Croatia Packing List: Top 5 Must-Haves

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Look, if you’re planning a trip to Croatia in summer my first tip to you is reconsider. Go in spring, or in September/October. I hear it’s lovely then. It was lovely in August as well. But HOT. Still, if you find yourself with plane tickets to Croatia in August or any summer month heed this Croatia packing list well.

And, spend as much time cooling off in the sea as possible.

Croatia Summer Packing List

Here’s what to pack for summer in Croatia so you can be better prepared than I was:

1. Swimsuit and beach towel

This is your 2-in-1 because who packs one without the other?

Welp, I did. Oops.

I ended up paying for a towel at a pricey stand near the beach as a result. I had figured I could simply use the towels at my Airbnb or hotel but they were all far too bulky and not always beach-appropriate.

For something lightweight that dries quickly, try a microfiber towel for your travels.

2. Cover-up that doubles as a dress

woman standing on steps outdoors near a stone wall wearing a yellow floral dress and straw hat

Even if you’re in the water a ton, you’re not going to want to walk around anywhere else in only your swimsuit and towel. Well, you may want to. But don’t. You will stand out and it may be seen as crass.

I saw plenty of folks wearing cute cover-ups around town, ones that easily doubled as summer dresses.

Aside from formal beaches, you’ll notice a lot of random access points to go swimming around the cities. Better to be prepared with a cover-up that can do double duty.

3. Straw hat

A cap won’t cut it here and your sunglasses will not suffice either. These aren’t always the easiest to pack without squashing, but I’ve found I can make mine fit nicely if I leave a gap at the top of my backpack.

You’ll want additional shade from the sun beyond what sunglasses can provide, and anything other than a straw hat or visor will probably make your hair sweat off your head. I highly recommend the straw hat route.

4. Breathable, flowy clothes ONLY

I, for some reason, took it as a given that evenings in Croatia would be cooler than its days.

Wrong.

Sure, the sun wasn’t in my eyes after sundown and I could ditch the hat. But there was no change in temperature.

The cute new jeans I’d brought along for some evening wear never debuted and only weighed down my suitcase as I traveled from city to city. Bring dresses, skirts and flowy shorts or linen pants instead

For men, ditch the undershirt and tee combo for tanks and shorts instead.

5. Water shoes

pebble beach shore with boats in the water

I read about water shoes when I was doing my own research on packing for Croatia, but chose to ignore it.

The majority of Croatia’s beaches are pebble beaches rather than sand. This means, both on the shore and in the actual water, you’re walking on smooth yet hard rock. You also need to be aware of sea urchins.

If anyone, only locals who have grown up used to pebbles under their feet may go without shoes. Though, even this was rare.

I disregarded this tip about packing water shoes, who knows why? Mistake. The first night I tried to go swimming I literally could not figure out how to get into the water without slipping on rocks.

By the time my next beach day came around, I first went to buy water shoes from a stand. They were not cute, not even a little bit, but they definitely did the trick.

So, my advice to you is to buy a cute (as cute as water shoes can be) pair on Amazon before you go. I personally like the athletic look of these.

If you hate how the regular water shoes look, you could even go with jellies instead. Bottom line is you need some sort of shoe for swimming.

Final Thoughts: Croatia Packing List

These top five essentials are a must for visiting Croatia in summer, but the full list of what you should pack for international trips is longer. Prepare well and enjoy your adventure!