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In Dubrovnik, as anywhere else on Croatian Adriatic, one can swim and sunbath almost everywhere along the coast. The whole coast of Croatia is, in fact public! This means that anyone can access any part of the coast and swim there. Perfect! But with so much coastline and all the many many islands off that coast, how do you decide where to go?!

The Dubrovnik Riviera is made up of around an hour and a half of coast. The old town of Dubrovnik sits in the middle and either side are little fishing villages like Mlini, Cavtat, Zaton and Slano. Around 20 minutes off the coast, Dubrovnik also has its own suite of islands called the Elaffiti Islands - these are small, pretty islands which also have great beaches (often sandy) and no cars! Perfect for a day trip.

If you're staying in Dubrovnik, you have a wealth of options and would probably have to go back several times to lie on every beach - once you arrive at one, it's quite hard to move! So here goes, here's a locals guide to the beaches in the Dubrovnik area...

Banje beach is Dubrovnik's most popular and most centrally located beach. With a beautiful views over Dubrovnik Old Town. It is located at the front of the eastern entrance (Ploce Gate) between Dubrovnik Old Town and the luxurious Dubrovnik hotels The Excelsior and The Argentina.. When you get to the beach you will see why these hotels chose their locations...5* location indeed...This is probably one of the most stunning views you can get on any beach in the world. Looking out to Lokrum island and across to Dubrovniks old town, the view is seriously dramatic. Part of this shingley beach is also taken up by EastWest, a chique lounge and beach bar for discerning cool clientele. Here you can rent a sunlounger and parasol, or  snooze on one of the 4 poster bed loungers on the beach, and go and sip cocktails when you get too hot. The sea is right there and you can hire jet skis, speed boats etc. EastWest turns into a late night venue once the sun goes down so really you could stay here 24 hours a day! Easy access to the old town means that this is a popular choice and so the beach can get busy, but it's worth a visit for sure.