MY 4 FAVOURITE BEACHES NEAR JELSA, HVAR YOU SHOULD VISIT!

If you’re visiting Jelsa and looking for beaches, these are my favourite beaches near Jelsa that you simply have to visit!

Hvar has some of the most stunning beaches of any Croatian island, and there are so many of them worth exploring. I visit Hvar almost every year, so I’ve seen quite a huge range of beaches the island has to offer, although a lot of them do require having a car to reach.

If you want to stay somewhere that’s not Hvar Town but is still close to some great beaches, Jelsa could be the perfect base for you. There are quite a few beautiful beaches nearby, and these are my 4 favourite beaches near Jelsa that I highly recommend visiting!

MINA BEACH – ONE OF THE CLOSEST BEACHES TO JELSA

Mina Beach is one of the easiest beaches to visit if you’re staying in Jelsa, because it’s just a short 15-minute walk from the town centre. It’s a small, sheltered bay with beautiful clear water and a shallow entry that stays shallow for several metres, so it’s especially great if you’re visiting with children.

The beach is mostly sandy, which is quite rare on Hvar, and there’s also plenty of natural shade. Because of that, and its convenient location near the town, Mina can get quite busy during summer, so if you’re visiting during peak season, come early in the morning and be prepared for quite a lot of people.

If you don’t like that, another plus is that you can escape to the rocky parts of the beach on either side, where you can get a bit more privacy. There are also a few beach bars where you can grab drinks and some food, and if you’re coming by car, there’s a parking lot where you can park for €5 a day.

Overall, I really love this beach, especially when you visit in June or September when the crowds aren’t as crazy!

GREBISCE BEACH – ONE OF MY FAVOURITE BEACHES NEAR JELSA

Grebisce is easily one of my favourite beaches near Jelsa and one I always recommend to visitors. It’s located just a few minutes’ drive from Jelsa, and you can even reach it on foot if you’re up for a longer, 30-minute walk. It’s around 15 minutes from Mina Beach, so if you want, you can easily combine the two!

Grebisce is this really beautiful bay with crystal-clear water, shallow sea, and lovely nature all around. The beach is sandy, and there are pine trees around the bay that provide quite a bit of shade throughout the day. It’s perfect for families with children, but also anyone else who loves a sandy beach!

It’s one of the prettiest beaches on Hvar in my opinion, so don’t expect it to be empty (we took these photos in May)! There’s also a really nice beach bar where you can get a drink or a snack, and parking nearby costs €7 per day!

ZENCISCE BEACH – ONE OF THE CALMER BEACHES NEAR JELSA

If you’re looking for a quieter beach close to Jelsa, but similar to the two mentioned before, Zencisce is definitely worth checking out. This one doesn’t look too different from the previous two, with crystal-clear sea and some natural shade. However, it’s mostly a concrete beach, so you can lay down your towel on the platform and enjoy the sea, and there’s even a pier where you can jump into the water.

It’s located just outside Jelsa, around 30 minutes on foot from Mina Beach or 15 minutes by car from Jelsa town centre. There’s parking nearby, and as far as I remember, it was free the last time we visited. There’s also a beach bar, Zen, which operates here during the season.

Zencisce is a great choice if you prefer calmer beaches without too many people and without too many facilities. I can’t say I prefer it over Mina or Grebisce, but this one definitely has fewer people than those two, so it really depends on what you want from your beach day!

SOLINE BEACH – A BEAUTIFUL BEACH NEAR VRBOSKA

Finally, I’ll mention Soline Beach, although it’s not actually in Jelsa but in Vrboska. It’s just 10 minutes by car from Jelsa town centre. We stayed at Aminess Senses Resort, which is basically right on this beach, and that’s how we discovered it.

It’s a beautiful beach surrounded by dense pine trees, so it’s perfect for anyone who really enjoys being surrounded by nature. You can also walk along the coast from the beach and find plenty of rocky and pebbly beaches scattered around, so if you don’t like crowds, you can easily find a more secluded spot.

The water is incredibly clear and the beach itself is beautiful, but you do have to keep in mind that it’s next to a hotel, so it can get quite crowded in peak season. When we visited, there was almost no one there and it was absolutely magical.

There’s a restaurant and beach bar there, as well as an inflatable waterpark for kids, so if you want something that’s still very natural but also has a few more facilities and activities, this one could be perfect for you!

CONCLUSION: SO, WHICH IS THE BEST BEACH NEAR JELSA?

All of these beaches near Jelsa are absolutely lovely, but if I had to rank them, I’d say Grebisce Beach is definitely the best overall because it has plenty of shade, a sandy and shallow beach, and great amenities.

Best for convenience would definitely be Mina Beach, because you can reach it on foot in about 15 minutes from Jelsa and it’s absolutely beautiful. However, it does get really crowded because of its convenient location.

Best for a quieter beach day is Zencisce Beach, as it’s a bit further away and usually has fewer people. And best for nature is Soline Beach, because you can really get lost between the trees and walk along the coast to find little spots to swim, rather than staying right on the main Soline beach where everyone gathers.

If you have more time to explore the island and have a car, don’t miss Dubovica Beach and Malo Zarace Beach either!