One of the perks to Croatia is there are so many islands to explore! Several islands you need to catch a boat or ferry to, but Krk Island is actually connected to mainland Croatia by a bridge, which gives you the opportunity to have the ‘island experience’ without worrying about transportation there. We really enjoyed our time on Krk Island and it is a great place to just relax or be active with one of the several recreational activities they offer such as biking, hiking, ziplining, ATVing or swimming on the beach. We decided to utilize our stay on Krk Island as more of a relaxation stay and it was perfect, especially with some great views from our Airbnb!
We spent most of our time on the southern part of the island, but if you have a vehicle, most every place is easily accessible within a 30-40 minute drive.
Krk Island Old Towns
We visited two of the historic Old Towns on the Island of Krk – one was the Town of Krk and the other was Vrbnik – they are located on opposite coasts of the island.
Vrbnik Old Town
The town of Vrbnik is the oldest town on the island of Krk, as it was first mentioned in 1100 A.D. The Old Town is literally on a cliff that jets out and drops right into the ocean, so it creates these little coves and harbours around the town. There is also the picturesque church tower standing prominently at the top of the Old Town.
The views from the top of the Old Town provide beautiful views of the Adriatic sea below with the boats cruising through.
The town also has several narrow streets, which one entertaining part while we were walking around was watching some of the cars try to navigate their way through the tight street.
Krk Old Town
The Krk Old Town is also located right along the coast and is a fortified city with all 4 walls still in place today and dates back to ancient times. There is the Old Town to walk through, as well as the boardwalk along the harbour, which provides views of the Old Town from a distance.
Instead of the church tower as in Vrbnik, the Frankopan Castle is the iconic piece of this Old Town. The medieval castle was built between the 12th and 15th centuries. The admission was cost friendly – only 22 Kuna per adult and 15 Kuna per child ages 6-14. While the inside display was pretty basic, the walk around the top of the castle walls gave you great views of the harbour and surrounding sea.
Beaches
However, one of the things the Island of Krk is known for is its beaches, so we made sure to a beach each of the three days that we were on Krk Island. Each provided its own unique offerings.
Plaža Zgribnica Beach (Vrbnik)
Located in one of the coves next to the Old Town, this beach was a rocky beach nestled against some cliffs. However, the beach area was open enough that we didn’t have to worry about the kids getting smacked up against the rocks. However, it was very rocky and we didn’t have water shoes at that point, so it was a bit of a struggle for for us to fully explore on the beach front. However, if we had water shoes, it would have been great. The highlight for this beach is it’s ability to jump in the bay. Alex jumped in off the boardwalk on the one side. On the other side, there cliffs that some other people were jumping off of as well! Because it was somewhat protected in the cove, there were very little waves.
Baska Vela Plaza 'Big Beach'
Located at the south end of the island, the Baska area has several beaches. We visited the Vela Plaza (Big Beach) for an afternoon. However, Baska is known for its beaches, so it was a busy and crowded beach, but the water is tropically blue in color so it was beautiful that way. It is also a pebble beach, but this time we were prepared with newly purchased water shoes. This beach felt cooler than the other beaches we had been to in Croatia. We found out there are several cold water springs located in this area, so it cools off the ocean water. This beach is fully exposed to the Adriatic Sea so there were some decent sized waves. However, there was some decent wind the morning the day we visited, so that definitely probably added to the wave intensity.
Porporela Beach - Krk Town
After exploring the Old Town of Krk, we headed around the harbour to enjoy this beach, which is tucked up against the shore and some rocks. This shoreline was also rocky, so our water shoes came in handy once again. However, there were some shallow areas that were friendly for the kids to explore, but then there were deeper areas as well. It was also located in a cove so there were no waves. Against the shoreline there were a variety of cafes and other food stands which keep you ‘snacked up’ while enjoying your beach time.
It was a fun treat for the kids to get the spiral potatoes that were so tall compared to them. It was also fun to watch them be cut and fried right in front of us after ordering. At the end you could either sprinkle with salt and/or paprika.
Whatever your interests, budget or desires might be, the Island of Krk can offer it all!
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