Short answer: yes, but very few. Most of the Croatian coast is pebbles and rock; genuine sand exists in only a few dozen spots. The closest to Zadar are Queen’s Beach (Kraljičina plaža) in Nin and the beach at Zaton, 15–18 km north; the best-known island sand is Sakarun on Dugi Otok, and in Kvarner there is Paradise Beach at Lopar on Rab.
The coast is limestone. Waves grind it into rounded pebbles rather than sand, and the rivers that would carry sand down are short on the Croatian side. Sandy beaches only form where fine sediment settles in shallow, sheltered bays – the lagoons around Nin, the Neretva delta, and a handful of coves on Rab, Mljet and Pelješac.
Be careful with the word “sandy” in holiday listings. It often means fine gravel: pleasant for small feet, useless for sandcastles. Some town beaches have imported sand, too – Nin topped up its Ždrijac beach with tens of thousands of cubic metres. If sand matters, ask the host directly: “sand or fine gravel, and how many kilometres away?”
| Beach | Island / town | Surface | Shallow for kids | Getting there | Parking (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen’s Beach (Kraljičina) | Nin, 17 km from Zadar | fine sand, healing mud | yes, knee-deep for hundreds of metres | 20–25 min by car from Zadar | paid, near entrance, fills early |
| Ždrijac | Nin | sand (replenished) | yes | by car, walkable from Nin old town | paid, same system as Queen’s Beach |
| Zaton beach | Zaton near Nin, resort | mostly sand, 1.5 km | yes | 15–20 min by car from Zadar | at the resort; check day-visitor rules |
| Sakarun | Dugi Otok, north-west | white sand | yes, shallow far out | ferry Zadar–Brbinj 1 h 35 + 30 min drive | paid, reviews quote €10–15/day |
| Matlovac | Ždrelac, Pašman | sand + concrete, small | partly | ferry to Preko or Biograd–Tkon, then drive | street parking, limited |
| Paradise Beach (Rajska) | Lopar, Rab (Kvarner) | golden sand, approx. 1.5–2 km | yes, very shallow | ferry Stinica–Mišnjak 15–20 min | paid car parks in Lopar |
| Saplunara | Mljet, eastern tip | fine sand, approx. 300 m | yes, 30–40 m out | ferry Prapratno–Sobra, then narrow road | very few spaces |
| Prapratno | Pelješac, 3 km from Ston | fine sand | yes | by car, next to the Mljet ferry port | paid approx. €7–10/day, free further uphill |
Further south in Dalmatia, sand also turns up on the town beach in Omiš (about 700 m), at Šunj on car-free Lopud near Dubrovnik (boat from Gruž) and around the Neretva river mouth, a kitesurf favourite. In Istria, the shallow coast around Medulin has partly sandy stretches. Duba on Pelješac, sometimes listed as sandy, is in fact a pebble beach.
Queen’s Beach in Nin is the best option in northern Dalmatia for toddlers: soft sand, water that stays knee-deep a long way out, and black therapeutic mud (peloid) in the lagoon that people smear on for rheumatism and skin. There is almost no shade, so bring an umbrella. The lagoon is busy with kitesurfers in summer – keep children inside the marked swimming zone. Entry is free; you pay for parking and sunbeds.
Zaton is a large holiday resort with a 1.5 km, mostly sandy beach, a Blue Flag every year since 2003, a big playground and a dedicated dog beach. It works well for a longer stay; for a day trip, check the current terms for non-guests first.
Sakarun on Dugi Otok is postcard-white sand, but it is a full-day outing. The Jadrolinija car ferry to Brbinj takes 1 h 35 min, and the ticket is also your car reservation, so book days ahead in August (times on jadrolinija.hr). Without a car, take the catamaran to Božava and cover the last few kilometres from there. After a strong southerly wind the shore can be littered with seagrass and plastic washed in from the open Adriatic. Line details are in Ferries from Zadar to the Islands 2026: Ugljan, Dugi Otok, Silba.
On Adrysa you can book apartments in and around Zadar directly with the owner and ask them, before you book, how far it is to Nin or the ferry port. To sleep right next to the sand, browse stays on dugi-otok or rab. Zadar’s town beaches (Borik with its sandy entry, Kolovare) are covered in Beaches in Zadar: Kolovare, Borik, Diklo and where to go with kids, and the city itself on Zadar.