Banje Beach

Banje is the beach in every Dubrovnik photograph, and it lives up to the view. It lies a few minutes' walk east of the Old Town, just beyond the Ploče Gate and below the road to the Lazarettos, and from the water you look back at the city walls, the old harbour and the fortress of St John, with the green island of Lokrum floating offshore. The Croatian National Tourist Board calls it the city's most famous beach, and the water really is crystal clear. The shore is mostly pebbles and fine shingle, shelving gently enough for confident children, and the view from the water is the reason to come. Part of the beach is run by a beach club, with paid sunbeds and umbrellas, table service, a bar and restaurant, and water sports in summer, and part is public, where anyone can lay down a towel for free. That mix makes it flexible: families and budget travellers can swim for nothing, and people who want comfort can rent a lounger for the day. The club also turns into a lounge and party venue on summer evenings. The honest drawbacks: in July and August the free section fills early and gets crowded, the pebbles are hard on bare feet, and the beach faces the open sea, so it can be choppy when the wind is from the south. But for an easy swim within sight of the walls, nothing else in the city competes.

Timing is everything. In high summer, arrive by mid-morning for a spot in the free section, or come in the late afternoon when day visitors and cruise passengers are heading back to their ships and the light turns gold on the walls. Early mornings are the locals' hour, with swimmers doing lengths across the bay before work. In June and September the water is warm, the crowds smaller and the beach far more pleasant; from October the beach club winds down for winter and the shore belongs to a few hardy swimmers and walkers.

Bring water shoes for the pebbles, sun protection, and cash or card for the beach club if you want a lounger. There are showers and facilities on the club side. Snorkelling is decent along the rocks at either end of the beach, and kayak tours and boats to Lokrum leave from the nearby old harbour. If Banje is too busy, alternatives within walking distance include the rocks below the Buža Gate on the south side of the walls, the Porporela breakwater by the old harbour, and the small beaches along the Ploče and Sveti Jakov coast further east.

Who should go: first-time visitors who want the classic Dubrovnik swim, families who need an easy beach close to the Old Town, and couples who want a sunset drink with the walls in view. If you want quieter water, Lokrum, the Elaphiti islands and the coves of Lapad are better choices. Pair Banje with the walls in the morning, a swim at midday and the cable car at sunset for a perfect first day.