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Day trip · The Krk Map
Rab via Lopar: sand beaches and Rab old town
The sand-beach day for small children, and the one ferry you can book.
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Rab is the opposite of Cres: tamer, busier, and built around sand. Lopar's Rajska plaža (Paradise Beach), 1.5 km of sand, is made for small children, and Rab old town with its four bell towers makes a good afternoon. What makes it easy is the ferry: the Valbiska-Lopar ticket is a reservation, so you know exactly when you leave and when you're home.
When to come: June and September; July–August works because the ferry is reservable, but the beach is busy
What to do
Book both Lopar sailings when you buy the ticket
Unlike the Cres ferry, the Valbiska-Lopar ticket reserves your place on a chosen departure. So Rab can be planned to the minute.
- Where
- Valbiska ferry port
- When
- Summer timetable: out at 07:45 (arriving about 09:05), back from Lopar at 14:00 or 18:30
- Time
- 80 min each way
- How
- Buy on Jadrolinija's web shop. Valbiska is about 31 min by car from Vrbnik and 40 min from Stara Baška.
Tip: The 07:45 out and 18:30 back give about nine hours on Rab. Times change by season, so check Jadrolinija for your date before you book.
Morning on the sand at Rajska plaža
1.5 km of sand.
- Where
- Lopar
- When
- 09:15–12:00, before the day crowd
- Time
- 2–3 h
- How
- A 6-minute drive from the Lopar ferry.
Tip: With toddlers this is the whole point of the day; with teenagers the Aquagan slides are at the southern end.
Rab old town: the four bell towers and the three streets
A walled town on a narrow peninsula whose four church bell towers are the island's symbol. The old town runs along three parallel streets (Donja, Srednja and Gornja).
- Where
- Rab town
- When
- Afternoon
- Time
- 1.5–2 h
- How
- About 20 min by car from the Lopar ferry; park outside the old town.
Tip: Walk up to the top street for the bell-tower views, and buy Rab cake (almond and maraschino) before you leave.
Lunch at Konoba Rab
Peka lamb or octopus, dried octopus with eggs, the family's own fish.
- Where
- Kneza Branimira 3, Rab
- When
- Lunch
- Time
- 1.5 h
- How
- On foot in the old town.
Tip: Ask about peka when you book.
Alternative for Stara Baška: the Goli Otok boat day from Punat
A 9.5-hour boat day to the former prison islands of Goli Otok and Sveti Grgur, ending at Lopar's San Marino sand beach, lunch included.
- Where
- Punat harbour
- When
- 09:00 on Tue, Thu, Sat and Sun (2026)
- Time
- 9.5 h
- How
- From EUR 70 per adult (2026), lunch on board and one drink included; children 5–11 half price.
Tip: No ferry and no driving on Rab: the easier Rab day from Stara Baška, if you want history as well as sand.
A half day here
- Not a half day: the crossing alone is 2 h 40 min return.
Where to eat and drink
- Konoba Rab: Gault&Millau 2026 old-town konoba: peka, dried octopus, own fish
Where to swim
- Rajska plaža: 1.5 km of natural sand, six minutes' drive from the ferry; good for small children
Practical
Naturism
Nudism is permitted at Sahara and Ciganka beaches; Stolac is naturist-only.
Check the date
Timetables change by season; the summer timetable runs roughly June to September.
Watch out
- Miss your reserved return and you wait for the next sailing (hours apart).
- Rajska plaža is fully commercial in high summer.
- Don't confuse the Lopar car ferry (Valbiska) with the summer catamaran (Baška).
Curated by Benjamin Haller and our guests · Facts checked 31 Oct 2026 · How this map is made
The Krk Map is made by Marim Luxury Villas, a family company that hosts guests in Stara Baška and Vrbnik. No place pays to be on it; partners and our curators’ own offers are marked. Our villas