On the north shore of Marjan, under dense pine, with concrete platforms and pebble coves, tennis courts, a running trail and a café. This is where Split actually swims — quieter than Bačvice, shadier than Kašjuni, and free.
By Marin Perić
Shade all day, which in August is worth more than sand. Ladders into deep clear water off concrete platforms, small pebble coves between them, and a forest path behind if you want to run or walk it off afterwards. Bene is the beach for people who live in Split, which means it is busier than it used to be, but it is still quieter than Bačvice and shadier than Kašjuni.
For sand instead of shade, Bačvice is the city beach.
For clearer water and a beach club, Kašjuni is on the other side of the hill.
A cafe with a terrace, a children's playground, tennis courts above the beach, a running trail through the pines, and a series of concrete platforms with ladders into deep water. The platforms are the local way to swim here — you walk down the steps, get in off the ladder, and the water is over your head immediately. The pebble coves between the platforms are better if you want to stand up in the water.
The rock below the platforms is good for snorkelling.
Free, no sunbeds, no beach club. The cafe sells drinks and ice cream and closes at sunset. Bring water shoes because the pebbles are sharp, and bring a towel rather than a mat because the platforms are concrete. The bus 12 terminates here, which makes it easy to get to and easy to leave.
Boards are for hire here too — see stand-up paddling in Split.
Right now · Autumn
Warm water and empty platforms through September and October, with the pines keeping the afternoon sun off.
Within a short walk.
Adventure
The pine-covered hill on Split's western edge, a fifteen-minute walk from the Riva and the reason the city feels liveable in August. Free, open always, with viewpoints, hermit chapels, swimming coves at the bottom and a proper trail network on top.
Family
The south side of Marjan drops straight into clear water over rock rather than sand, which is exactly what you want and exactly what the city beaches are not. Bring a mask, walk in off the stones at Kašjuni or Bene, and it costs nothing.
Beaches
The best beach within reach of the city: white pebbles, clear deep water and pine shade on the south side of Marjan. A beach club at one end, empty rock at the other, and a sunset that faces exactly the right way.
Adventure
Bolted limestone routes on Marjan's south face, fifteen minutes from the old town, with the sea directly below. Guided beginner sessions run all year; the rock faces south so winter is often better than summer.
Adventure
Board hire from Kašjuni and Bene for about €15 an hour, or a guided paddle along the Marjan cliffs. Flat water most mornings and a shoreline with no boat traffic close in — one of the easier places to learn.
Adventure
Three hours paddling the cliffs and hidden coves along Marjan's south shore, with two swim stops and a cave you can only reach by water. The best way to see Split from the side it was built to face, and easy enough for a complete beginner.
Beaches
Split's city beach, and the only proper sand within walking distance of the palace. Shallow for fifty metres, which makes it excellent for small children and the reason picigin — Split's own barefoot ball game — was invented here.
Beaches
The long, recently rebuilt beach strip east of the centre: wide promenade, sports courts, beach clubs, plenty of space and proper accessible entries into the water. Little shade, but the easiest beach in Split to spend a whole day at with children.
Beaches
A small sandy bay just past Bačvice, in front of the tennis club where Goran Ivanišević learned to play. Shallow, calm and mostly families — the quieter alternative when Bačvice is a wall of people.
Beaches
A small pebble beach below the Meštrović Gallery, dominated by a diving platform and a café under the pines. Deep water, no crowds and a strong neighbourhood feel — this one is genuinely local.