Where should you stay in Zadar?

Quick pick by traveler type

• First visit: the Old Town peninsula. Everything you came for is within a 10-minute walk.

• Nightlife: the peninsula again, near Kalelarga and the Riva waterfront, where the bars are.

• Budget: apartments just over the City Bridge or around Kolovare, a short walk from the old town.

• Families: Borik, for resort hotels with pools and shallow beaches, or Kolovare for a beach you can walk to.

• Driving or transit-focused: across the bridge from the peninsula, where parking is easier and buses run to the bus station and Gaženica ferry port.

• Quiet and romantic: a room on the western side of the peninsula, near the Sea Organ and away from the bar streets.

Old Town peninsula: the obvious first choice

The peninsula is barely a few streets wide, laid out over the Roman grid. From almost any room here you can walk to the Forum and St. Donatus in minutes, and to the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun on the western tip for sunset. Our Zadar guide says it plainly: base yourself inside the old town so the waterfront is a stroll, not a planned outing.

It suits first-timers, couples and anyone in town for two or three nights. Restaurants, the morning market by the port and the old town's konobas are all on foot.

The downside: most rooms are apartments in old stone buildings, often up stairs with no lift. Cars cannot drive into most of the peninsula and parking is restricted, so drivers need to sort out parking with the host before arrival. Rooms near Kalelarga and the bar streets can be loud on summer nights.

Within the peninsula, the eastern end near the Land Gate and the small Foša harbour is calmer than the streets around Kalelarga and the Forum, and it is closer to the City Bridge if your car is parked across the water. The western tip near the Sea Organ is the place for sunset, but it is also where the crowds gather every evening in summer.

Across the harbour: a short walk, easier logistics

The mainland district facing the peninsula across the narrow harbour is connected by the pedestrian City Bridge and, in season, by the barkajoli, the rowing boats that ferry people across in a few minutes for a small cash fare. From here the old town is a 5 to 15 minute walk.

It suits drivers, people with heavy luggage and anyone who wants the old town on foot without paying old-town prices. The city buses toward the main bus station leave from this side.

The downside: it is a residential and commercial area with little character of its own, and the walk back after a late sunset is longer than it looks on a map if your apartment is far from the bridge.

Kolovare: a town beach within walking distance

Kolovare is the stretch of coast south-east of the old town, with a pebble beach and a promenade that leads back toward the peninsula. It gives you both: a swim in the morning and the old town in the evening, on foot.

It suits families and summer visitors who want a beach without committing to the resort zone.

The downside: the beach is a city beach, busy in July and August, and the walk to the Sea Organ on the far side of the peninsula takes a good 20 to 30 minutes.

Borik and Puntamika: the resort zone

Borik is the hotel and beach area 3.5 to 4 km north-west of the old town, with Puntamika at its tip. This is where Zadar's larger resort hotels, campsites and family beaches are. Local buses connect it to the old town and the bus station, and the coastal walk into town takes roughly 45 to 50 minutes.

It suits families, beach-first holidays and longer summer stays where the old town is an evening outing.

The downside: you lose the easy sunset walk, and evenings depend on bus times or taxis. On a short visit, the commute takes away the thing Zadar does best.

Booking advice: arrival, parking, August and nights

Arrival: the airport shuttle runs to the old town in about 20 to 25 minutes, also stopping at the main bus station and Gaženica ferry port, for around €5 (≈ $5.6); its timetable follows flight times. Car ferries to the islands leave from Gaženica, south of the centre.

Check-in: most peninsula rooms are private apartments with a host meeting you. Send your arrival time in advance, especially if you are coming in on a late bus or ferry, and ask where to meet if the street is hard to find in the lanes.

Parking: if you are driving, as many visitors on a Croatian coast road trip do, confirm where to park before booking a peninsula apartment. Our Balkans road trip itinerary covers driving this coast.

Season: July and August are the peak; we were there in mid-August. Book early for the peninsula, and expect higher prices and minimum stays on apartments. May, June and September are calmer and still warm enough to swim.

How many nights: two or three is right for Zadar itself, one more if you add a day trip. Our how many days in Zadar breaks it down, and day trips from Zadar covers the national parks and islands. After Zadar we moved on to Šibenik, the base for Krka National Park. The full route is in our Croatia itinerary, and what to eat in Zadar covers the konobas.

Frequently asked questions