Stara Baška: Why This Hidden Village is Our Favourite Place on Krk

Stara Baška is the most unspoiled village on Krk Island. A few hundred permanent residents, no high-rise hotels, a harbour with fishing boats, and two beaches reachable only by boat or hiking trail. We built Villa Marim here because this is where the island still feels like itself.

Where is Stara Baška?

Stara Baška sits at the southern tip of Krk Island. It is not on the way to anywhere else. You go there because you mean to.

• From Rijeka Airport: 45 minutes by car — the airport sits on Krk Island itself, so you are practically there before you start.
• From Zagreb: approximately 2.5 hours, crossing the Krk Bridge (free since 2020, no ferry required).
• From Vrbnik: 40 minutes south by car, crossing the centre of the island.
• From Krk Town: 50 minutes south.

The road down into Stara Baška is steep and winding — narrow in places, spectacular in all of them. It is the kind of road that filters out casual tourists. We think of it as the village protecting itself.

The Village

Stara Baška has a permanent population of a few hundred residents. In summer that swells to a few thousand, but the village absorbs them without losing its character. EU coastal protection rules have prevented the high-rise development that changed other parts of the Croatian coast. What remains is what it always was.

• The harbour — small, working, fishing boats and rental boats moored alongside each other. This is where you rent a boat in the morning to reach Zala or Oprna Bay. The fishermen have usually been out and back before you wake up.
• The main square — one good restaurant (Mariana, a short walk from Villa Marim), a small grocery, a bakery open in summer. Everything you need, nothing you don't.
• The pace — nothing opens before 9am. The morning is for swimming and coffee on the terrace. There is no rush here. It takes a day to adjust to that, and then you wonder why anywhere else operates differently.

Zala Beach — The Wildest Beach on Krk

There is no road to Zala Beach. This is its defining quality. To reach it you take a boat from the harbour (10 minutes) or walk a hiking trail (45 minutes each way, with some elevation). The lack of road access is the reason it stays the way it is.

• Water colour: genuinely turquoise — the kind that makes you stop and look twice. Not the blue-green of deeper water, but the lit-from-below turquoise of shallow limestone coves.
• Facilities: a small beach bar operates in July and August. Outside those months, bring everything you need.
• Best time: May or September, when you may have the beach entirely to yourself. We have been in August and it is still calm by mainland standards — but May is the experience.
• Boat rental: available from the harbour from early June through September. We can recommend the best operators — ask us when you arrive.

Guests at Villa Marim have direct access to the sea via stone steps from the rock below the villa. On the mornings you don't want to go anywhere, you don't have to. The Adriatic is already there.

Oprna Bay

Oprna Bay is 2 kilometres from Stara Baška by boat, approximately 15 minutes from the harbour. It is also reachable on foot via a walk with some climbing — about 20 minutes with good footwear. The bay is sheltered, the water calm, and it is notably good for families with young children who want shallow, clear water without current.

A small beach bar operates in season. The limestone cliffs that surround the bay on three sides turn amber at sunset — the light that comes off them in the late afternoon is unlike anything you will find on a more developed beach.

Water Activities from Stara Baška

The water is the main event. Here is what guests at Villa Marim tend to do.

• Boat rental — small motorboats are available from the harbour for self-drive day trips. No licence required for boats under a certain size. We brief guests on the best coves and routes — there are places along this coastline that do not appear on any map.
• Kayaking — along the Stara Baška coastline and to nearby coves. The water is clear enough that you can see the bottom in most places. Morning is best: calm water, no wind.
• Snorkelling — the rocky coast has excellent visibility. Snorkelling gear can be arranged — just let us know on arrival. The cove directly below the villa is a good starting point.
• Swimming from the villa — stone steps lead from the rock below Villa Marim directly to the sea. Private, immediate, and available at any hour of the day or night.

Dining: Restaurant Mariana

One hundred metres from Villa Marim. That is the distance between your villa terrace and a plate of fresh Mediterranean cooking that changes every day based on what is available from the sea and the market.

Mariana has a terrace that looks out over the water — rustic, honest cooking in an unpretentious setting. The kind of place where the food is whatever came in fresh that day. We have eaten dinner here many times. It does not get old. In summer, it fills up with locals and returning guests — both good signs.

When to Visit

Each part of the season has its character. These are the honest differences.

• May and June — wildflowers on the hillsides, empty beaches, air temperature around 20°C. The sea warms up to 18–20°C by June — cool but swimmable for anyone who does not mind the first shock. The village is quiet and genuinely itself. This is our personal preference.
• July and August — the warmest months, sea at 24°C, Zala and Oprna filling up but still calm compared to the mainland coast. Villa Marim is always booked in August. Book early.
• September — the best-kept secret on the island. Air at 22°C, sea still at 24°C from the summer's warmth, all restaurants open, almost no crowds. The light in September on the Adriatic is different from summer light — softer, longer in the evening, amber where it was gold.

"The rock. The sea. Nothing between you and the horizon."

— The owners' description of Villa Marim

Benjamin Haller

Owner, Marim Luxury Villas

We chose Stara Baška for Villa Marim because it is everything Vrbnik is not — remote, wild, quiet. Both feel essential.