The island of Krk in Croatia is a wonderful place to bring your dog because it’s laid-back, not too crowded, and has a ton of nature for your dog to enjoy, especially if your dog is the swimming type. With plenty of remote dog-friendly beaches and fantastic eats that happily welcome pups, Krk is a dog-friendly paradise.
Where to stay in Krk with your dog
There are a handful of major coastal cities and resort towns on the island of Krk, but if you’re traveling with a dog, it may be best to stay out of busier overcrowded cities that could be more overwhelming to your dog – the Croatian summer heat is overwhelming enough. We used the dog beaches to help guide where we wanted to stay; you can find dog-friendly beaches on Google Maps using the Croatian “Plaža za pse.” You’ll notice that not all dog-friendly beaches on Krk are near populated areas. We didn’t want to be forced to drive or hike a long way to get to the nearest beach every day, and we also wanted dog beaches with at least some facilities like showers, bathrooms, and places to eat.
This left us with a couple of beaches in or close to some of the bigger cities like Krk town, Baška, and Punat. Since these larger areas are also where the majority of accommodations are on Krk, this meant we would be sharing those dog beaches with a ton of people. Instead we opted for Njivice, which I think is ideal for dog-friendly travel in Krk. There are two dog beaches on either end of the town, one at Kijac Beach and one at the Atea Camping grounds, which is accessible to the public even if you’re not staying at the camping resort. This also puts you 20-30 minutes from the mainland and from much of the rest of Krk so it’s easy to make daytrips around the island if you have a car.
Njivice is a small port town with plenty of activities, great dining, and with dozens of small beaches along its coast. There are some places where you can rent loungers or use them for free if you’re staying at one of the area hotels, and there are a lot of smaller rocky patches where people come with their umbrellas and towels and lay out or go for a swim. Obviously much of this area is not dog-friendly, and you’ll see signage indicating as much. Luckily, Njivice is quite small and the dog beaches on either side of it are just 3.6 km from each other with plenty of dog-friendly places to eat and drink along the way.
Things to do in Njivice and Krk with a dog
Visit the beaches!
The pebbly dog beach at Kijac Beach is quite secluded past a short walk through the trees. Given its location and the large number of vegetation that surrounds it, the area is shady until early to mid-afternoon, which is great to keep your dog cool. The beach at Atea Camping is larger and has some free lounge chairs strewn about, and it’s also fairly shady until the afternoon because of the trees. Even if you go close to lunchtime, it’s not hard to find a place to sit. If you come in the late afternoon after the hottest of the sun has died down, you can watch the sunset from the beach or from Cabana Bar & More, which is also dog-friendly.
It may be a little confusing where the Atea Camping dog beach actually starts. Most people set up camp with their doggies on the beach that begins immediately after Cabana Bar as it’s the first beach without a “No dogs allowed” sign. We went there every day for a week, and no one said anything until our last day when some German bitch told us to move 200 meters because “the dog beach starts over there.” The locals certainly don’t care, and I’m not sure you should concern yourself with the opinion of tourists who want to spend their holiday policing the boundaries of the dog beach when they have 100 other non-dog beaches available to them.
Close to the Atea Camping dog beach, you can also rent paddle boards, pedal boats, and kayaks to take your dog on if they’re the adventurous type. Whether your dog just wants to play with other dogs on the shore, take a nap in the shade, or actually go for a swim, the dog beaches are relaxing and fun from sunup to sundown. We found that the other dogs visiting the beach were generally well-behaved so its easy to manage even if you have a reactive dog.
Walk along the promenade
Though small, the Njivice waterfront is lively with cafes and restaurants without being too crowded. The heart of the town faces the marina. But if you walk south along the shore, you’ll come across other large stretches of beach and accompanying beach bars and cafes. Though your dog won’t be allowed to swim in the larger beaches, you can still take a long leisurely stroll along the shoreline. Most of the beach bars are dog-friendly, so you can stop for refreshments and shade. If your dog is larger and requires more exercise, you can also take a beautiful coastal hike to the next town of Malinska, which is about 6 km away.
Take a boat tour
If you want to catch the sunset from the sea, see the dolphins in the Adriatic or visit one other Croatian islands like Pag or Rab, you’re in luck. You can also do this with your dog. There are many different boat excursions you can take from Krk, though the majority of them will leave from Krk Town and while dogs are allowed on the boats, they are not allowed on the bus transfers from Njivice to Krk Town. But you can drive yourself and your dog to the departure point or you can take one of the shorter trips that leave from the Njivice marina going to Cres and other nearby spots.
Tajana Krk does full-day boat excursions from Krk Town that take you to the picturesque town of Rab where you can see the historical city center or go for a swim at the beach. The boat also stops on the island of Pag where you can see 1600-year-old olive trees. Along the way, the boat makes a few swimming stops. The good thing about these tours is that the interior of the boat is air conditioned, so if you have a dog that is prone to overheating, they can stay comfortable during the trip.
If you prefer something shorter, Kapetan Ivan, does sightseeing excursions around Krk and some trips to Cres, Rab, and Opatija. This is a smaller boat and may not be as comfortable, but it’s another viable dog-friendly option. Many of these companies have booking stands along the Njivice marina. Just be sure to ask about this as soon as you arrive. Not all tours set sail daily, and some may get fully booked in advance.
Do a local wine tasting
Croatia has fantastic wine, so another dog-friendly excursion is to Krk’s wine region Vrbnik, which is known for producing a dry white wine called žlahtina. You can try it for yourself along with the other types of wine produced in the region in wineries like Ivan Katunar. A visit includes a tour of the cellar and a tasting of a variety of their wines as well as small snacks like local olives and cheese. And yes, the tour is dog-friendly! The nearby town of Vbrnik, which is located on a dramatic cliff on the sea is a small 900-year old town full of meandering streets to get lost in.
Eating and drinking with your dog in Njivice
There wasn’t a single restaurant or beach bar that turned us away because of our dog, which is a good thing because the food on Krk is incredible, and it would have been a shame to miss out on any of it on account of our dog. Some of great dog-friendly cafes and restaurants include:
Vets in Krk
There’s a lot that can go wrong with pets on a beachy vacation. Whether they get a little too hot under the sun or tend to drink too much salt water, if you’re visiting Krk with a dog, you may want to be prepared in case you need a vet. The one vet on Krk, Veterinarska ambulanta Krk, is located in Krk Town and has limited hours (and the hours on Google Maps are different from the ones on their website), so if you need vet care for your pup, it may not be a bad idea to call in advance.
If you want to bring your dog to Croatia, forget Split and Dubrovnik. Krk is close to Zagreb, provides endless relaxing beach days and is easy to visit with a dog.
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