The area
Jadrija, Šibenik's own beach
Jadrija sits on a small peninsula at the mouth of St Anthony's Channel, directly opposite St Nicholas Fortress. It opened on 6 August 1922 as Šibenik's first public bathing area, and a century later it is still where locals go on a hot Sunday. Weekend houses, a pine wood, a wide beach, and a row of changing cabins with doors painted every colour there is.
The beach
Pebbles and flat rock with concrete platforms, so you can walk straight in. The water is clean and deep close to shore. The crowd gathers near the cafés and the boat pier at the eastern end; walk five minutes west and you have the rocks almost to yourself. A trampoline off the beach and the Rušije doughnut stand are local institutions. Bring a sun umbrella: there is shade under the pines, not on the beach itself.
The cabins and the lighthouse
The changing cabins date from the 1920s and are on Croatia's Register of Cultural Goods, the last of their kind on the Adriatic. So is the St Andrew lighthouse, built in 1871 and still lit every night. The peninsula's name comes from the same saint: Sveti Andrija, the islet with a chapel that was joined to the mainland in 1922 to make the beach.
Windsurfing and the wind
Jadrija is exposed to every wind that blows through the channel, which is why it is the region's windsurfing spot, and not only in summer. If you sail or paddle, bring your board; there is room to rig on the flat rock.
Getting between Jadrija and Šibenik
By road it is about 14 km, round the bay via the Šibenik bridge. In summer a small passenger boat runs between the Šibenik waterfront and Jadrija pier several times a day; the city publishes the timetable each June. The crossing is the best view of the town you will get, and it saves parking in the old town altogether.
Eating on the peninsula
A handful of cafés and a konoba near the pier, busy in July and August. For a proper dinner, Šibenik old town or Zablaće across the bay. Dino is happy to recommend his favourites.
Quiet hours
Jadrija is residential. After 11 pm the peninsula is quiet apart from the cicadas, which is a big part of why guests come back. If you are after nightlife, Šibenik's bars are a short taxi ride away.