Cross the Promenade, Step onto the Blue-Flag Pebble Beach
Open the balcony doors at Beach Apartments and you are looking straight down the palm trees of Strossmayerovo šetalište with the Kvarner Gulf the colour of bottle-glass behind them. Pull on a pair of swim shoes, take the front door, cross the promenade. That is the whole journey, and the Blue-Flag pebble-and-sand of Gradsko Kupalište is under your feet. Drago Ivančić, who runs the place, will already have met you at the door inside the 15:00–18:00 window, pre-purchased the digital parking ticket for your number plate if you asked, and pointed at the spider-chandelier living room of the two-bedroom unit with its mustard-yellow scatter cushions and the yellow kitchen cabinet run that is the building's signature flash of colour. Step inside the smaller studios and you swap modern Croatian boldness for raw-stone feature walls, exposed red brick and wooden-frame windows that open onto the inner garden.
The building holds four apartment and studio types, all with air conditioning, private bathrooms, self-catering kitchens and the IKEA-led palette of oak floors and saffron velour the property was refreshed into a few seasons ago. Reviewers consistently say the interiors are "just like the pictures", name Drago directly ("like a friendly ghost without any hassle", Matej, Croatia), and rate the location on the Crikvenica Riviera at one of the highest scores on the coast. Reach him on +385 98 385 889 (WhatsApp and Viber) for anything that comes up mid-stay.
The pebble beach is across the road, literally
Step out of Beach Apartments and the Blue-Flag Gradsko Kupalište mixed-pebble-and-sand beach is directly across the promenade. Couples single out the location as one of the best anywhere on the Crikvenica Riviera. Within a 10-minute walk along the seafront you reach the bronze fisherman statue, the town's aquarium (30 pools of Adriatic species), the 35-metre bell tower of St Anthony's Church, and the remains of the 15th-century Pauline monastery that gave the town its name.
For day trips, the Krk Bridge and Biserujka Cave are under 30 minutes by car, Rijeka's historic Trsat Castle is a 40-minute drive, and Plitvice Lakes and Rab Island are both comfortably reachable in a day. In summer, the 8 km "Love Path" cycling and walking loop runs unbroken along the coast from Dramalj through Crikvenica to Selce.
Bold Croatian interiors, not generic beach-rental beige
The apartments have real personality. The two-bedroom unit mixes a modern open-plan living room, grey fabric sofa, mustard-yellow scatter cushions, a striking yellow kitchen cabinet run, and a black spider chandelier, with an IKEA-led palette of oak flooring, dining chairs in saffron velour, and Adriatic seascape artwork on the walls. The smaller studios lean into their age: raw-stone feature walls, exposed red brick, wooden-frame windows that open onto the garden or the sea.
Guests consistently praise the bed comfort, and all units include flat-screen TVs, air conditioning, and double-glazed balcony doors that silence most of the promenade's summer nightlife. The two-bedroom unit adds a second full bathroom and a private terrace; the garden-view studio is the quietest choice, reviewer Lea noted she "heard almost nothing of the street noise" from its inner-garden balcony.
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Interesting Points About Beach Apartments
- Located directly above Crikvenica's Blue-Flag pebble beach on the palm-lined Strossmayerovo šetalište seafront promenade; the location draws some of the warmest guest feedback of any property in our Croatian-coast index and is the single biggest reason the stay reviews so well overall.
- Hosted in person by Drago Ivančić, who meets guests at the door and pre-buys the digital parking tickets on the City of Crikvenica's parking-app on the guest's behalf rather than asking them to figure out the local parking-zone enforcement system on arrival; a level of pre-arrival hospitality rare for a 4-unit Croatian coast self-catering let.
- Four distinct apartment and studio configurations across a single small residential building (not a multi-building complex) above the beach; the inventory mix lets families and couples book separate units in the same building, useful for multi-generation groups who want adjacency without sharing a unit.
- Blue-Flag designation for the Crikvenica town beach below the property is renewed annually based on water-quality, safety, environmental and service criteria; the editorial implication is that 'directly above the beach' does not just mean proximity but proximity to a EU-quality-certified swimming and sunbathing facility.
Rooms & Accommodation at Beach Apartments
Apartment with Sea View
Up to 4 guests · ~35 m² · 1 double + sofa bed · Sea view
A 35 m² one-bedroom apartment sleeping up to four, one double bed in the bedroom plus a sofa bed in the living space, with a full self-catering kitchen (fridge, dishwasher, stovetop, dining table), private bathroom with shower, and a sea-view balcony with outdoor furniture. Extra-long beds over 2 m, flat-screen TV, air conditioning throughout. Upper floors are accessed by stairs only.
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Studio Apartment with Sea View
2 guests · ~17 m² · 1 double · Sea view
A compact 17 m² studio for two with a private kitchenette (fridge, stovetop, kitchenware), private bathroom with shower, and a sea-view balcony. The sensible choice for couples who want the Adriatic view at the entry-level price point, reviewer Lea called her studio “cosy and big enough for one,” and bed comfort draws consistent praise across every unit.
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Two-Bedroom Apartment with Sea View
Up to 4 guests · ~55 m² · 2 doubles · Sea-view balcony + terrace
The largest unit in the building at 55 m² and the only one with both a balcony AND a terrace, both facing the Adriatic. Two proper bedrooms each with a large double bed, a full self-catering kitchen (fridge, dishwasher, oven, stovetop), private bathroom with shower, sofa and flat-screen TV in the open-plan living area. Confirmed by the property's own site as the 3rd-floor “Beach Center” two-bedroom layout.
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Studio with Garden View
2 guests · ~17 m² · 1 double · Garden view (quietest unit)
The quietest choice, a 17 m² studio for two with a balcony overlooking the inner garden rather than the promenade. Private kitchenette, private bathroom with shower, tile/marble floor, air conditioning, flat-screen TV. Reviewer Lea booked this unit and noted she “heard almost nothing of the street noise” even with summer crowds on the seafront.
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Best Suited For
- Couples wanting a front-row sea-view balcony at a fraction of the seafront-hotel price (couples leave the warmest feedback of any guest type)
- Families who want the beach and a children's playground directly across the road
- Self-catering travellers who prefer a kitchen and supermarket run to room service
- Drivers who value a host willing to pre-buy digital parking tickets on request
- Repeat Kvarner visitors who want the promenade without the chain-hotel format
Worth Considering Alternatives If
- You need a lift: the building has stairs only, across all floors.
- You travel with pets or require a cot / extra bed: none of these are offered.
- You want dead silence in July and August: the bars and restaurants below the promenade are lively past midnight (the garden-view studio is the quietest pick).
- You need a pool, restaurant or daily housekeeping: this is a self-catering property with none of these on site.
- You need 24-hour reception: arrivals are by appointment with Drago between 15:00 and 18:00.
Amenities & facilities at Beach Apartments
In-room
- Free Wi-Fi throughout the building
- Air conditioning in every room
- Flat-screen TV in every apartment
- Private balcony (Sea View units) or inner-garden balcony (Garden View studio)
- Private terrace (Two-Bedroom Apartment only)
- Tile, marble or parquet flooring
- Sea view (3 of 4 room types) or garden view (1)
Kitchen & dining
- Full kitchen with fridge, dishwasher, stovetop (Apartment + Two-Bedroom)
- Oven (Two-Bedroom Apartment only)
- Private kitchenette with fridge and stovetop (both studios)
- Full cutlery, crockery and kitchenware
- Dining table with seating (apartments)
- On-site bar and coffee shop with outdoor seating
- Not available: No on-site restaurant
- Not available: No breakfast service
Bathroom
- Private bathroom with shower in every unit
- Towels and hairdryer provided
- Toilet paper and free toiletries
- Consistently well-reviewed for cleanliness
Outdoor
- Beachfront position on Strossmayerovo šetalište promenade
- Crikvenica Town Beach across the road
- Balcony outdoor furniture
- Sea view from 3 of 4 apartment types
Services
- Meet-and-greet by host Drago Ivančić, 15:00–18:00 (advance notice required)
- Host contactable on +385 98 385 889 / WhatsApp / Viber throughout your stay
- Digital parking ticket pre-purchase on request (send your number plate)
- Not available: No reception desk / 24-hour check-in
- Not available: No room service
- Not available: No daily housekeeping
Parking & transport
- Free private parking possible at a nearby location (reservation not required)
- Public promenade parking within 200 m, approximately €1.80/hr in summer (Jun–Sep, 07:00–23:00), €0.50/hr off-season
- Crikvenica Central Bus Station, ~5–10 min walk
- Rijeka Airport (RJK), ~21 km / airport shuttle bus direct to Crikvenica
- Not available: No airport shuttle service from the property
Policies
- Check-in 15:00–18:00, check-out by 10:00
- Non-smoking throughout
- Not available: No pets allowed
- Children any age welcome; 18+ charged as adults
- Not available: No cots or extra beds available
- Quiet hours 22:00–09:00
- No stag, hen or similar parties
Location & getting to Beach Apartments
Beach Apartments sits at Strossmayerovo šetalište 21, on Crikvenica's palm-lined seafront promenade in Croatia's Kvarner Gulf, about 30–35 km south of Rijeka. The town is a traditional Austro-Hungarian health resort (officially designated in 1906), with 2,500+ sunshine hours a year, a 10 km stretch of Blue-Flag pebble and sand beaches, and a continuous pedestrian promenade that runs unbroken from Dramalj through Crikvenica to Selce.
Step out of the building and you're on the Gradsko Kupalište main beach. Turn left or right along the promenade and within a few minutes' walk you pass cafés, bakeries, gelato kiosks, the Bronze Fisherman statue, the town aquarium, and the baroque Church of St. Anthony with its 35-metre bell tower. Further afield, Krk Island (via the bridge), Trsat Castle in Rijeka, and Plitvice Lakes National Park are all practical day-trip distance.
- Crikvenica Town Beach (Gradsko Kupalište): Across the road · Blue-Flag mixed pebble/sand beach running 1.3 km with palm-tree fringe, the town's main swimming beach and Crikvenica's original Austro-Hungarian bathing establishment.
- Crni Molo Beach: ~200 yd north · The riviera's most famous gravel beach, a short stroll along the promenade.
- Crikvenica Aquarium: ~5 min walk · 30 pools of Adriatic species in a curved underwater-tank layout on Vinodolska 8, the town's favourite rainy-day stop.
- Bronze Fisherman Statue: ~3 min walk · Iconic seafront sculpture on the promenade, a classic Crikvenica photo spot.
- Church of St. Anthony of Padua: ~3 min walk · Baroque parish church with a 35-metre bell tower dominating the old town skyline.
- Kaštel Crikvenica: ~5 min walk · 15th-century former Pauline monastery, the origin of the town's name and a protected cultural monument.
- Biserujka Cave (Krk Island): ~21 km · Easily reached via the Krk Bridge, this show cave is a popular half-day excursion.
- Rijeka Airport (RJK): ~21 km · The nearest airport, on Krk Island; connected by a seasonal airport shuttle bus via Crikvenica.
Getting to Key Locations
Photo: Silverije, CC BY-SA 4.0
Crikvenica Town Beach
The Gradsko Kupalište main beach stretches 1.3 km along the promenade, mixed pebble and sand, Blue-Flag certified, palm-tree fringe. Directly across the road from Beach Apartments, so guests simply wander down barefoot after breakfast. Lifeguarded in summer; pack swim shoes for the pebbles.
View on Map
Photo: Foobian, CC BY-SA 4.0
Crikvenica Aquarium
A compact but genuinely engaging aquarium at Vinodolska 8, 30 tanks housing 100+ Adriatic species in a curved gallery layout, set on roughly 200 m² a few minutes' walk inland. The town's default rainy-day activity and a kids' favourite.
View on Map
Photo: Roberta F., CC BY-SA 3.0
Kaštel Crikvenica
The 15th-century former Pauline monastery on the promenade is the reason Crikvenica exists as a named town, “crikva” is the Old Croatian word for church. The Kaštel is a protected cultural monument and anchors the old town cluster just south of the apartments.
View on MapHow to get to Beach Apartments from Rijeka Airport
- 1. Exit Rijeka Airport and find the shuttle stop: Rijeka Airport (RJK) is on Krk Island, about 21 km south-west of Crikvenica. The airport shuttle bus stop is directly in front of the pier terminal, walk out of arrivals and you'll see it.
- 2. Take the airport shuttle toward Crikvenica: The shuttle runs in connection with flights, calling at Rijeka, Kraljevica, Omišalj and Crikvenica. Tickets are bought from the driver (typically €7 to €10). You can also take the shuttle to Rijeka Žabica bus terminal and connect to a Crikvenica-bound Arriva or Autotrans coastal bus (frequent in summer).
- 3. Alight at Crikvenica bus station: From Crikvenica's central bus station (Dom zdravlja) it's roughly a 10-minute walk along the promenade to Strossmayerovo šetalište 21. A taxi or local bus will also cover the distance.
- 4. Call Drago about an hour before you arrive: Message or call the host on +385 98 385 889 (WhatsApp / Viber work well) at least an hour before arrival so he can meet you at the door within the 15:00–18:00 window. If you're driving, send your number plate a day or two ahead and he'll pre-buy a digital parking ticket for the promenade lot.
- 5. If you're driving from further afield: Pula Airport is ~67–84 miles away; Zagreb Airport is ~180 km. Both connect to Crikvenica via the A7 / E65 coastal route and take roughly 2–3 hours by car. Rental cars are available at all three airports.
About Crikvenica and the Kvarner Riviera
Crikvenica takes its name from crikva (the Old Croatian word for church), and the 15th-century Pauline monastery that anchors the promenade is the origin of the town itself. It became one of Austria-Hungary's designated health resorts in 1906 on the back of its mild Mediterranean climate and thalassotherapy institute, and to this day it still feels closer to an Edwardian seafront town than to the busier Opatija or Pula further up the coast.
Locals sum up the calendar in three chunks: the Strawberry, Cherry and Flower Festivals in spring; the wall-to-wall "Crikvenica Summer Showtime" programme in July and August (open-air concerts across the four Riviera towns); and the flagship Fisherman's Week (Ribarski tjedan) in early September, now in its 60th year, which closes with a keelboat regatta and fireworks over the harbour. The open-water Šilo–Crikvenica Swimming Marathon on 15 August has been held every year since 1910, making it the oldest on the Adriatic.
Watch: a 4K walking tour of Crikvenica
A 4K walking tour along the exact promenade Beach Apartments sits on, past the bars, beach, aquarium and old-town church. Ideal for getting a sense of the feel of the street before you book.
What guests say about Beach Apartments
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Superb
Guests consistently praise the absolute-beachfront address, host Drago's responsive hands-on welcome, and the “just like the pictures” IKEA-led interiors; couples in particular single out the location as the reason they book. The consistent trade-off is summer-night noise from the promenade's bars below (guests note that closing the balcony doors silences most of it, and the garden-view studio is the quietest pick), plus free Wi-Fi that guests find noticeably weaker than everything else.
Excellent location, very beautiful and clean apartment with a big terrace.
Petra
Excellent location, very beautiful and clean apartment with a big terrace.
2025-09-14Everything was comfortable and clean, the host was always reachable if we needed anything. Great value.
2025-09-11Loved the proximity to the beach, the town centre, the shops and the restaurants.
2025-09-16Steps from the sea. The only downside was loud music from the bars below until late.
2025-10-03Spectacular view, stepping onto the balcony is its own holiday. The host was kind and communicative, the apartment had everything we needed.
2025-09-30Amazing location, across the road from the beach and a children's park. Food, drinks and gelato are all right downstairs, groceries a short walk away. Our host was like a friendly ghost, helpful but invisible when you wanted privacy. The big balcony is perfect for morning coffee.
2025-06-08Staff, location, price and cleanliness are five stars across the board. The mattress was a touch soft for us, nothing else to flag.
2024-09-14Top location, ideal for a solo traveller arriving by bus. I booked the garden-view studio and heard almost no street noise. Smartly IKEA-furnished, everything I needed. The cleaning lady kindly provided a washbowl for rinsing swimsuits. I'll be back.
2023-06-24Good to Know Before You Book
No lift in the building
Upper floors are accessed by stairs only. Ask Drago for a ground- or lower-floor allocation if stairs are a challenge, and be prepared to carry luggage up. This is a traditional Croatian residential building, not a hotel.
Parking is NEAR the building, not under it
The host can pre-buy a digital ticket for the Strossmayerovo šetalište public lot if you send your number plate a few days ahead. Skip this step and you'll be paying €1.80/hour in peak summer (June–September) at the metered street parking, pre-purchase is a real saver.
You're above the promenade's nightlife
Expect chatter and music from the bars below on summer evenings; reviewers consistently note that closing the balcony doors silences most of it. Couples particularly sensitive to noise should book the garden-view studio (the quietest unit) or travel outside July–August.
Coordinate your arrival with Drago
Check-in is 15:00–18:00 only, there's no 24-hour reception. Call +385 98 385 889 (WhatsApp or Viber both work) about an hour before you arrive so the host can meet you at the door and hand over keys.
Call Beach Apartments
Want to ask about availability, arrival timing, or parking? Call or WhatsApp host Drago directly.
+385 98 385 889Photos of Beach Apartments
Beach Apartments Crikvenica, frequently asked questions
Beach Apartments is at Strossmayerovo šetalište 21, directly on Crikvenica's seaside promenade in Croatia's Kvarner Gulf. The town's Blue-Flag Gradsko Kupalište pebble beach is across the road, and the central bus station is about 5–10 minutes' walk along the promenade.
The beach is immediately across the road, a few steps from the building's front door, and guests consistently single out the beachfront address as the property's defining strength.
There is free private parking at a nearby location (no reservation needed), plus a metered public lot on Strossmayerovo šetalište around 200 m from the building. The metered lot charges roughly €1.80/hour in peak summer (June–September) and €0.50/hour off-season. Host Drago Ivančić will pre-purchase a digital parking ticket for the promenade lot on your behalf, send him your number plate a few days before arrival.
Check-in is 15:00–18:00 and check-out is by 10:00. There is no 24-hour reception; host Drago meets you at the door inside the 15:00–18:00 window. Call or WhatsApp him on +385 98 385 889 about an hour before you arrive, he will confirm a precise time and meet you with the keys.
No, upper floors are accessed by stairs only. If stairs are a challenge, ask the host for a ground- or lower-floor allocation when you book.
No. Pets are not allowed and the property is non-smoking throughout. Children of any age are welcome (18+ charged as adults), but cots and extra beds are not available.
Rijeka Airport (RJK) is on Krk Island about 21 km away. A seasonal airport shuttle bus calls at Rijeka, Kraljevica, Omišalj and Crikvenica; tickets are typically €7 to €10 from the driver. From Crikvenica bus station it's a 10-minute walk along the promenade. A private transfer costs around €45 to €70. Pula and Zagreb airports are further alternatives (roughly 2–3 hours by car).
Exact nightly rates depend on the room type and your dates, and the current price is shown before you confirm. Three of the four room types have sea-view balconies, the Apartment with Sea View (35 m², sleeps 4), the Studio Apartment with Sea View (17 m², sleeps 2) and the Two-Bedroom Apartment with Sea View (55 m², sleeps 4 with both a balcony AND a terrace). The Studio with Garden View looks onto the quiet inner garden instead and is the preferred pick for light sleepers.
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Villa K&K, Rovinj
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Bova Luxury Rooms, Dubrovnik
Pick Bova, a family-run boutique guesthouse on Dubrovnik's Lapad marina-front a full day's drive south, when a hosted stay beats self-catering: you gain soundproofed sea-view rooms, a free seasonal pool and a host who greets every guest in person, and give up Beach Apartments' own kitchen.
Ready to book Beach Apartments, Crikvenica?
Front-row Adriatic, four sea-view room types, a hands-on host who pre-buys parking tickets.
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