Olid Island beaches, which should you visit? Olib is a small, rugged island located in the Zadar archipelego and it’s perfect to explore on foot. Boasting idyllic sandy and rocky coves that are infrequently visited by people on foot, Olib Island is a paradise for adventurous nature lovers, especially those that love to scramble.
Beaches On The Island Of Olib
Olib island is quite remote and the beaches are mostly rural (with the exception of two). Often it’s easier to access someof the beaches from a boat than on foot. Although most beaches are a combination of sand and rock, I’d recommend rubber shoes as sea urchins are present here.
You’ll need an online map that works on satellite mode to be able to see the pathways. You’ll also need mobile phone reception to be able to use satellite mode. You should be confident at scrolling into the map to find the possible route although most routes are signposted roughly.
West of Olib Island
Plaza Orsan is the closest beach to the town and there’s a protected swim area. The water is very clear but unfortunately the day we visited the area we were having a storm and the waves were quite rough here. There were still people swimming and the water was warm though. I am not sure if there are sea urchins here but best to wear rubber shoes.
From here you can walk aroud the rocks at low tide or at high tide with waterproof shoes towards Plaža Županjeva Draga on the west of the island. I really liked this area but it is a rocky shallow cove and not a beach. There are sea urchins, cucumbers & small fish here and to walk here from the centre of the island will take about 20-minutes. It is quite well signposted but you do need Google Maps on Satelite Mode.
Plaža Široki Bok is recogniseable because of its sandy beach with tall double buildings. There are rocks to either side of the beach and if you turn right from entering the beach you can find the rocky cove of Mala Vala. Both are lovely but Mala Vala is less busy although you’ll need to scramble the rocks. The path is well signposted and from the centre of the island takes about 30-40 minutes.
South Of The Island
In my opinion, Banjve is not worth visiting as it is a small marina and the floorbed is muddy, smelly and covered largely in sea grass. There were some boats moored in the marina and a few in the cove.
The small cove in front of Sveti Nikola church gives way to a pathway on the left that takes you into another cove. The double cove looks like a spanner head on the map and from here and although there were plenty of boats moored up here for the day it didn’t feel busy. If you’re a competent scrambler, you can climb the rocks into the next cove Masunjeva Draga which is very shallow and clear but will take about 30-40 minutes to walk round. There’s no path and the rocks are steep in places but I had this cove all to myself. Uvala Radova Draga is another on thcove further along the coast line but I wasn’t able to get to it on foot due to time limitations. If you’re a competent swimmer and scrambler you could try it.
Južna Slatina beach is a 5.5km walk from the town and will take roughly 1hr 25 mins. At times the path was not clear and towards the beach, you’ll walk through what looks like a marshland. There are snakes here and the path is rural but don’t let this put you off. The cove bank was high with dried sea grass when I was there but this gives way to a shallow sandy beach with rocky cove to the left. The water is phenomenally clear. Lots of boats came throughout the day, alongside canoes. It’s quite a busy beach so expect people and noise but it’s very pleasant. I mostly stayed on the rocks to the left and wallowed in the shallow waters which were warm.
Beaches to the East
Uvala Slatinica is well signposted and mostly has a concrete path. The cove has both a sandy and rocky shore which is very shallow for over 100m. To the right of the cove is a wooded area and further right are lots of hot rock pools. Behind the beach, you’ll find a bar in an olive grove which features plenty of seating and a hammock. The bar is cash only and two cokes cost 6 euros.
I arrived via the church (Crkva Sveti Roka) & Slatinica Marina and scrambled over the rocks to the cove but I went back via the main path. The main path is the much easier option but of course, less adventurous.
Beaches To The North of Olib
North West Draga is partially well signposted, roughly 5km from the centre of Olib and takes about 70 minutes to walk too. The walk is quite rural and we saw our first snake here (it wasn’t poisonous). The double cove here is surrounded by thick dried sea grass, is the deepest of all the beaches and has the strongest current. If you’re not a competent swimmer, I wouldn’t advise going out of your depth here. There are plenty of boats moored up and few places to sit around the cove. In my opinion, only visit this cove if you’ve plenty of time and don’t make a special trip up there.
The Pathways & Map
Nearly all the pathways are remote, rural and open to nature. There are spiders, snakes, lizards and other insects. Some of the pathways are wide and suitable for 4×4 buggies but some are narrow and single file. Most pathways are not shaded and you’ll need about 2 litres of water.
Where Is There To Stay?
I stayed in Villa Klara; a shared living space but with private bedrooms and bathrooms.
Alternatively, you could:
or use this interactive map to search for accommodation.
Phone Footage
I haven’t had a chance to go through the GoPro footage yet, so here’s a quick video of the beaches taken from my phone.
Add This Post To Pinterest
You can use this image to share this post to Pinterest.
If you liked this post on Olib Island Beaches and you’re interested in visiting Croatia, it is my favourite European country and I have lots of posts below on visiting.
