Lopar

Lopar is on the north side of Rab, and is famous for having glorious sandy beaches. These are something of a rarity in Croatia, where most of the coastline on the mainland and the islands either contains no beach at all, or those of the pebbly variety. So I decided the 20 minute journey north from Rab Town would be a worthwhile trip on my last day on the island.

The beaches were superb, even if Lopar itself was a fairly nondescript resort. With clear shallow seas stretching out for hundreds of yards and the mountainous terrain of the Croatian mainland in the distance, it was picture postcard stuff. What sandy beaches and shallow seas also attract are families, and it was the presence of so many young children charging around that rather spoilt it for me. I don't wish to sound like a whining old fucker, I really don't, but I just do not wish to spend my holiday with German toddlers running around the beach in the nude and being very loud. 

I normally go out of my way to avoid family resorts on holiday, so the fact I ended up here I suppose represents a fail on my part. However, the beach was still lovely, the bars were still welcoming and the scenery was splendid. 

Tips for people coming to Rab Island. As well as being family orientated, most visitors are German or Central European. So be aware that unless your children are multi lingual, it's unlikely none of the other kids will be able to understand them, which may spoil things somewhat. I didn't encounter a single other English person during my time on Rab, but ironically such is the variety of nationalities visiting the place virtually all conversations between customers and staff in bars and restaurants are held in English. In short, this is a charming island and well worth a visit. But better for families than childless miserable blokes in their 30s...