As Split is endlessly evolving as a city and increasingly popular international destination for travellers, here are our best beach tips when you have that seaside itch.
Before we start, it is not bad to mention you can choose between sand beach or rock beach, beach of pebbles or even some hidden spot in the park-forest of Marjan. The list of the 5 most popular beaches in Split starts with an oldie but goldie – Bačvice beach.
At the sea, there are playground spots for kids, prices affordable. At night, you can swim and play at the sand, or even go out to enjoy some cocktails in one of Bačvice night clubs. If you book a Car tour, you will see this beach and surely fell in love with! You will find out why this beach is number one of the 5 most popular beaches in Split.
The home of Split’s best pickup game, picigin, Bačvice is also the only beach located conveniently just minutes away from the centre of the Old Town. A popular stomping ground for Split swimmers and speedo-clad picigin players since the early 1900s, Bačvice today is a mecca for both locals and tourists who wish to dip their toes in the Adriatic. Still, very crowded, but with a blue flag and lots of beach’s wide variety of facilities for enjoyment and relaxation. There are coffee bars, sunbeds and sun umbrellas. A few restaurants and ice cream stand where you can find cheap and tasteful meals for the whole family.
It is impossible to buy a ‘picign ball’ as it is worn by a tennis ball with which to peel the fabric as peeling an orange. The bare tennis ball is then stripped of glue and then manually sanded with a layer of rubber no more than a millimeter thick. Once finished, must pass one trial game. After all players give a green light, “ball”officially can become a picigin balun.
If you’re looking for a beach with a view and everything in between, Kašjuni is your go-to. Not far from the heart of the town, Kašjuni is the westernmost beach on the shores of Marjan, boasting a deep bay with the cliffs of the famous hill surrounding you.
Today, Kašjuni is home to Beach & Lounge Bar, offering a cafe bar, restaurant, cabana and lounge chair rentals, massages, after beach parties with DJs, and tons of water sports from parasailing to standup paddleboarding. As it tends to get busy in the summer, a little tip for those seeking quiet time on their beach day is to walk over to the nudist area of the beach, located just around the bend from the bar. Here, you can rest under the shade of the pines and prop up on the rocks for some much-needed R & R. And no, you don’t have to be naked yourself.
Kašjuni is easily accessible by the number 12 local bus, which you can grab from Sv. Frane in the centre of town
Good for kids, but the stones on some places could be sharp. So, you should buy water shoes if you plan on spending a lot of time in the sea, whether it’s swimming or just standing as the waves crash on to you. Some of the areas are really rocky and it can hurt your feet a lot. This could be a great finish of the day, after exploring the town by two hours of Split Walking Tour.
Actually not just one beach, but several of them, located in part of the town called Žnjan, on 3 km from the centre. Thought it is very hard to pronounce (first letter sounds like French ‘J’), this beach definitely has to be listed as one of the 5 most popular beaches in Split. To be honest, for many, this is one of the most popular pebble beaches in Split.
Ideal for families, couples and young people. It is easily accessible by car because it has a big parking lot which makes Žnjan perfect for bigger families. There is also a mini-park for children with trampolines and bouncy castles and open café bar where the adults can relax.
There are a few bars at the beach, showers, but only several shade places, and this is the only minus of this beaches. But, you can rent a sun umbrella on the spot. You can get to Žnjan Beach from the city centre by bus line 8 or 15. Or just call a taxi and be there in 10 minutes from anywhere in town.
One of the oldest beaches in Split that is located on the northern side of the Marjan hill – Bene is on the list of the 5 most popular beaches in Split as the one with a lot of shadow and possibilities for having fun.
Only 10 minutes walk from the main entrance through the wood, you will need to reach this great bay and feel a little bit locals enjoying Marjan. Part of a recreational centre which includes tennis courts and a football field, Bene also offers a playground for children, a trampoline, and volleyball.
Known as one of the best places for a day out with the family, Bene boasts a Dalmatian-style restaurant, cafe, snack bars, showers, toilets, ice cream spot, concrete slabs for sunbathing and plenty of shaded pine trees when the sun’s rays hit too hard.
When you get enough of sun and sunbathing, you can rent kayak to see how Marjan Hill looks like from the seaside! If you are fit enough you can kayaking to 4 of the 5 most poplar beaches in Split!
You can choose between morning or sunset Kayak Tour
4 amazing experiences in 1: kayaking, snorkelling, cliff climbing/jumping and fun photo shooting.
We can’t finish a list of the 5 most popular beaches in Split with no mentioning Kaštelet, or how locals call it – Obojena svjetlost (Coloured light). Despite it’s pebbly and rocky in parts, it offers extremely pleasant views.
Very popular with most areas taken up by families and couples. There’s one bar which again is popular and inexpensive (the restroom facilities aren’t great though).Lots of parking available. Draw a straight line from this area and you’re looking at – roughly – Pescara, Italy across the Adriatic Sea.
Sea is very calm and safe to swim in.
Pebbles are not so sharp so even kids can walk in the sea with no swimming shoes. It is situated under Kaštelel of Ivan Mestrovic, and museum, so before or after you can visit this museum and gallery. It’s lovely to have a park full of trees at your back on the beach, but unfortunately, this is the beach with no shadow at all.
This is an excellent secluded beach that is divided into four parts. It can be reached by foot from Diocletian’s Palace or by the bus. Here you will find a pebbly beaches with some really large rocks constituting the easternmost part of the beach. Behind the dog beach on the left, there are excellent cliffs to jump in the sea.
Why wouldn’t you see all of it?