For toddlers, swim at Borik or Puntamika in Zadar (shallow, sand and fine pebbles) and spend a day in Nin, 15 km away, where the sandy lagoon beaches stay knee-deep for tens of metres. In town, children love the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun (both free) plus the Museum of Illusions. Families usually stay just outside the city – Sukošan, Bibinje or Petrčane – for quiet nights and parking at the door.
With a child who can’t swim yet, what matters is the seabed and how quickly it drops. Most of Zadar’s town beaches are pebble and deepen fast. The exceptions:
| Beach | Seabed | From old town | Why kids like it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borik | sand and fine pebble | 4 km, bus 5 or 8 | shallow for tens of metres, showers, lifeguard in season |
| Puntamika | pebble, shallow | 4 km | calm water, little parking |
| Kolovare | pebble and concrete slabs | 1 km on foot | better for older kids, pine shade |
| Nin – Queen’s Beach, Ždrijac | sand, lagoon | 15 km | the shallowest water around, healing mud |
| Zaton | sand and pebble | 13 km | gentle entry, playground at Jaz beach |
There is little natural shade on the town beaches, so bring a parasol and UV shirts. All town beaches compared in detail: Beaches in Zadar: Kolovare, Borik, Diklo and where to go with kids.
The old town is car-free and stroller-friendly, but the polished limestone gets slippery and very hot in July – keep sandals on.
Nin (15 km) is the easiest half-day trip: a tiny island town reached by footbridge, the Church of the Holy Cross (often called the world’s smallest cathedral) and sandy beaches where a toddler can walk out a long way and still be only waist-deep. Arrive before 10 am – beach car parks are paid and fill up quickly.
Krka National Park (about 80 km, an hour on the motorway) has waterfalls and wooden boardwalks that small legs can manage. Note that swimming has been banned throughout the park since 2021. Summer 2026 tickets: about €40 per adult, around €15 for ages 7–18, under-7s free – check npkrka.hr and our Narodne Parky Pri Zadare before you go.
Ugljan island – the car ferry from Zadar’s city harbour to Preko takes 25 minutes with many sailings a day (Jadrolinija). For kids the crossing itself is the highlight, and Preko has shallow beaches. A full-day boat trip to the Kornati suits children from about 6–7: see Kornati Boat Trip from Zadar: Tour Boat, Own Boat or Skipper (2026).
Zadar’s old town is lovely for an evening stroll but noisy, pricier and hard for parking over a week with small children. Families tend to pick Sukošan (12 km, sandy Dječji raj beach), Bibinje (7 km, quiet pebble coves) or Petrčane (12 km north, beaches under pine trees), all 15–20 minutes’ drive from town. How Sukošan compares with Biograd: Sukošan or Biograd with kids? Beaches, prices and evenings compared.
The classic mistake: cramming Krka, Nin and the old town into one day. With under-8s, one outing a day plus beach time is plenty.
On Adrysa you’ll find apartments in Zadar and nearby villages listed directly by their owners, with no booking commission – ask them how far the shallow beach is or whether there’s a playground nearby. For everything else about the city, see Zadar.