Kolovare for a quick dip, Punta Bajlo for the actual swim: Zadar's beaches sorted

The first beach I tried in Zadar was Kolovare, because it was the closest one to the old town and about a ten minute walk from my apartment. It is the city beach, a long stretch of pebbles and concrete platforms right below Hotel Kolovare, and it is where half of Zadar goes to cool off after work. Nice enough. Bit crowded, bit loud, water that drops off deep fast. I had a swim and a coffee and figured that was the beach situation handled. Then a guy renting kayaks told me to keep walking past it on the coastal path. Best tip I got all week.

Here is where I actually ended up swimming, and what to skip.

Kolovare is fine. Punta Bajlo is the one.

Kolovare does the job if you only have an hour. It has the lot: showers, changing rooms, loungers to rent, a couple of bars, Blue Flag water. The catch is everyone knows that, so in July and August it is packed by mid-morning. The water also gets deep quickly, so it suits confident swimmers more than waders. If you do go, the western end near the old swimming pool complex is usually the quieter bit.

The better move is to follow the seafront path south for about another fifteen to twenty minutes until the crowds thin and the pines start. That is Punta Bajlo. No sand, no loungers, just flat rocks where people lay their towels and metal ladders bolted into the stone to get you down into the water. The visibility is excellent, so bring a mask if you have one. It feels a world away from the city even though you walked there.

Bring water shoes. Almost every beach in Zadar is pebble or rock, and bare feet lose that fight every time.

Borik if you want sand and a buzz

Borik sits about 4km northwest of the centre and is the family-and-activity beach. Take bus 8 from near the old town, or it is a flat cycle along the coast. There is a small sandy bay that kids love, plus paddle boats, jet skis, volleyball, and a row of cafes and restaurants along the promenade. Loungers run around €10 a day, or roughly €25 for two with an umbrella. The resort section sometimes charges a couple of euros to get in during peak season, so carry a bit of change.

Puntamika for the sunset, not the swim

Out on the Puntamika peninsula there is a small pebble beach by the lighthouse that has the best view of the old town skyline in the whole city. It is quieter, more of a local spot, and a few good cafes and restaurants sit right behind it. Honestly it is a better sunset perch than a beach day. Grab a drink, watch the light go orange over the town, then walk back.

The big day out: Sakarun on Dugi Otok

If you have a full day, Sakarun (also spelled Saharun) on the island of Dugi Otok is the one people rave about. White sand, shallow turquoise water, pine forest behind it, the closest Croatia gets to a Caribbean postcard. It is not a quick trip. The easiest way is an organised boat tour straight from Zadar, otherwise it is a ferry or catamaran across to Dugi Otok and then a bus, taxi, or rented bike to the northwest tip. Reckon on it eating the whole day, and go early in summer because the small car park and the good shade both fill fast.

• Kolovare for a fast city swim, showers and a coffee. Closest to the old town.
• Punta Bajlo for the actual swim. Twenty minutes on foot, pines, ladders, clear water.
• Borik for sand, water sports and a livelier scene. Bus 8.
• Puntamika for the sunset view, less for the swimming.
• Sakarun for the postcard, if you can give it a whole day.
• Nin’s Queen’s Beach is the wildcard, a short drive north: one of Croatia’s longest sandy beaches, very shallow, and famous for the healing mud locals slather on. Worth it if you want sand without the island trek.

The honest version: Zadar is not a beach-first city the way some of the islands are. Its best swimming is either a short walk past the obvious beach or a boat ride away. But the in-town combo of a morning at Punta Bajlo and a sunset at Puntamika is hard to beat for the effort it takes.

If a friend texted me asking what to do with one free beach day, I would say: skip the loungers at Kolovare, walk the coastal path to Punta Bajlo with water shoes and a snorkel, then end the day with a drink out at Puntamika watching the sun drop behind the old town.