Krk is one of the most visited islands in the northern Adriatic, but if you know where to go, you can still find places without crowds, concrete beaches and rows of people lying next to each other. Krk is not just Baška and overflowing car parks. The island also has a wilder, quieter and more natural side, and my five favourite beaches are Potovošće, Oprna, Zala, Sveti Marak and Kozica. Some require a little walking and others a little effort to reach, but they all have one thing in common: they can offer peace and quiet. Of course, this does not really apply in the middle of the summer season, when even these beaches can become very busy. Come in May or September, however, and the experience is completely different.
Potovošće – Pebbles, Clear Water and a View of Velebit (map)
If you are looking for a beach where you do not hear music coming from three different bars and where there is no queue for a beer, Potovošće is a very good choice. It lies close to Vrbnik and the narrow road leading down to the beach can feel slightly adventurous, although you can drive all the way there. There is parking, you can rent a sun lounger and an umbrella, and there is also a small beach bar, so it is not exactly a beach cut off from civilisation.
What makes Potovošće special is its pebble shore, crystal-clear sea and the view towards Velebit on the mainland. There is very little natural shade, but the colours of the sea change throughout the day and, especially outside the main summer season, this is one of those places where it is very easy to spend much longer than you originally planned.
Oprna – Turquoise Water near Stara Baška (map)
Oprna is probably one of the most photogenic beaches on Krk and also one of those places that are surprisingly easy to miss if you do not know they are there. It lies near Stara Baška, below the main road, and reaching it requires a fairly steep walk downhill. The climb back up is slightly less romantic, but the beach is worth every step.
At the bottom you are rewarded with turquoise water, white pebbles and a bay surrounded by the barren landscape that makes this part of Krk so distinctive. There is practically no natural shade, while sun loungers, umbrellas and a small beach bar are available during the season. Oprna has become increasingly popular, so if you want to experience it without the biggest crowds, early morning, late afternoon or the months outside July and August are a much better choice. Local tourism sources likewise describe Oprna as one of the island’s most photogenic beaches near Stara Baška.
Zala – Small, Hidden and Almost Yours (map)
Zala is the kind of beach you imagine when you are sitting in an office and somebody tells you that another fifty unread emails have just arrived. It is a small bay near Stara Baška, surrounded by the characteristic rocky landscape of southern Krk and clear Adriatic water.
Unlike some of the more remote beaches in the area, Zala can be reached by car as well as from the sea. There is a large parking area, which is charged during the summer season, and you will usually find a few umbrellas, sun loungers and a small bar nearby. In summer it is naturally much busier, but visit in autumn or outside the main holiday season and the atmosphere changes completely. Then Zala becomes exactly the kind of place you had imagined while staring at those fifty emails.
Sv. Marak – A Rare Sandy Beach on Krk (map)
Most beaches on Krk are rocky or covered with pebbles, which is why Sveti Marak near Risika is such an interesting exception. It is one of the relatively rare beaches on the island with natural sand, and the shallow, warm water makes it particularly popular with families and anyone who prefers simply standing in the sea to actually swimming in it.
The beach is accessible by car and there is also a small historic church nearby that gives the place its name and character. During the main season it can become busy, but early in the morning or outside July and August it is a completely different place. The shallow water and sandy bottom make it one of the more unusual beaches on an island better known for rocks and pebbles.
Kozica – For Those Who Prefer Nature and Silence (map)
Kozica lies close to Vrbnik and is the one beach on this list where you have to make a little more effort. You cannot simply park next to the sea, because the final approach is on foot along an approximately 500-metre path.
Once you reach the beach, however, the walk makes sense. There is no beach bar and no row of umbrellas, just clear water, nature and the sound of cicadas. For a while you can almost imagine that you are somewhere far away from civilisation, although that illusion becomes slightly harder to maintain during the summer when plenty of other visitors have exactly the same idea.
Krk naturally has many more beautiful beaches. Most visitors love the famous beach in Baška, although for me it is at its best in December, when there are no tourists and you can actually see the beach rather than thousands of towels. Punat also has some very pleasant beaches, as does the coastline around Malinska, and you could keep adding places to the list almost indefinitely.
Potovošće, Oprna, Zala, Sveti Marak and Kozica are simply a little different. What makes them particularly worth visiting is not only the colour of the sea or the landscape around them, but the fact that outside the main summer season they can still give you something that is becoming increasingly difficult to find on the Adriatic: space, silence and the feeling that, at least for a while, you have discovered your own little piece of Krk.
