Are you planning a road trip in Croatia and wondering what to do on Rab Island? With its superb medieval town with four bell towers, sandy beaches, preserved forests, and wild coves, it’s a top destination for a vacation. Easily accessible, the smallest island in the Kvarner archipelago—which also includes Cres and Krk—is located just 15 minutes by ferry from the mainland.
In this travel guide you’ll find all my tips for visiting Rab Island, the must-see sights not to miss, as well as the most beautiful beaches. I also share great accommodation options on where to stay on Rab Island for all budgets.
Things to do on Rab Island: map of must-see sights
The town of Rab
This beautifully preserved medieval town of Roman origin is undoubtedly the main tourist attraction to visit on Rab Island. The town, set on a narrow peninsula surrounded by walls, features four Romanesque bell towers alongside medieval houses and Baroque palaces.
On the food side, the town has its own specialty, Rab cake (rapska torta in Croatian), made with almond powder and maraschino liqueur. This dessert was first served in 1177 to Pope Alexander III during the blessing of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Rab. If you want to see how it’s made, head to the Kuca rabske torte restaurant shop, otherwise you’ll find it in all the souvenir shops in Rab.
St. Mary’s Cathedral and Bell Tower
Built in the 4th century in a pre-Romanesque architectural style, St. Mary’s Cathedral was modified in the 12th century in a Romanesque style. Its current appearance, with Tuscan influences, dates from the 15th century. Note the marble statue above the entrance—it depicts Saint Christopher holding a child on his knees. Inside, the cathedral houses several paintings and relics of Saint Christopher, who saved the island and its inhabitants before being beheaded.
The 26-meter-high bell tower dates from the 12th century; it is the tallest in Rab and one of the most beautiful in Croatia. After climbing the narrow and steep stairs, you’ll enjoy a superb panorama over the red rooftops, the bell towers of the town of Rab, St. Mary’s Cathedral, and the surrounding islands.
Price: €2 | Opening hours: 9:30 am – 1 pm and 7:30 pm – 10 pm
Monastery of St. Andrew
Continuing along the narrow Ivana Rablijanina street after the bell tower of St. Mary’s Cathedral, you reach the Benedictine Monastery of St. Andrew. It was founded in 1018, but its current appearance dates from the 18th century. The bell tower attached to the church was built in 1181; it is the oldest on Rab Island. The bell still in use dates from 1396.
Church of St. Justina
A little further on, still heading north, you reach Gornja Street, one of the three parallel streets that run through the town of Rab from north to south. It intersects the small Slobode Square, planted with a holm oak, where you’ll find the Church of St. Justina with its façade and beautiful red bell tower. This Benedictine monastery built in 1573 was closed in 1808 and has now been converted into a museum of sacred objects.
From Slobode Square, stairs lead down to a promenade along the sea, giving access to small pebble beaches on the west coast of the town of Rab.
Tower and ruins of the Church of St. John
The last of the four bell towers in the town is located at the Church of St. John—or rather what remains of it, as the building has been in ruins since the 19th century. It was founded in the 5th century and later passed from the Benedictines to the Franciscans. The 20-meter tower still standing was added during the Romanesque period.
Price: 10 Kn | Opening hours: 9:30 am – 1 pm and 7:30 pm – 10 pm
Streets of Rab
As soon as you pass through the walls to enter Rab’s old town, the cobbled streets lined with palaces, stone houses, churches, and towers immediately take you back in time. The medieval streets seemed almost deserted during our trip in September. Even though the island is a tourist destination, it’s far from the crowds we saw in recent days in Rovinj or Porec.
It’s easy to find your way around the town of Rab as it consists of only three parallel streets. Donja ulica (lower street) runs along the walls, Srednja ulica (middle street) is the liveliest with its shops, and Gornja ulica (upper street) is where you’ll find the churches and bell towers.
Viewpoint over the town of Rab
From the large square located in the north of the town (Trg Sv. Kristofora), take the stairs along the walls to reach a small alley. Then turn right under an archway (without leaving the walls) to arrive in a small courtyard. Inside, you’ll find a stone staircase leading up to the walls and an observation platform. The viewpoint is not signposted in the town, but by heading to the northeasternmost point of the medieval town, you should find it easily.
To take great photos of the panorama with the four towers, you should come in the late afternoon, as in the morning the sun is directly in front of you. This free viewpoint is a good alternative if you don’t want to pay for access to the bell tower of St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Komrcar Park and seaside promenade
This 8.3-hectare park located north of the town of Rab is perfect for cooling off during sunny summer days. It offers a pleasant walk, especially in the late afternoon at sunset. The many benches with views of the sea and the islands make it an ideal spot for a picnic break. The paths of Komrcar Park lead down to the promenade that runs along the seafront on the west side of the town, where you’ll find pebble beaches. If you want to watch the sunset in Rab, this is the place to go.
Monastery of St. Euphemia
This Franciscan monastery built in the 13th century is located 2.5 km from the town of Rab toward Kampor. The route can easily be done on foot along the coastline, but we chose to stop there by car during our visit to the north of Rab Island. Beautifully set in a bay facing the sea, you can visit inside the Monastery of St. Euphemia, including the cloister, the baroque church with its painted ceiling, and a small museum.
Beaches on Rab Island
Even though it has a lovely medieval town, tourists mainly come to Rab Island to enjoy its beaches—and quite unusually for Croatia—its stretches of sand. So I’ll say it again like in the other articles on this blog: we were disappointed by Croatian beaches. We expected it wouldn’t compare to our last trip (a road trip in Corsica), but the beaches we saw were nothing exceptional. Luckily, we still found a nice spot on the island that I’ll tell you about below.
In this guide, I’ve listed the main beaches on Rab Island and those that are equipped, but you’ll also find many small wild coves for swimming. Note that both public and private beaches on Rab Island do not allow dogs and are all equipped with showers.
For your information, if you see beaches marked “FKK” (freikörperkultur), these are naturist beaches. The practice is quite common in the country, and you’ll find them almost everywhere. In fact, naturism in Croatia began on Rab Island at the beginning of the 20th century.
Kupaliste Beach
This is the beach of Rab’s old town, ideal for a quick swim if you’re staying within the walls. It’s accessible via a staircase from Slobode Square where the Church of St. Justina is located, and from Komrcar Park to the north of the town. The concrete promenade that runs along the entire west coast of Rab to Palit has several staircases leading down to the sea. There is also a very small beach made of a mix of sand and pebbles.
For sunbed lovers, a private beach is set up just a few meters after the public beach. Renting a sunbed for the day costs €6.50. It is managed by the friendly bar-restaurant Banova vila, the perfect place to enjoy a drink while watching the sunset.
Skver Beach
Located at the northern end of Komrcar Park, Skver Beach is accessible from the seaside promenade starting from the old town or from Palit. The advantage of this location is that it has free parking near the marina (GPS coordinates). On site, there is a restaurant and a private beach offering sunbeds with umbrellas for €5 per day. Just beyond, a small sandy and pebble area allows you to enjoy Skver Beach for free.
We didn’t really like this place; the slightly run-down restaurant looked quite sad in September without tourists. So if you’re going to small beaches, you might as well head straight to Kupaliste in the old town of Rab.
Rajska Beach (Paradise Beach)
Paradise Beach is located at the very north of Rab Island in the municipality of Lopar. It’s a large stretch of sand with many sunbeds available for rent. For a full day, expect to pay 40 Kn for a sunbed and 40 Kn for an umbrella (or two sunbeds and one umbrella for 80 Kn). The nearest parking lot is quite small; if you visit Rab Island in July or August, it may be difficult to find a spot.
The beach itself is quite nice, but don’t expect to swim as the water is extremely shallow. You can walk 100 meters out and still only have water up to your knees. You can almost walk to the island located in front of the beach. However, it’s ideal for young children, who can safely splash around without losing footing.
Livacina Beach
A bit further than Paradise Beach but still in the municipality of Lopar, Livacina Beach offers a beautiful sandy stretch with sunbeds. The Adriatic Sea doesn’t seem any deeper here than at Paradise Beach, but as we visited after a rain shower, there was almost no one around. The beach is known to be quieter than the previous one, and the parking lot is larger.
On site, you can rent pedal boats with slides (70 Kn per hour) and small motorboats (250 to 700 Kn depending on type and duration).
Matovica and Suha Punta Beaches
In the northwestern part of Rab Island in the municipality of Kampor, you’ll find several wild coves forming Matovica and Suha Punta beaches. There is no designated parking; we parked along the road near the tennis courts (here). Then you need to walk a few minutes along the coastline to reach Matovica Beach, made up of a mix of sand and pebbles. Continuing along the path, you’ll reach Suha Punta Beach.
Pudarica Beach
I’ve saved the best spot for last—Pudarica Beach is the most beautiful on Rab Island and the only one that made us want to swim. If you visit Rab Island, I highly recommend going to Plaža Pudarica (its Croatian name).
This beautiful sandy beach is bordered by turquoise water that is deep enough for swimming. It is equipped with showers and toilets, and there is a snack bar on site. A few sunbeds are available for rent for 30 Kn (€4) per day, plus 20 Kn for an umbrella. You can even rent small wooden platforms for two people on the other side of the concrete pier. The waters are very calm as they are protected by Otok Dolin, the island you see in front.
Pudarica Beach is located at the very south of Rab Island (GPS coordinates), just before reaching the Misnjak ferry dock. There is no parking on site, but in September we were able to park easily along the road. In high season, I recommend arriving early to find a parking space and a spot on the sand to lay your towel, as the beach is not very large.
Where to stay on Rab Island?
Accommodation in the old town of Rab is full of charm and has the advantage of being right next to the main sights, some beaches, and restaurants. The only downside is that you’ll need to use the public parking in town to park your vehicle. Accommodation outside the medieval town has the advantage of offering free private parking and being more convenient if you plan to use your car frequently to explore the island and go to the beach.
I recommend staying in Rab or around the old town. Even though the seaside resort of Lopar at the very north of the island has several sandy beaches and many apartments for rent, we didn’t find the area particularly appealing (not to mention the lack of bars or restaurants for going out in the evening). In addition, our favorite beach is located at the very south of the island and therefore quite far from Lopar.
Old town of Rab
- 48 € : Four Towers Apartments, this 15 m² apartment with exposed stone walls has a dining area. Located in the heart of the historic center, it’s one of the cheapest options for staying in Rab’s old town.
- 85 € : APT. OLD TOWN, this 106 m² apartment can accommodate up to 6 people (perfect for large families) and has a terrace with sea views and views of the town’s bell towers. Garden with barbecue.
- 145 € : Arbiana Heritage Hotel, one of the few hotels in Rab’s old town, located in a historic building combining Austro-Hungarian tradition with modern amenities. Some rooms have sea views. Breakfast included and private parking at €15/day.
Around Rab
- 48 € : Petra Apartment, this modern 23 m² apartment, newly renovated, has a terrace and free parking. It’s one of the cheapest accommodations on Rab Island, located on the heights above the town.
- 50 € : Apartments Rožić, this 35 m² studio has a fully equipped kitchen, perfect for cooking during a longer stay on Rab Island (the old town is easily accessible on foot). You can even dine on the balcony. Free parking.
- 53 € : APP Leo, 35 m² apartment for 2 people with everything you need for a stay exploring Rab Island. Terrace with garden and barbecue and free parking.
- 70 € : Apartments Lumar, this is the apartment we chose for our stay on Rab Island. What we loved most was the magnificent view from the terrace (see photo below). The 36 m² accommodation with kitchenette is brand new and includes a parking space (the road to access it is quite narrow, though). In season, there is a swimming pool (closed during our stay in September). The island’s largest supermarket is just a few minutes away by car. We 100% recommend it!
- 94 € : Apartment Olga-5, this 110 m² house has two bedrooms and can accommodate up to 6 people. Equipped kitchen including a washing machine. The big plus is the swimming pool, which is rare. Free parking. A great accommodation option for visiting Rab Island.
Tips and travel guide for visiting Rab Island
Ferry to Rab Island
A car ferry runs between Stinica on the mainland and Misnjak at the southern tip of Rab Island. The 15-minute crossing costs €17 for a car and two people (a bit cheaper out of season). From May to September, a ferry runs between the two ports every hour from 4 am to midnight (half as often in winter). You can check the crossing times on the Rapska Plovidba company website. Tickets can be purchased directly at the port of Stinica or Misnjak. There is no need to book in advance; just arrive early enough to be sure to board the ferry.
Boat rental on Rab Island
With its many wild coves and surrounding islands, why not consider a private boat trip away from the crowds? You might even be lucky enough to spot dolphins during your outing on the Adriatic Sea. Click&Boat, a leader in online rentals of sailboats, catamarans, and motorboats, offers the best prices and a selection of over 55,000 boats from both private owners and professionals. You can choose a boat with or without a license, and with or without a professional skipper—the options are numerous for spending one or several days at sea. It’s an original way to visit Rab Island.
You’re know now the best things to do on Rab Island. If you have any questions about things to do in Rab, feel free to ask them in the comments.