Following the international tendency of people travelling with their pets, Croatia is getting more and more prepared to accommodate dogs in the hotels, on the beaches etc.
Many people prefer to go to Croatia by car, especially from nearby countries. They do not stay permanently in one place; they travel throughout the country, exploring different beautiful sites and beaches.
Laws regarding Pets in Croatia and Crossing the Border
The rules regarding entrance of pets to Croatia follow the EU Countries regulations. Pets must have a microchip, a pet passport or authorized certificate. This should be stated in a clean bill of health, and they need to be vaccinated against rabies.
All mentioned rules are valid for non-commercial entry to Croatia (under 5 pets) and for low-risk countries. You are allowed to cross almost any border by car.
Travel by Car Safely
No matter from which country you are coming from to Croatia, if you travel with a dog by car, be sure to take all necessary safety measures to keep uninjured your dog and passengers. The majority of car accidents occur due to distracted driving also caused by pets. If your dog does not travel properly restrained and protected from roaming in the car salon, there is always a danger for a driver to be distracted. Some pet owners feed or pet their dogs on the road, try to come them down, allow to bark, make jerky movements close to the driver. This list is not complete.
We advise to follow the next safety rules:
- A dog may travel in a travel crate, or special car booster, absorbing the force during car accident.
- If you choose a car booster, it should be secured by safety belts, the dog must be restrained.
- Harness. In order to keep your dog from flying into the windshield during abrupt braking, you must secure him with car belts or restraints, But you can’t just attach a leach to the collar, as in car accident this will hurt dog’s neck immediately. There are special crash tested car harnesses for the purpose, except when the dog is travelling in a crate.
- If possible, put your dog on the rear seat, not in front. This is not only because a dog can distract the driver, but also because a human airbag may crash the dog. If your dog is the only passenger on the front seat, deactivate the airbag.
- Dog car barrier is another solution for SUVs and minivans to prevent your dog from crashing into the windshield.
Dog Friendly Beaches in Croatia
Croatia is famous for its stunning and diverse beaches. If you travel with your pet, make a route the way to stay on pet friendly beaches. This will allow to enjoy the sea for all of you including pets and to avoid inconvenient situations. There is a number of beaches in Croatia which will happily accept you with pets, but they are not everywhere. One of them will even surprise you with a dog beach bar, where special beer is served to dogs.
Here is a brief overview of the beaches for dogs!
The sign “Plaža za pse” means dogs are allowed!
• CRIKVENICA (Podvorsk beach)
The beach for dogs has recently been voted the best on the Croatian coast, receiving an award after the introduction of showers designed exclusively for pet-swimmers. The history of the beach begins in 2010. The Podvorska harbour has been used for years in Crikvenica by tourists for walking dogs and swimming in the sea. People did not use the small beach on the quay, so it was a logical decision to make this small beach an official dog beach.
• CRES (Beach Bjar)
In the eastern part of the camping there is a beach designed for dogs and their owners, so you and your pet have your own space to share the pleasure of the sea.
Camping Slatina: In 2008 the camping was awarded the ADAC "Yellow plate" for its innovative project "Camping with dogs". It was introduced to facilitate the coexistence of dogs and their owners with guests who have no dogs. So the camping has beaches for dogs, showers and signs related to this project.
• KOMIZA (Vartalace Beach)
The beach is ideal for pets. They will enjoy clean water on the beach of volcanic origin. Next to Vartalace is Kamienica beach, where you can find clean spring water in case your pet is thirsty.
• KRK (Coral beach, Dragica bay, Silo, Baška, Njivice).
The island of Krk has three beaches for dogs. Redagara beach, which is located in Krk near the family beach Coral, Vela beach in Baška, which is also one of the best family beaches on the Adriatic Sea, and Kijac beach in Njivice, where your pets are also allowed to stay.
• Lošinj (different places from Veli beach to Lantern)
There are several beaches for dogs on the island of Lošinj. In Mali Lošinj, one of the many beaches is located between Veli Jalal and Cape Madonna. Another one is located near Bojčić beach in Veli Lošinj after the Rovenska breakwater. Each beach is marked with a sign that the stay with dogs is allowed.
• Rovinj (bays of Lone, Cuvi and Borik Figarola)
Even three beaches in Rovinj - Cuvi Bay, Golden Cape and Borik have signs indicating that dogs are allowed to swim. At a distance of 15 meters from the sign, all dogs, regardless of size and breed, can swim under the owner's supervision, with no time limit.
In addition to the beaches for dogs in Rovinje, when it comes to accommodation facilities, it is possible to accommodate and stay with dogs in hotels, resorts and camps. In particular, when it comes to hotels that offer accommodation with dogs, these are the most exclusive five-star hotels Lone and Monte Mulini.
However, this service is additionally paid, so the owner will pay about 30 euros per day when staying with his pet. In addition, dogs can stay at a camping site (the exception is Valdaliso) or in tourist resorts where the price of a pet service is 10 euro per day.