Between Zadar and Šibenik: a riviera of villages, a lake, an archipelago of bare stone, two national parks and prices that have nothing to do with Split. The best base camp in Croatia, and the least known.
Published 21 August 2026 · By Patrick Faust
Everyone drives down the motorway from Zagreb towards Split and passes the Zadar exit without slowing. It is a beginner's mistake that regulars no longer make: the coastal strip between Zadar and Šibenik packs, within an hour's radius, two national parks, three nature parks, the country's largest lake, the wildest archipelago in the Adriatic and a riviera of villages where you can still stay in a family home for the price of a hotel room. And the crowd is elsewhere.
Basing yourself on the Zadar riviera
Sukošan, Sveti Filip i Jakov, Biograd na Moru, Pakoštane, Drage, Pirovac: a string of fishing villages turned seaside without losing their harbour or their square. Each has its promenade, its fine-pebble beaches, its pine woods and its konobas. Pakoštane best sums up the spirit of the place: a village between sea and lake, small-boat excursions leaving from the quay, a clientele of families who come back every year. Zadar is 30 minutes away by bus, Šibenik 40 minutes, the motorway 15.
Why not Zadar itself? The city deserves a day — the Roman peninsula, the sea organ, the "most beautiful sunset in the world" according to Hitchcock — but as a base it combines difficult parking with rising prices. The villages give you the sea at the end of the street and the city within bus reach.
The one-hour radius
| Site | From Pakoštane | What you do there |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Vrana (nature park) | 5 min | Croatia's largest lake, bird reserve, Kamenjak viewpoint over both lake and sea, cycling on the dyke |
| Vrgada island | 20 min by boat | A car-free island, a sandy beach, one village — the simple day out par excellence |
| Krka National Park | 35 min | All the entrances; see our dedicated guide |
| Kornati (national park) | Day by boat | 140 islets of bare stone, open-sea swimming, fish lunch in a cove |
| Šibenik | 40 min | St James's Cathedral (UNESCO), St Michael's and Barone fortresses, the least touristy of the four big cities |
| Paklenica (national park) | 1 h | Velebit canyons, serious hiking or a family walk to the mountain huts |
| Nin | 45 min | The smallest cathedral in the world, a sandy lagoon, salt pans |
| Zrmanja canyon | 1 h | Rafting or kayaking in spring, vertiginous viewpoints in summer |
The Kornati by small boat, not by liner
The Kornati archipelago, "the stone labyrinth", can only be discovered by sea. Two worlds: the big excursion boats from Zadar or Biograd (over a hundred passengers, music, a timed programme) and the small-boat outings for six to twelve people, leaving from the village quays. The latter cost more — reckon on around €100 per person, meal and swims included — but stop where the water is clearest, adapt the route to the wind and give you time in the coves. Dolphins regularly cross off Vrgada; early-morning outings see them most often. Book a few days ahead in summer, and ask explicitly about the size of the boat.
With children
This is probably the easiest region of Croatia for families: gently shelving beaches, calm water, swimming in the lake possible, flat cycling between the villages and around Vrana, Vrgada island for a car-free day, a water park at Biograd, and Krka 35 minutes away when a cool day is needed. Accommodation prices get you an apartment with a kitchen for the budget of a room in Split.
When to come
From mid-June to mid-September everything works: daily boats, restaurants open, parks on full hours. May and late September–October are delightful for hiking, Krka and Paklenica, with the sea still at 22 °C in September; but Kornati outings become uncertain (minimum numbers, weather) and half the addresses close in October. Before May, the region sleeps. See When to visit Croatia.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a car in northern Dalmatia?
For Krka, Paklenica, Nin and the Zrmanja, yes. Without a car, you keep Zadar, Šibenik, Biograd and the islands by bus and boat from a riviera village — a week fills easily. See Renting a car in Croatia.
What is the difference between Zadar and Split as a base?
Split opens onto the big islands (Brač, Hvar, Vis) and the Makarska Riviera; Zadar opens onto the parks and the Kornati. Prices and crowds are markedly gentler in the north. Many combine the two: four nights north, four nights south, 1 h 30 of motorway between them.
Are the Zadar islands as good as the Split ones?
They are less spectacular and less glamorous, but more authentic: Dugi Otok with the Telašćica cliffs and Sakarun beach, Ugljan and Pašman twenty minutes away by ferry, Silba and Olib with no cars. See Which island to choose?.
