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Best Outdoor Activities in North Coast Croatia - Land & Sea

For all you active travelers out there, Croatia has plenty of ways to keep you moving! Whether you like sailing on the sea or doing something on land, Croatia has some of the best outdoor activities to please every vacationer.

Crikvenica Beach, Croatia parasailing and water slides

On the Sea:

Croatia is the perfect place for avid water sports fans and is a swimmers paradise. The entire western side of the country is on the Adriatic Sea and is where over 1,000 islands sit allowing numerous locations to get wet. That's not all, the water is some of the cleanest and clearest you have ever seen.


If you are looking for something a little more thrilling than just swimming, there is scuba diving and snorkeling to see the abundant sea life and shipwrecks or parasailing and water skiing. If you are vacationing near Crikvenica, we suggest checking out Dive City.

Rent a jet ski, boat, paddle board or kayak and you can discover hidden beaches, coves and bays or visit some of the nearby islands, like Krk, Cres, Lošinj or Rab. SUP and clear kayaking is offered by Metta Float in Pula.

For any kind of fishing you must first obtain a tourist fishing license or permit. You can get this through a local tourist agency or office. This may not technically be on the sea, but, many of these water sports can also be done on some of the north coast's nearby lakes in the Gorski Kotar region, like Lake Bajersko and Lepenica in Fužine and Lake Lokve in Lokve. River rafting and kayaking is offered on the Kupa River by Gorski Tok in Brod Na Kupi.


Cycling on a path by a stream in the Vinodol Valley, Croatia
Igor and I cycling on a trail in the Vinodol Valley

On Land:

For you land lovers, there are also plenty of outdoor activities for you to choose from like running, mountain climbing, cycling and horse back riding. Croatia contains an expansive network of hiking trails and bike paths not only throughout it's many national parks but through villages, towns and cities. Hikers can climb mountains reaching heights of 4,000 feet. If you are staying near Crikvenica, we recommend traveling to Risnjak National Park or Učka National Park.

If you are willing to travel a little further, definitely visit the UNESCO heritage site, Plitvička Jezera National Park for an ultimate outdoor hiking experience.


For adrenaline seekers, there are several locations for paragliding off mountain tops, as well as places for zip lining, like with Zip Line Pazin Cave in Istria, or down a canyon with Zipline Edison on the island of Krk. One location to fly off of is right behind Igor's parent's house, along the Velebit mountain range, and the landing point is in the Vinodol Valley right in front of their house in between the towns of Tribalj and Drivenik where you also can see and visit Drivenik Fortress. In the picture below, we are at the very spot where paragliders make their gutsy jump. If sports is your thing, there are tennis courts, soccer fields, volleyball on the beach and off, basketball courts, table tennis, running tracks, paintball, mini golf and more.

Igor and I at the Eyes of Vinodol lookout point in Croatia

If it happens to be a rainy or windy day and you have to take your activities inside, there is always the gym where you can lift weights or take a fitness class, we suggest Fit4Life or Concept Gym in Crikvenica. If you're looking to rent in Crikvenica, we offer 1 BR and 2BR apartments located only a five minute walk to the Adriatic Sea.

In the winter you can still enjoy outdoor activities such as alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and tubing. If you are on the north coast, we recommend Ski Resort Platak, only a 45 minute drive from Crikvenica. Only on the north coast of Croatia is the ski resort going to be so close, everywhere else along the coast as you go south towards Split and Dubrovnik you will have to travel a lot longer to get to a ski resort. This is one of the reasons why we believe the north coast is such a special location.



In the summer it is so easy to participate in outdoor activities in Croatia, but remember the fall and the spring are wonderful times of the year as well. Whenever you choose to visit there are a plethora of options. Discover all the sports and recreation Croatia has to offer on your vacation!


Many have been to the southern coastal part of the country, like Dubrovnik to take a "Game of Thrones Tour", visited the city of Split as one of their cruise itinerary ports, or stopped off at one of the islands, like Korčula, Hvar and Brač, but most have not seen the north coast regions of Croatia and we highly recommend you do.
Whether it's your first time traveling to the country or just the next time you're here wanting a more authentic, less touristy experience. Europeans have been vacationing at this hidden gem for decades but others seem to completely overlook it. Come see for yourself what makes the north coast so special.

North Coast Croatia Travel Agency specializes in travel to Croatia and surrounding European countries.  Providing consultations, custom itineraries, pre-designed theme itineraries, summer beach rentals and a travel blog.  Booking flights, accommodations, cruises, tours, rental cars, transfers, bus/train/ferry tickets, travel insurance and more!


Book a FREE 30 minute Travel Consultation with me to discuss planning your trip to Croatia!


Happy Travels! Sretan Put!


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