What you need to know about Slovenia's beaches
- Most beaches in the country are concrete or pebble. The majority of the country's beaches are concrete or pebble, and most are dived from decks and platforms, and if you go in on foot, you should only wear bathing slippers - the pebbles are sharp and you can hurt yourself.
- A significant part of the beaches are located right in the towns. In Piran, for example, you can either have a beach or not - you can sunbathe right along the promenade.
- City beaches have all the beach infrastructure: toilets, showers, lifeguards, equipment and sports equipment rental, playgrounds for children. However, toilets and showers can be paid for - each municipality has its own rules.
- The beach season officially lasts from June 21 to September 20, but the water is warm enough from the beginning of June. But September can be cool, there are cold currents. The hottest week of the year falls on the middle of August - at this time the sea warms up to 27-29 C, and the air up to 36 C. Swimming in hot salty water is not very pleasant, so in August Slovenes themselves prefer to vacation in the Alps - on Lake Blejsko, with a refreshing water temperature of 22 C.
I will tell you about the beaches of Slovenia's sea coast from Italy to Croatia.
Ankaran Beaches
Ankaran is a small border town in Slovenia, close to the Italian border. It is small and resort-like: in summer there is life here, restaurants and stores are open, but in winter everything comes to a standstill. The town is quite sparse: houses are scattered all along the coast, the road to Italy and on the hills. When booking a hotel or apartment here, you need to look carefully at the altitude: Booking indicates the distance to the beach in a straight line, but in fact on the way there may be quite a steep descent/climb. Near Ankaran, the Parenzana cycling route starts, which runs along the Slovenian coast to the Croatian town of Porec.
Debeli rtič (Debeli rtič)
Debeli rtič is a small, protruding cape and landscape park right on the border with Italy. The cape can be accessed on foot and has small Blue Flag beaches on both sides. Between the beaches you can walk through the park or along the shore, but in the unequipped areas of the coast be prepared to encounter numerous nudists.
Around the beach, pine trees (Mediterranean pines) provide natural shade. On the northern part of the cape, the beach is quieter and there are no lifeguards or entertainment. The southern beach has lifeguards, a swimming pool, bar, playground and beach volleyball. You can rent a sun lounger and umbrella.
Student (Študent)
The youth beach at the Na Študentu bar in Ankaran is small but atmospheric. In summer, local bands and DJs perform here. There is little space and no lifeguards, but there are changing booths, a basketball court and a cute bar.
Valdoltra
A very small, well-maintained beach, which in summer also acts as a stage for concerts and theater performances, workshops, art workshops, film screenings. From the neighboring beach Student you can walk along the shore.
Adria Ankaran.
The central Ankaran beach is adjacent to Adria Ankaran Camping and is concrete platforms with piers. There are two outdoor swimming pools, an Olympic pool and a children's pool. Sun loungers and umbrellas are available on the beach and poolside. There are lots of lawns and plenty of shade, and the seabed is pebbly. There is a bar and restaurant on the beach, beach volleyball, bowling, mini golf and tennis courts, you can rent water bikes or saps.
The sea is quite shallow, a complex of children's playgrounds is arranged, so the beach is popular among families with children. People come here for a few days or a couple of weeks, and locals buy mobile and auto-houses for the whole season. You need to book very early - prices are high during the season.
- The most budget option I've come across, costing from 75 € in low season, is Villa Andor, a 3* mini-hotel in an old Venetian building. The rooms and the hotel are recently renovated, the view from the terrace is beautiful, but the hotel is located on a hill, and it takes about 7 minutes to get to the beaches.
- More expensive, but closer to the sea - 3* Rezidenca Ortus hotel with rooms from 100 € for two people with breakfast. A good new hotel a little away from the center of Ankaran for those who like privacy.
- The whole complex Hotel & Resort Adria Ankaran is a large camping site with mobile homes, motorhomes and tents on the territory of a large pine park. Most of the houses are bought out for the whole season by locals, and for short-term accommodation there are several 4* hotels in the complex: Hotel Convent in the old building of the former Benedictine monastery with double rooms from 120 €, spacious apartments Olive Suites at a price from 130 € for two people with breakfast and small hotels Villa Bor, Villa Cedra and Villa Adriatic with rooms from 100 €.
Koper Beaches
Koper is the capital of the seaside region and the main city of the Slovenian coast. There is a large seaport here, so the city is not a resort, but rather a business town. Tourists come here mainly for a drive and to walk around the historical center, built up by the Venetian Republic. Beach vacations have never been the highlight of Koper, but that may change: in 2021 a new large beach was launched.
Koper Town Beach (Mestna plaža Koper)
The central beach of Koper is located right by the port, but this does not discourage the locals - after all, it is the closest beach to the center. The beach is very small and crowded in high season. Part of the area has natural shade from pine trees. The beach is mostly covered with grass, there are small pebble areas. A big plus of the beach is free toilets, showers and changing rooms. There are two piers (from which it is forbidden to jump), a children's playground and even a free library on weekdays. The depth increases gradually, so the beach is suitable for children. The water area of the beach is very small, you can't swim far away. There are lifeguards working.
There aren't many hotels nearby:
- The central hotel of Koper is Grand Koper 4*. It is completely renovated in 2021, rooms are new, the price for two people with breakfast - from 110 €. The hotel is located in the very epicenter of resort life: the beach is 3 minutes away on foot, there are coffee shops and restaurants around the hotel, opposite is the yacht marina and promenade, and right behind the building the old center begins.
- In the old center I recommend Casa Isabella B&B 4* - rooms from 80 € very cozy, with good interior, in a quiet old part of the city.
- A cheaper option is the hostel BellaVista 3*. It is located a little away from the beach (about 10 minutes on foot), in a very quiet old part of the historic center of Koper. Room for two people from 45 €.
Žusterna (Žusterna)
Justerna is not only a seaside beach, but also a year-round Olympic swimming pool. When the indoor pools close for the summer, they are replaced by the Jousterna. In winter, the pool is covered with a dome.
There is a large parking lot by the beach, many hotels nearby, so this area is the most resort area in Koper. Opposite the beach there is a year-round water park in the large Hotel Žusterna with a water area of 3000 m².
Obalna pot (Obalna pot)
"Obalna pot" (or "cesta") translates as "coastal path". It is a 6.5 km long bicycle and pedestrian path that runs right along the edge of the coast from Koper to neighboring Izola. The road used to be used by cars, but a few years ago it was freed from motorized vehicles and given over to pedestrians and cyclists.
The trail has become very popular for pedestrians, cyclists and rollerbladers. The entire shore along the road is fortified with huge boulders, which locals have turned into a multi-kilometer beach. The authorities didn't mind: toilets, shower stands (free on the copter part of the trail and paid - on the isolated part), drinking fountains and even vending machines were installed along the road.
Most of those sunbathing on the rocks are cyclists who were riding and decided to stop for a swim. But many people come on foot especially for a secluded rest.
Beaches of Isola
If you go to Slovenia for a beach vacation, then either to Izola or Portoroz (about it below). Izola is an old Venetian town with cozy narrow streets, laundry hung on ropes and a large yacht marina. There are plenty of places to walk in the evening and the beaches are more vacation-friendly than in Koper.
Unlike the Koper beaches, toilets and showers on all Isola beaches are chargeable: 0,5-1 € for each use.
Lighthouse (Svetilnik)
The beach on the promontory with a real lighthouse is located right at the foot of the old town. The surface is concrete, coarse pebbles and grass. The grassy part is in the shade of trees - part of the beach is adjacent to the park. There is a beach bar and equipment rental.
"Svetilnik" is one of the most popular and crowded beaches in Slovenia. Families with children often come here: the entrance to the water is shallow, the bottom is pebbly, and children run on the rocks in bathing slippers.
- The closest to the beach is the 4* Hotel Marina. The hotel is not very new, but it is considered to be the best and the most expensive in Isola: coming out of the lobby, to the right you go to the beach, to the left - the old town. Rooms for two people with breakfast start from 140 €. The hotel has a popular restaurant.
- The Buket apartment complex is located a little further from the beach, in the residential old part of Izola, in the epicenter of the tourist life of the town. Apartments with kitchenette cost from 150 € for three people.
- A cheaper option is a small hotel in a quiet part of town, Apartments & Rooms Nardin: double rooms from 85 €.
Simonov Bay (Simonov zaliv)
The sandy bay and shallow water depth are the main reasons why Simonov Bay is very popular among families with small children. The beach has enough shade and at the same time has all the infrastructure, from toilets and showers to restaurants. There is a water slide for children.
The beach is concrete, partly sandy and pebble. The territory is quite small, away from the center of Izola. Nearby there is only a 3* Dependences San Simon Resort, and further on there are residential houses. Further in the direction of Strunjan a beautiful bay passes into the wild beach of Bele Skale.
Beaches of Strunjan
Strunjan is considered to be the center of thalassotherapy in Slovenia - it is a sea climate treatment. Strunjan resort hotels offer programs for treatment of respiratory tract and musculoskeletal system diseases with the help of sea water, air, salt and mud, as well as walks around ancient salt lakes, where salt is still extracted by the ancient method. But the beaches in Strunjan are free of charge, so everyone can enjoy a lighter version of thalassotherapy.
The town itself is so small that even international buses only stop on the outskirts of the city. There are no large buildings, historical landmarks or city center as we are used to seeing it - with stores, restaurants and business buildings. Only a few hundred farms and local houses are scattered around the hills, there are a few simple establishments, and the center of life is the coast itself with a few resorts, hotels and a couple of bars. Vacations in Strunjan are quiet and serene. You can borrow a bicycle or trekking poles from the hotel and follow the hiking trail to Fiesa, Piran or Portoroz.
Bele skale (Bele skale)
The wild and very beautiful beach of Bele Skale, between Izola and Strunjan, is one of those beaches that are not easy to get to. There is a 100-meter descent lasting about 10 minutes with magnificent views. This is the first beach in the Strunjan Landscape Park. There are no showers, toilets, beach bars or lifeguards, but because of the shape of the cliffs there is natural shade most of the day.
Access to the beach is via a staircase from the Belvedere campground, which is accessed by motorhomes.
- The nearest hotel is Hotel Cliff Belvedere. Very nice, with spacious new rooms hotel of 4* level. Double room with breakfast from 160 €.
Mesečev Bay (Mesečev zaliv)
Mesečev, or Moon Bay is considered one of the most beautiful Slovenian beaches. It is a wild pebble beach without crowds and tourists in the Strunjan Nature Park. You can reach it on foot from the main beach of Strunjan, but it is quite a long way and in case of high tide you will have to walk across the water. Another option is to descend from the top of the Strunjan Križ (Cross), where a path leads down a steep cliff.
Strunjan Beach (Plaža Strunjan)
The main beach in Strunjan is very popular among Slovenians with children. The beach is quite large, almost all of it covered with the shade of pine trees, awarded with the blue flag. There are two bars and a children's corner. There are no sports equipment for rent - you can't go sailing or jet skiing here.
People come here for a few days and stay in thalasso hotels or apartments.
- The closest hotels to the beach are the Talasso Strunjan 4* Sanatorium Complex with double rooms from 100 € and the 4* Vila Tartini with rooms from 150 € for two people.
- A little further from the beach, in a quiet area near the Strunjan salt pools - hotels 3* Lavender and Oleander Resort with rooms from 100 € for two people.
You cannot use your own sun loungers and beach umbrellas on the beach, and renting a beach chair costs 6 € (or 5 € for Talasso Strunjan hotel guests). At the far end of the beach there are beach bungalows for 2 people for 50 €.
Salinera.
This small beach with concrete piers is located in the Bioenergy Resort Salinera. Near the beach and the hotel there is a park with 12 bioenergy points - it is believed that meditation (or just relaxation) near these points brings back balance and even helps to solve some health problems. The points should be used in a certain mode - here are the instructions.
- A double room with breakfast at the 3* Bioenergy Resort Salinera costs from 130 €.
Plaža Fiesa (Fiesa Beach)
The small town of Fiesa, or Fiesa, is located between Strunjan and Piran. Fiesa can be reached by foot on a trekking trail or by car - there is a parking lot and a campground nearby.
The beach here is small, but very popular with families with children - because there is shade from pine trees, a large green area with a playground and a bar, and also a lake, where in early summer you can see a swan family with chicks. The beach is pebbly, the bottom is shallow and the water is clean.
On the beach there are rentals of water bikes, canoes and sap boards. Due to the clear water, it is a popular spot for diving and snorkeling. Sun loungers and umbrellas are available from May to September.
I recommend Fiesa as an alternative to Piran - unlike here, it has a full beach. Piran and its activities can be reached on foot via a well-maintained path along the sea, the path is easy and pleasant.
There are only two hotels in Fiesa, both are 3* and stand right by the sea:
- Hotel Fiesa with rooms from 115 € for a double room.
- Barbara Piran Beach Hotel & Spa with rooms from 140 € and its own spa complex.
Beaches of Piran
"The pearl of the Slovenian coast", as it is called in advertising brochures, the old town of Piran with its Venetian buildings is wonderful for walking, but it is extremely poorly suited for beach vacations. Strictly speaking, there are two beaches here: one in Fiese, often called a suburb of Piran, and one small beach right at the entrance to the city from the only public parking lot "Fornace" (Fornace).
It's not so much a beach as just a place to swim. The concrete promenade starts from the parking lot itself and ends at the bus station. Near the station there is a restaurant, a small pebbled area and the only shower. There are no showers or toilets along the promenade.
There is another "beach" on the promontory near the lighthouse, called Punta. In the low season there are café tables there, but in summer the area belongs to people in swimsuits. There are no showers there, and there are toilets only in the café opposite.
Since Fornache is, by local standards, relatively far from the center, and Punta is very small, most beachgoers sit right on the rocks around the perimeter of the historic part of Piran.
I don't recommend Piran for a beach vacation, but if you do decide to swim here, it's better to choose hotels closer to the beaches. From any of them two steps to the beach and no more than 10 minutes walk to the city center.
- Closer to the beach "Punta" - hotel 3 * Zala with excellent breakfasts and a room for two from 100 €.
- Closer to the beach "Fornace" - B&B Miracolo di Mare Retro with rooms from 80 € with breakfast or guest house 3* Piranika with rooms from 60 €, but without breakfast.
- And in the epicenter of life, at the main square, with a retoran-terrace and the most romantic view of sunsets on the coast - hotel 4* Piran with rooms for two from 170 €.
Bernardin.
The most resort hotel near Piran is halfway to Portorož - the Bernardin complex. It is located on a small promontory, has its own small bay and a cove for private yachts. Once there was a monastery on this place, and to this day an ancient church stands in the center of the complex.
The complex consists of several hotels of different levels:
- Grand Hotel Bernardin is a 5* hotel, considered to be one of the best in Slovenia. Rooms for two people with breakfast from 150 €.
- Histrion - 4* hotel, recently renovated, with excellent views. Room for two people with breakfast from 150 €.
- Vile Park is a 3* hotel, the simplest, but economical, and guests can use all the services of the complex. Room for two with breakfast starts from 65 €.
Beaches of Portoroz
"The Slovenian Nice, or Monaco, or just modestly the Côte d'Azur - that's what the advertising brochures call Portorož. Among all Slovenian resorts, this one is the most expensive. The main street of the town stretches along the coast: on one side there are restaurants, opposite them hotels - and such a structure of the town sets the rhythm of rest, relaxed and Slovenian glamorous. Choose hotels carefully: the city is very hilly, the height difference is several hundred meters, and there are apartments even on such mountains, where it is difficult to reach on foot.
The best location, right by the seafront, is at the hotels: Marko 4* from 115 € for two people; Spa Hotel 4* Neptun (from 140 €) and luxury hotel 5* Kempinski Palace (from 200 €).
Centralna plaža Portorož (Portorož Central Beach)
There is a sandy part of the beach in Portorož. The beach is embankment, the entrance to the water is shallow and the bottom is muddy, but all sand lovers and families with small children flock here.
The central beach in Portorož is long, divided into two zones: sandy and grassy. There is a lot of entertainment here, a street of bars and restaurants, there is an equipment rental shop. Prices are the highest on the coast: everywhere else a sap-board rental costs 10 €, but in Portorož it costs 12 €.
