Beaches

Rovinj has no sand. It is worth saying that first, because it is the single thing that most surprises guests who booked on a photograph. What Rovinj has is rock, pebble and concrete — clear water almost everywhere, and swimming that is genuinely better than sand once you are in it.

Bring something on your feet. The rocks are sharp in places and the sea urchins are real. A cheap pair of swimming shoes costs a few euros in any shop in town and changes the holiday for anyone who is nervous about where they are standing.

Where people actually swim

Most of the good swimming is south of the old town, in and around the Zlatni rt forest park — pine to the edge of the water, shade in the afternoon, and a string of small bays rather than one long beach. North of town, Borik and Valdaliso are easier with children and easier to park at, and that is often the deciding factor in August.

The town beaches are convenient and busy. If you are staying in the old town you will use them, and they are fine — but if swimming is the point of the holiday, walk or cycle the ten minutes south and the difference is obvious.

When the sea is warm

June through September is comfortable for most people. Late August and early September are usually the warmest water of the year, and by then the crowds have started to thin. May and early October are for people who genuinely do not mind cold water.

Ask us before you book if a particular beach matters to you — some of our apartments are five minutes from the water and some are twenty, and the photographs do not always make that clear.