Kraljičina Plaža

Wild swimming... in mud

At 3km in length, Kraljičina Beach is apparently Croatia’s longest sandy beach. That doesn’t sound much, but when you realise that many of Croatia’s magnificent beaches are rocky or pebbly, or are to be found in small coves secreted away between rocky clifftops, then it makes sense, sort of.

The two really exceptional things about Kraljičina Beach are not actually the beach itself, although the beach is pleasant enough, with its thatched shelters and banana lounges.

The remarkable things are, first, the amazing view of the Velebit - the imposing mountain range that runs along Croatia’s Adriatic coast separating it from the rest of the interior of Croatia - and second, the lagoon that is set back slightly from the beach and that contains, supposedly, healing mud.

These two things have contributed to the legend and the name of the beach. Kraljičina Plaža means Queen’s beach. According to legend, King Tomislav (the first king of Croatia who reigned in the early 900s) and his Queen, Jelena found the beach very relaxing. They were attracted to both the sunsets on the Velebit and to the mud, which Queen Jelena would often cover herself with.

With a legend like that, why wouldn't you want to explore?

We were not visiting in the high season and found the beach relatively empty. We also found a Slovakian beachgoer family who knew precisely where to find the therapeutic mud and exactly what to do with it: dig, apply, wait for it to dry and then rinse off in the beach.

Not to be outdone by Queen Jelena, we applied it liberally and waited. It was not very hot so the mud did not dry as much as it might have, but after a quick dip,  we emerged with very smooth skin, even if it smelled a bit… muddy.

Kraljičina Beach is very close to the town of Nin, in the north of Dalmatia. Pay it a visit and your skin will thank you.