The Rankings · Split and Central Dalmatia · October 2026 · 4 min
Split Croatia Beaches: Bačvice, Zlatni Rat, Punta Rata and Stiniva
A city beach with a game every day of the year, a spit that moves in a storm, and a cove you enter through a gate in the rock. Six of them, around Split.
Five of the beaches on our Croatia list are in the islands and coast around Split: Zlatni Rat and Murvica on Brač, Punta Rata in Brela, Nugal by Makarska, and Stiniva on Vis. Zlatni Rat and Punta Rata are the two beaches all four lists we read name, and both are rated Worth a detour. Bačvice, the city's own beach, is not in our ten. It does not need to be.
| Beach | Where | Rating | Sea in its warmest month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bačvice | Split, ten minutes east of the ferry port | Not in our ten | 25.4 °C (August) |
| Zlatni Rat | Bol, Brač | Worth a detour | 25.7 °C (July, August) |
| Murvica | West of Bol, Brač | Only if you're already there | 25.7 °C (July, August) |
| Punta Rata | Just over 1 km north of Brela | Worth a detour | 26.2 °C (July) |
| Nugal | A 30-minute path from Makarska | Only if you're already there | 26.1 °C (July, August) |
| Stiniva | Near Žužeca, south side of Vis | Only if you're already there | 25.2 °C (August) |
Sea temperatures are 2025 monthly averages (Open-Meteo Marine). Each beach's page carries its sources.
- 01
Bačvice: a game every day of the year.
A horseshoe of fine sand with a Blue Flag, showers, changing cabins and a lifeguard in season. Sunbeds run €10 to €15 for two. One source says that in August it holds more people per square metre than anywhere else in Dalmatia, and that a game is played there every day of the year, New Year's Day included.
- 02
Zlatni Rat: the beach that changes sides.
Fine, soft pebbles at the end of a pine-scented promenade, a 30-minute stroll from Bol. In stormy winds the tip can shift from one side to the other in a matter of hours. The current at the tip can be mildly hazardous if you swim far south toward the open sea.
Zlatni Rat → - 03
Murvica: the quiet neighbour.
A short drive west of Bol and a short, steep descent, with cliffs, vineyards and pines around it. Far less busy than Zlatni Rat. Bring what you need: facilities are limited.
Murvica → - 04
Punta Rata: protected since 1964.
A car park next to the beach, showers, toilets, loungers, lifeguards and several bars and restaurants. No entrance fee. Families flock to it on peak summer days.
Punta Rata → - 05
Nugal: a cove with its own waterfall.
About 30 feet of it, fed by a stream from Mount Biokovo. The way in is a stony coastal path of about 30 minutes from Makarska, with narrow cliffside sections, or a kayak or boat. There are no facilities; boat taxis sell water at around €5 a bottle.
Nugal → - 06
Stiniva: the door in the cliff.
Sheer rock walls all but encircle a white pebble floor, with one 16-foot gap open to the sea. Most visitors arrive by boat and swim through it. The land route is a steep footpath CNN called somewhat treacherous. Set out early to beat the boats.
Stiniva →
Croatia's most famous beach rearranges itself in bad weather. Most beaches just get wet.
Asked
- What is the best beach near Split?
- Of the beaches we have rated, Zlatni Rat on Brač and Punta Rata in Brela, both Worth a detour. They are the two beaches all four Croatia lists we read name.
- Is there a beach in Split itself?
- Bačvice, ten minutes east of the ferry port: fine sand, a Blue Flag, showers and a lifeguard in season, with sunbeds at €10 to €15 for two.
- How warm is the sea near Split?
- In 2025 the warmest monthly averages at these six ran from 25.2 °C at Stiniva to 26.2 °C at Punta Rata, in July and August.
The beaches in this post
- Zlatni RatWORTH A DETOUR
- MurvicaONLY IF YOU'RE ALREADY THERE
- Punta RataWORTH A DETOUR
- NugalONLY IF YOU'RE ALREADY THERE
- StinivaONLY IF YOU'RE ALREADY THERE