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It has not been long ago that GaySail started operating in Croatia, with great pleasure. |
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| Gay life in Croatia between Zadar and Dubrovnik | |
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LGBT life |
Situation in Croatia is slowly moving forward, but still it is far from the situation in some other countries. Basically here you can't be open about your sexuality and say you're gay. By the law it is forbidden to discriminate anyone based on their sexuality, but the real life is something completely different. |
LGBT Scene |
When visiting Croatia one should have in mind that Croatia is a pretty small European country and has a population of only 4,4 million inhabitants. There are many smaller towns but only one large city - the capital city of Zagreb, which has nearly one million inhabitants. The gay scene in Zagreb is growing and you will find some interesting LGBT venues - but expect the numbers to be much smaller than you perhaps are accustomed to. In Zagreb you will find interesting LGBT activities - a gay club, a gay sauna and a gay bar. Also, festivals such as Queer Zagreb and Zagreb Pride are annually being held in the capital. You will also find LGBT organizations and activities in Rijeka and Osijek but outside these cities you will not find the kind of critical mass of LGBT people that would produce a sense of community. So, do not expect to find a great number official LGBT clubs, bars or cafés outside these cities. In smaller towns and tourist resorts, generally speaking, LGBT people meet in bars, clubs and cafés which are known to be gathering LGBT people and which are gay-friendly but do not specifically count as being gay. There are a lot of such places throughout Croatia and the atmosphere in many of them, not all, is relaxed and open-minded towards homosexuals. If you are spending your vacation in a seaside resort you will have the best chance to meet LGBT people by visiting the gay beaches - and there are a lot of them along the amazing Adriatic coast. However, do not expect them to be too crowdy. In public places LGBT persons tend to act "straight" and therefore hard to "detect" while they're much more relaxed at the gay beaches. It is usually very easy to make contact with people in Croatia and when you get a Croatian friend you'll have a friend for life. |
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More than 2000 years old town of Zadar (72,946 inhabitants, 2001) is situated on a long peninsula. Zadar Old Town is located on the tip of a narrow peninsula. Although once protected by city walls, these are no longer there and only the towers and two city gates remain today. In the centre of the Old Town is the Sveti Donat Church which was built at the beginning of the 9th century and stands at 27m high. It is the most important church in a city which has 30 altogether. Nearby is the Church of St. Mary as well as the Cathedral of St. Anastasia. |
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beaches |
Puntamika naturist beach The Puntamika Beach is most popular in the afternoon. It is located near the Borik tourist settlement. Frequently visited by LGBT people Medium popular/active, Exclusively or almost exclusively gay men |
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cruising |
The park near the Seamen College is most popular in the evenings. |
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beaches |
Sovinje", Pasman Island - naturist camping Naturist auto-camp "Sovinje" situated 2km from small village of Tkon in the south of the Pašman Island within a forest of pine trees. |
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Biograd is a small historic town south of Zadar. |
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beaches |
Crvena Luka, Biograd - naturist beach Crvena Luka (Red Harbor) textile resort, is situated in a large sandy cove, 5km south of Biograd. The whole resort consisting of a hotel, apartments and a camping site offers accommodation to more than 2000 guests. Naturist beach is located at north side of the cove. |
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The picturesque island of Murter, with an area of 18 sq. km is connected to the land by a 12 meter long bridge near Tisno. This island of fishermen, olive growers and shipbuilders is the largest and most densely populated island in the Sibenik region. Slanica, Kosirina, Lovisce, Jazine, just few of many sandy or pebble coves, connected by line of white rocky stones, make a string of pearls round the island. Most of the beaches on the island have unofficial naturist sections usually located at the one side of the beach. |
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beaches |
Slanica - naturist beach on the Murter island (close to the town of Murter). It is located near the beautiful sandy Slanica bay, 1000m from the "Colentum" hotel, and right beside auto camp "Slanica". It is sandy and pebble beach. |
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Vodice is a small tourist town of 5 000 inhabitants, near Sibenik. |
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beaches |
Plitka Punta, Vodice - naturist beach in Plitka Punta bay, between Vodice and Tribunj. |
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Sibenik (51,185 inhabitants, 2001) is situated in the heart of the Adriatic coast , at the mouth of the river Krka , hidden among the channels. It is surrounded by two national parks: Krka with plenty of waterfalls which is only 10 km far from the town and Kornati archipelago with more than a hundred of islands. One of the most important sights in Sibenik is the cathedral of St. James, built between 1431 and 1536 from limestone and marble. |
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beaches |
Zablace gay beach The nude beach is located near Solaris camping site. It is situated some 6 km from the town of Sibenik. This beach is hard to find, you have to walk by the sea from Solaris camping towards Zablace camping and the gay spot is somewhere in the middle. Action in the bushes (but not much usually). Very popular/active. Exclusively or almost exclusively gay men |
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The picturesque little town of Primosten, half a way between Sibenik and Split, is built on a former islet now joined to the mainland by a causeway. This old fishing village with its red-roofed houses dominated by the tower of the church appeals to foreign visitors with its old-world atmosphere and its friendly little restaurants and wine-shops. |
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beaches |
Marina Lucica, Primosten - naturist hotel and beach The gay spot is at the nudist beach in front of Hotel Marina Lucica, across the bay, south of Primosten. If you are coming by car from Split in the south [or from Sibenik in the north], there is a viewpoint with a parking place some 3 km south of Primosten. Leave the car there and walk down to the beach. The walk takes about 10 minutes but it is quite difficult because of the terrain. When you reach the shore walk some 350 metres to the left. The gay spot can be found at the rocks. If you follow the way further on you will find another small pebble beach and a large rocky area, where you will find gay people as well. It is a naturist beach, except of peak-season [July and August] when there are too many families. Quite popular in weekends and afternoons. Be discreet! It's very mixed but gorgeous with incredible sunsets. |
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Smokvica, naturist beach/islet on the small island of Smokvica near the picturesque little town of Primošten, 28 km south of Sibenik. Taxi boat runs several times a day. This naturist island is located just 400 m from Raduca peninsular, right next to the town, with Raduca, Zora and Slava hotels. |
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Trogir is a beautiful medieval city 25km west of Split. It has a population of just over 10,000 and the town is a UNESCO world heritage site. In the 3rd century BC, Greeks from the island of Vis founded the settlement Tragurion before being part of the Roman Empire. The city was under Venetian and Austrian rule too. Part of the city walls, built between the 13th and 14th centuries are visible today on the southern side of the city. In the middle of the wall the city gate, built in 1593, is present. The cathedral on the east side of the city is on the main square and dates from the beginning of the 13th century. |
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beaches |
Medena naturistic beach This beach is located near Medena hotel 4km northwest of Trogir, near Seget Village. Take the bus or drive by the main road from Trogir toward Sibenik. Walk to Medena hotel. At the end of the pavement begins rocky beach. Gay nude spot is on the hill on the right side. Everybody is gay here. The beach is usually quiet but more guys can be found during July and August. Medium popular/active. |
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Split is the largest Croatian coastal city (187,599 inhabitants, 2001) and represents the ideal launching point for any Dalmatian island-hopping. Its traffic-free streets are a living treasure house, and allow you to walk though history without barriers or museum curators. The Roman Palace is where students promenade under floodlights at night, sitting in cafes sipping cappuccinos. The site was first settled when, at the end of the third century AD, the Roman Emperor Diocletian built his palace here. The importance of Diocletian's Palace far transcends local significance because of its level of preservation and the buildings of succeeding historical periods built within its walls, which today form the very heart of old Split. Diocletian's Palace is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. |
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disco |
Metropolis is known as the unofficial gay club among male homosexuals, lesbians and bisexuals in Split. The attitude in the club is macho and you will need a "gaydar" or a local gossip columnist with you to detect any gay people here as they act very discreet. Mostly younger LGBT visitors/clientele [14-30 y.o.] |
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coffee shops & bars |
Getto Club, Dosud 6, Club in the old palace owned by wonderful lesbian couple |
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health |
& aids service Teleapel Split, Tel: +385 (0)21/365-666, Opening hours: 7p.m. - 7a.m. (19-7h) |
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beaches |
Duilovo gay nude
beach This is the most active and popular gay beach near Split. The
meeting spot can be found on the hills above the rocky strip of land
between hotel Zagreb and Stobrec village. The is rocky beach with
pine trees above the shore. Woods are, obviously, very cruisy. Almost
everybody is gay here. To get there take the bus number 15 from the
city. If you have a car, drive into Stobrec and park near the school
and walk down to the beach. Very popular/active |
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cruising areas |
Those who don't like bars and clubs, but prefer to walk around to pick up some fresh meat,
are advised to visit our city at once! Here, you have almost one square
kilometer of hunting ground, almost in the center of the city (Bacvice
neighborhood). |
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Brac is the highest and third largest island in the Adriatic. Pine forests, olive groves, and vineyards are plentiful. Traditional seaside pleasures are to be found in the numerous bays, on sandy and gravel beaches that form the long and well-indented coast of Brac. The beaches have something special, particularly the Zlatni Rat beach -- their gravel promontory shifts from side to side as the wind and waves constantly change their shapes.Interesting note: The white stone of Brac has been used in many famous buildings, including the White House in Washington, DC. |
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beaches |
Supertar gay beach
is located to the North of the town, after Lucica hotel keep the way
near the coast and after some 1km there is a forest and stone beach.
First part of the beach is str8 and after that large unofficial gay
section begins, although it is not among the most popular and the
most visited gay beaches. It can be said it is a quiet place. The
beach is divided from the forest path by the solid stone wall. |
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Hvar Island [11,459
inhabitants] with its flower-filled gardens, its palms, its orange
and lemon groves, its fragrance of rosemary, its enchanting countryside
affording glimpses of a deep blues see, is an island of captivating
charm. Hvar Island, the "Croatian Mykonos", is one of the most popular
"gay-islands" in Croatia. The main town on the island, Hvar Town [3,643
inhabitants] is a very popular LGBT resort and the popularity of the
town is increasing for each year. |
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bars |
Carpe Diem (Town of Hvar) is a trendy and popular bar with cool drinks, smooth music and hot after-beach-parties. The bar is located at the harbour and attracts young, hip and good-looking people form all around the world. It is not gay but visited by many gays. Outdoor seating, terrace or garden. Not gay but possible of interest to LGBT people. Mostly younger LGBT visitors/clientele |
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danceclub |
Veneranda is not a gay club, however, if you like to dance this is the place you should go to. You are also likely to meet other LGBT people in the club during peak-season. The club is situated in the western part of the town, some 10-minutes walk from the main square/harbour. Walk along the shore, follow the disco-light and you'll find it. Mostly younger LGBT visitors/clientele |
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beaches |
Jerolim FKK / Naturist / Nudist beach is an islet, part of Pakleni archipelago, directly opposite Hvar town. There is a popular nude beach visited also by many gays. Gays mostly gather at the south-east shore of the islet.The beach is rocky with some pebble coves and it is equipped with showers and a restaurant. To get there take one of many taxi boats leaving Hvar harbor. They are departing every half hour starting 9am, and returning in the same intervals with the last one at 6pm. When you get to the jetty turn right and walk some 100m along the shore until you reach the area with mostly gay couples, singles, lesbian couples and bisexuals. The gay area is about 300m long all along the east side of the island. Very popular/active. Many LGBT visitors Food and beverages can be found at the restaurant near the jetty. The restaurant is open from June-September. |
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There are lots of authentic fishermen villages in many bays on island Vis. Enjoy total private and isolated ambiance, where you can enjoy silence of the sea, without phone noise. |
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beaches |
Komiza - naturist beach, located just a walk distance from the hotel "Biševo", in the town of Komiza, on the island of Vis. |
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The Makarska Riviera
stretches for 60km, between the towns of Brela and Gradac, with the
main town Makarska. The Riviera is one of the most famous tourist
locations along the Croatian coast and is also one of the most beautiful
with countless sandy beaches, pine trees, sparkling water and peaceful
bays. The area is also known for Biokovo Mountain, which overlooks
the coastal area. The population of the town, loomed over by Biokovo
Mountain, is just around 12,000. The town was a Roman settlement and
was just on the edge of the Roman Empire. It was also under the rule
of the Venetians. |
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beaches |
Krvavica Beach Krvavica
is a small town that is situated between Makarska and Baska Voda.
Krvavica can be found 4 kilometres [2,5 miles] north of Makarska and
4 kilometres south of Baska Voda. To get to the gay spot go to the
main beach in Krvavica and turn left. Walk along the seashore, towards
the rocks, and after approximately 150 metres you will reach the gay
area. Very popular/active. Many LGBT visitors |
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Korcula, birthplace of Marco Polo (1254), is, after Lokrum and Mljet, the third most densely wooded island of Croatia. There is much evidence of a highly-developed social life on Korcula even in the 13th century. The Statute of Korcula, signed in 1214, prohibited the slave trade for the first time in Europe. It also spoke about the order and management of the city. Korcula makes an excellent base for day trips to places like Mljet and other islands of the Elafiti group (southeast of Korcula Island). Korcula is also famous for its traditional dance Moreska that has been performed for more than four centuries . |
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beaches |
Badija - naturist
beach On the island of Badija which lies East of the town of Korcula,
twenty minutes away by shuttle boat. It has a surface of about one
square kilometer and is covered by dense maquis and pine, cypresses
and olive trees. If you want to stay overnight on Badija, you can
shack up in a 15th century monastery which has been converted into
a hotel. |
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Peninsula of Peljesac |
After Istra, Peljesac is the largest peninsula of Croatia. Pelješac is the peninsula of the mountains, excellent red wines and famous oysters and mussels which are cultivated here. The peninsula is particularly well-known by its animal wealth. Here one finds also the rare animal kind of the Mufflone. Rarely have you seen such varied nature as here on the Peljesac peninsula with its subtropical vegetation along the coast, abundant vineyards, mountains and picturesque bays. Among the most beautiful beaches are superb beaches of Divna and Duba. Peninsula of Peljesac, can be reached by ferry from Ploce or by car, via Ston, down the tourist road along the Peninsula. |
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beaches |
Ostupa - naturist beach is located in Orebic town on Pelješac peninsula. |
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Mljet is an eight largest island of the Adriatic sea and one of the most indented. It is situated near wondrous city of Dubrovnik and it has been inhabited since ancient Greek times. More then 70 % of surface of the island is covered by forest and that is why Mljet is also called "the green island". Because of particularly attractive landscapes of the western part of Mljet that area (about 1/3 of the whole area) was declared a National park in 1960. |
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beaches |
Blace - naturist beach
Blace beach is located in the most beautiful sandy bay at the very
southeastern end of the island. It takes a twenty minutes of walk
to get there from a small village called Saplunara. Beach is nearly
1 km long, surrounded by coronet of centenary pines and presents a
shining example of primordial intact nature. This is not an official
naturist beach and it is used by both naturists and textiles. |
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Osmine, Slano - naturist beach This beach is located in the vicinity of the all inclusive Hotel "Osmine" in Slano town, 42 kilometers north of Dubrovnik. Hotel is located in the beautiful bay and you can take a nice walk to Slano on the boardwalk of the bay. |
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The Elafiti islands with the beautiful, sandy beaches, are approx. 20 minutes by boat from Dubrovnik. Boats are leaving from Dubrovnik's Gruz harbor. There are fourteen islands in the Elafiti group. The larger and more important islands in the group are Kolocep (1.35 km2), Lopud (4.63 km2), Sipan (16.5 km2), Jakljan (3.45 km2) and Olipa (0.8 km2). Only three of them are inhabited (Kolocep, Lopud and Sipan), with a total of about one thousand inhabitants. The main natural feature of these islands are their woods. Except for small cultivated areas they are almost completely covered by pine and high maquis, with all the ingredients of evergreen Mediterranean vegetation. Close to the villages these woods have in places become parks. The indented coastline with lovely bays, beaches, picturesque cliffs and other forms are a worthy accompaniment to the vegetation wealth of the Elafiti. Friendly island inhabitants operate small restaurants, in which you can enjoy the native kitchen and house-made wines.Despite the proximity to Dubrovnik, because of their untouched nature, it seems to be they are at the end of the world. |
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beaches |
The island of Lopud, 7 miles north of Dubrovnik, can be reached by a boat from the new Dubrovnik's harbour Gruz at 10am during high season (June to August). Off season ferries operate only in the afternoon. Lopud is a car free island. |
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Dubrovnik (30,436
inhabitants, 2001), also known by its old Italian name - Ragusa, is
a world-famous resort and has been visited by millions of tourist
threw the years. Tourists who have been taken happy memories home
with them from this "jewel of the Adriatic". In recent years Dubrovnik
has become a popular gay resort but the gay scene still have to develop
to please all gay visitors looking for new experiences. If you interested
in relaxing, sunbathing, architecture and history - Dubrovnik is idealistic!
The city is often described as "a unique open-air museum" and this
is perhaps one of the most beautiful cities to be found on the European
continent. |
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bars |
Caffe Bar Troubadour is a nice place that can be found at the square on the eastern end of the Old Town. Troubadour is not a gay café but the place is known to be visited by LGBT people. Looking for a bar/café where one can meet LGBT people, this is the place to go to. |
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beaches |
Lokrum FKK / naturist
/ nudist beach the most common and well-known naturist beaches are
on the island of Lokrum. This island, a nature park with exotic tropical
and subtropical plants, is situated just outside the ancient town
of Dubrovnik. There are boats leaving the old town's harbor every
hour on the hour. Return from Lokrum at 20 minutes past every hour.
Traveltime is about 10 minutes and the price for a roundtrip is 20
kuna for adults. |
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Betirina, Mlini-Srebreno
- naturist beach This naturist beach is located near the charming
fishing village Mlini and neighbouring resort of Srebreno, between
Dubrovnik and Cavtat. The naturist beach Beterina with its own restaurant,
is in a secluded bay five minutes by boat from Mlini. |
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Cavtat is a picturesque village south of Dubrovnik. Gay nude beach can be found behind the Croatia hotel. Beneath the pool walk along the path to the right and hopefully you will discover gay area of the beach. |
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beaches |
Croatia Hotel, Cavtat
- naturist beach There is a bus from Dubrovnik about every hour (but
try to avoid the 11.10 which gets packed sardine-style with school
children) and where this drops you off there is a large plan/map which
shows a FKK beach on the west side of the Sustjepan peninsula just
below the Hotel Croatia. We got there the hard way by following the
path right round (about 40 minutes walk) but I think there should
be a short cut across the neck of the peninsula, possibly through
the hotel grounds. The path was quite rough and climbed and descended
quite steeply. If you follow the path you will end up going down a
long flight of steps at the end of the hotel. Look down on the ground
near the foot of this flight and you will see painted on the access
to a small path Nudist Beach. This leads further down to the usual
smoothed areas where we spent a pleasant hour. It is a rocky beach
which has been smoothed with concrete. Of course it has all the facilities
that comes with a near hotel, showers, cloakrooms, toilettes, restaurant
etc. |
| source: http://travel.gay.hr and croatia gay dreams | |


