Zadar Activities

Zadar's position is what it sells. The archipelago in front of the city holds more islands than any other stretch of the Croatian coast, so boat trips are the default: full days out to the Kornati, where the bare limestone islands sit inside a national park, shorter runs to Ugljan and Pasman, and crossings to Dugi otok for Sakarun beach and the salt lake at Telascica. Sunset cruises leave from the Riva through the season, and the marinas at Borik and at Sukosan put a large charter fleet within twenty minutes of the centre for anyone taking a boat out themselves, skippered or bareboat.

Inland is the other direction, and it is unusually well served from here. Paklenica, at the foot of the Velebit, is the closest national park and the one with the walking and the climbing; Krka and Plitvice are both reachable and back the same day; the Zrmanja canyon carries the rafting and kayaking trips. Agencies on the peninsula and along the Riva sell all of it, and most will collect from a hotel. Book the Kornati and Plitvice trips ahead in July and August, and expect a national park entry fee on top of the tour price, which is not always obvious in the advertised rate.