior of the island, past hilltop churches and forts, you get to the quieter cove and Sunj Beach. The secluded sandy beach offers a pleasant escape while still having a good choice of facilities like restaurants and sun loungers.