20 Amazing Croatia Coastal Cities to Visit in 2024
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‘Small country for big holidays’, as in the past Croatia was advertised by the Croatian Tourist Board. Well, it sounds so right. Croatia is a small country, but it is a beautiful country that has everything you need for a great holiday.
In this post, I will tell you about the best coastal cities in Croatia on the Adriatic Coast.
At the start, some private remark. Croatia is a special country for me. I have a master degree in Croatian and Serbian studies (Croatian philology). Studies in which I’ve learned Croatian language, history, and culture. I don’t know how many times I’ve visited Croatia; it’s more than 10 times, for sure. I love coming back there. I’m writing this article while preparing for my next trip to Dalmatia; it will be Split and the islands this time.
This article is written based only on my knowledge and experience, and I’ve visited all the places I’m speaking about.
Anyway, let’s visit the most beautiful Croatia coastal cities. We will travel from the south to the north!
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Croatia Coastal Cities: Dalmatian Coast (mainland)
Dubrovnik
Starting from the most known Croatian coastal city, the pearl of the Adriatic, Dubrovnik. The city has a very interesting and rich history. It’s related to the Republic of Venice, and later it ruled itself as separate country. And it also has a tragic history, connected to a huge earthquake in 1667 and shelling during the war in 1991.
Dubrovnik is mostly known for its amazing atmospheric old town and city walls, on which you can walk (just don’t do it in the middle of the day in summer). The old town is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Other interesting points to mention there are Hill Srđ, on which you can get by hike or by cable car and Island Lokrum, which you can reach by boat.
It’s worth knowing that Dubrovnik, especially during the season (and especially in the old town), is very expensive and very crowded. I have to say that even if it’s a beautiful city, I try to avoid it during the highest season.
To get to Dubrovnik is very easy, there is an airport. And harbour where ferries and cruises arrive.
More about Dubrovnik port and stations you can read in this article.
Dubrovnik lies in the south of Croatia, close to the border with Montenegro. It’s divided from the rest of the country by the Neum corridor (which is in Bosnia and Herzegovina). If you want to pass with the bus or car, you need to go either via the corridor and pass borders or via the new Pelješac bridge.
In Dubrovnik (and in Split as well), parts of the series Games of Thrones were filmed, which made both cities even more popular.
Makarska
Makarska is the town giving the name to the Makarska Riviera, a very popular tourist region in central Dalmatia. Other known towns on the Riviera are Baška Voda, Brela, Tučepi, and Podgora. Monastery, lighthouse, and promenade are some of the biggest attractions in Makarska. It’s a nice town, but in the summer months it’s very touristy, so visit it only if you like such an atmosphere. Makarska and the towns around it are also gateways for Biokovo Nature Park and Biokovo Skywalk.
Omiš
Omiš is a smaller town known for its beautiful old town with gates and churches and for the Cetina River and Canyon where you can go kayaking and rafting.
You can also climb two fortresses to check out beautiful views of the coast and nearby islands.
Split
From Omiš, it’s a short distance to second-most-known Croatian coastal city, becoming a very popular destination, Split. Split is easy to reach because of its international airport and many seasonal connections.
And I have to admit, it’s my favourite city.
It’s the next city with a Unesco World Heritage Site. Walking on a few Old Town streets means you are actually walking in Diocletian’s Palace. It’s the most important Split monument, built in the 3rd and 4th centuries.
What else should you see in Split? Climb the bell tower of St. Domnius Cathedral, walk and drink coffee on the Riva, and climb Marjan Hill.
And of course, there are beautiful beaches in Split, not so far from the centre.
If you are planning to travel between Split and Dubrovnik, here you will find all the needed information: how to travel by bus, car, boat, and plane.
Trogir
Not far from Split is one more absolutely beautiful Unesco town, Trogir. Trogir’s Old Town lies on the island between the mainland and the island Čiovo. It’s a perfect place to take a walk on pretty narrow streets.
What to see in Trogir? Loggia with clock tower, Cathedral, Palace and Kamerlengo Fotress. The town has also a beautiful riva- promenade.
From Trogir, let’s go even further north. On the way, you will pass smaller but also well-known tourist coastal towns: Rogoznica and Primošten.
Croatia coastal cities: Šibenik
Šibenik is a less known town than the other mentioned Croatia coastal cities. It’s smaller than Split, Zadar and Dubrovnik, it has around 30 thousand inhabitants. It doesn’t have an airport, so you need to get there by bus from Split or Zadar (as it lies in the middle between these two cities). Šibenik is absolutely worth a stop, at least for a walk and coffee.
The most important monuments are the Cathedral of St. James and St. Nicholas’ Fortress, both of which are inscribed on the Unesco Heritage List. See also the old town, townhall, and garden at the monastery.
Šibenik is also a gateway to the very popular and beautiful Krka National Park, which is a short drive from Šibenik . The cold waterfall waters and trees in Krka are a great rest from the heat and an absolute must-see when you are in the region.
Zadar
The fifth biggest city in Croatia and the second biggest city in Dalmatia (we are in the north of Dalmatia now) is Zadar. For some time, it was less popular than Split, recently gained visibility with tourists. It has an international airport with a lot of connections, especially to local European airports with Ryanair.
There are a lot of monuments to visit in Zadar, like Donatus Church from the 9th century or ancient Roman ruins like the Roman Forum. The most known Zadar attraction, though, is something exceptional on a world scale:
Sea Organ (organs looking like stairs that are moved by waves) and Greeting to the Sun installation.
Sea Organs are the perfect place to watch sunsets, which are again very special in Zadar.
For more about places to see in Zadar and other Zadar travel tips check out this page
Croatia Coastal Cities: Istria and Kvarner
Driving again towards the north, you will pass many smaller tourist towns, many worth at least a stop for coffee, for example, Novi Vinodolski or Crikvenica. Slowly, you are entering the Kvarner region. From here, you can easily drive to the Istria Peninsula.
Rijeka
Rijeka is the capital of the Kvarner region and one of the larger cities, the third-biggest Croatian city.
It has many bus connections; you can come here by bus from European cities and change here for many smaller Croatian places.
I have a problem with Rijeka. On one side, it has a few really interesting things to do and see: the main street Korzo, Castle and a pedestrian tunnel that dates from the Second World War.
On the other hand, it feels a little bit less interesting than the other already-mentioned Croatia coastal cities. For sure, it’s different and more local. It has a different vibe and architecture style, but there is a reason behind it as it’s a different region with a different history.
Rijeka also has an international airport, which lies on the island of Krk. You can get there by the Krk bridge. Krk is the biggest (or second-biggest, depending on sources) Croatian island. Beautiful and interesting, with beaches and a lot to see as well. Read about it (and about Rijeka airport too!) here.
Opatija
Opatija lies close to Rijeka. Already in the 19th it was the most popular seaside resort for reach noble families (it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire). Until now, you could feel this atmosphere because of the architecture (different than in Dalmatian coastal cities) and villas. Opatija has a 12-kilometre promenade to walk.
Pula
Pula is the largest city on Istrian Peninsula. Known especially for the amphitheatre. It’s the third-biggest arena in Europe after Rome and Verona.
There are also other remnants of ancient times in Pula: the three gates, Roman theatre, the ancient floor mosaic, and the Forum, main square of Old Town. You can wander on Old Town streets, visit a monastery, a fortress and again, the tunnel.
Pula has an international airport with fewer flights, but there are few during the season.
Croatia Coastal Cities: Rovinj
Istria has many famous and pretty, worth mentioning, coastal towns. The city of Rovinj is one of them, especially because of its colourful houses. Wander in the streets; it’s a perfect place for that. Another place for a nice walk, especially during the sunset, is the waterfront. Around 20 minutes’ drive from Rovinj, there is Lim Fjord, a natural area with viewpoints.
Poreč
The other popular town, which is on the western coast of Istria, is Poreč. It’s known mostly for the Euphrasian Basilica. The monument was built in 6th century and is registered on the Unesco World Heritage List.
On Istria, there are many more towns worth a visit. There are a few more on the coast like Umag or Medulin, and a few in the interior of Istria. It’s again different style and views, maybe even views that you wouldn’t expect from Croatia at the first thought. Interior Istria is also known for truffles.
But, as in this post, we are to visit coastal towns, so we will move to a few towns on the coast, this time on the islands!
Croatia Coastal Cities: Town on Croatian Islands
Talking about the Croatian coast, especially Dalmatia (although not only), is not complete without mentioning islands. Croatia has 1244 islands and islets, of which 68 are inhabited, 50 permanently. Islands have their own culture and interesting history. Every island is a little bit different and has something special about it.
You can easily get to islands by ferries and smaller boats. If you want to visit islands, look at the map and see which bigger city is the closest.
In Croatia, a very popular part of tourism is yachting. There is really good infrastructure for sailing: well-equipped marinas, yacht charters, and it’s also a great place to sail for geographical reasons (because of islands, bays, and relatively calm waters).
But if sailing holidays are not your cup of tea, you can just take a ferry and go island-hopping or just visit one island.
Which Croatia coastal cities on the islands are the nicest?
Korčula town on Korčula island
Island ‘in between’ Split and Dubrovnik. You can get there from both of them or from Orebić.
The capital of Korčula is absolutely beautiful. Sometimes called ‘little Dubrovnik’ because of the shape and city walls.
Old town streets from above look like a fishbone. So you will have a lot of small streets to wander through. Korčula is known as the potential place of birth of Marco Polo, and there is also his museum. It’s also a lavender and wine island.
Hvar town on Hvar island
It seems like the island of Hvar has recently become the most popular island. Known as quite posh and party island. But it’s not all that the island has to offer. It’s another ‘lavender island’. It has a few pretty towns, but the biggest and most known is the island capital, Hvar. What can you see there? Fortress with panoramic views, Old Town with stone streets, Cathedral, Theatre, and Arsenal. From Hvar town, you can also take a boat to the Pakleni Islands.
Stari Grad and Jelsa are two other towns on the island that are cute, have little shops and are great for wandering.
Vis and Komiža towns on Vis island
Vis Island is mostly about nature. Close to Vis (on the island Biševo) you can visit, for example, Blue Cave. But Island has been growing in popularity since it ‘played’ in the movie Mamma Mia 2. Did you know that the movie is about Greece, but it was Croatian Vis that was the scenery for the movie? Vis Town is a small town that is very local and traditional. Although I was there before the movie, maybe it has changed now?
Rab town on Rab island
The next town with pretty streets to walk and a few landmarks like monastery, churches, and the ruins of Early-Byzantine fortifications is Rab. It has around 6,000 inhabitants, and it’s the capital of the island. Island Rab is known for a few beautiful beaches.
Pag town on Pag island
The Island of Pag is widely known for two things. First of all, cheese (paški sir), sheep milk hard cheese. Secondly, it’s known as a party place and sometimes called ‘Croatian Ibiza’. Especially town Novalja and Zrce Beach.
Pag town is calmer and traditional town to walk in, with nice architecture coming from the 15th and 17th centuries, like the church and Rector’s Palace. There is also Salt Museum just outside the town.
Croatia Coastal Cities: Krk town on Krk Island
Krk is a big island, and it actually has more nice towns than only capital. Krk town is absolutely worth seeing and visiting;, its history dates back to 2000 years ago.
If you are on Krk and searching for pretty towns, check out also the white wine town Vrbnik, and Omišalj. More about Krk Island read here.
Mali Lošinj on Lošinj
‘Mali’ in Croatian means small, ‘veliki’ means big. What’s interesting is that Mali Lošinj is a much bigger town than Veli. It has over 6,000 inhabitants and is the centre of this part of Kvarner. It’s a nice town in which you can walk on the promenade, streets, and colourful harbour, see amazing viewpoint, and visit the Aromatic Garden.
Croatia Coastal Cities: Summary
Obviously, it’s not all of Croatia coastal cities. There are many more smaller towns along the Adriatic Sea coast worth visiting. You can choose if you prefer something more or less popular or if you prefer a more local or touristy vibe. The described towns and cities are absolutely worth visiting. They are a bit different from each other, but there are a few things that connect them: you can walk on pretty narrow streets and sit for a coffee with the view of a crystal clear water after it. Don’t try to visit many of them during one trip; it will be too much.
I hope you will enjoy your holidays in Croatia.
Here are some Croatia Travel Tips.
Here, you can read about what to do during your holidays on the Croatian coast.
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