Boat Rental Nin — 2027 Guide: Nin Lagoon, Zečevo, Pag Bridge and Prices

Nin is a small town on an islet in a lagoon, about 15 km north-west of Zadar, linked to the mainland by two stone bridges. Around it lie sandbars, shallow sea and salt pans, with the Velebit mountain rising behind. The sea here is different from the rest of the Zadar area: instead of rocks and deep coves, there is sand and shallow water far out from the shore. By boat from Nin you can reach Zečevo, southern Pag, Ljubač Bay and Vir in a single day and be back in the same bay by evening. This guide explains where to go, where to watch out for shallows and what a boat or a tour costs.

The Nin lagoon and its beaches from the sea

• Queen's Beach (Kraljičina plaža) and Ždrijac: long sandy beaches and sandbars around Nin, with water that deepens very gradually.
• Healing mud: in the shallows of the lagoon by Queen's Beach, bathers coat themselves in Nin mud (peloid), traditionally used for joints and skin.
• Kitesurfing: the beaches of Nin are among the best-known kitesurfing spots in Croatia, because the summer maestral blows steadily across the shallow bay in the afternoon. Give the kite zones a wide berth.
• Salt pans and the old town: next to the islet with the old town are the fields of the Nin salt works in the shallow lagoon. At the entrance to the Bay of Nin near Ždrijac, the remains of early medieval boats have been found, a sign of how long this bay has served as a harbour.

Where to go by boat from Nin

Distances are approximate, from the Nin marina:

• Vrsi and Zečevo (about 4 NM): the islet of Zečevo, north of Nin near Vrsi, has the votive church of Our Lady of Zečevo (Gospa od Zečeva). It takes about 15 minutes by speedboat and about an hour by Family Boat.
• Southern Pag: Vlašići and the Pag Bridge (about 6–7 NM): Vlašići bay on the southern coast of Pag and the Pag Bridge, an arch bridge over the Ljubač Strait (Ljubačka vrata) that links Pag with the mainland. This is the route of the Pag Bridge tour, with swimming and a chance of meeting dolphins.
• Ljubač Bay (about 5–6 NM): an enclosed bay east of Vrsi, with the village of Ljubač, mentioned in the Middle Ages as the fortress Castrum Jubae. The Pag Bridge stands at the mouth of the bay, so both are easy to combine in one trip.
• Privlaka and Vir (about 3 NM and 6 NM): Privlaka is a flat, sandy peninsula that closes the Bay of Nin to the west, and the island of Vir, linked to the mainland by a bridge, has coves looking out to Pag and the Zadar islands. In Kozjak bay on Vir are the remains of a Venetian fortress.

Shallows and navigation around Nin

• The Bay of Nin is shallow. The bottom is sandy, and the sandbars off Ždrijac and Queen's Beach reach far out from the shore. Go slowly, watch the depth and avoid the pale turquoise water over the sand.
• A shallow draft helps. The Family Boat has a shallow draft and is made for exactly these waters around Nin; larger boats keep to the deeper part of the bay.
• Swimming areas and kiters. The beaches are marked with lines of buoys, and boats do not enter them. Leave plenty of room between the buoys and the kite zones.
• Bora. The Bay of Nin is one of the places on the Adriatic where the bora blows hardest. When it is forecast, small boats stay in port.

Our boats and tours in Nin

Boats:

• Family Boat 4.5m: €130 for half a day (09:00–14:00) and €180 for a full day (09:00–18:00), up to six people, 6 hp engine, no licence needed. See the listing.
• Ranieri Sundeck 6.5m: a speedboat with a 150 hp Yamaha engine for up to eight people. Driving it yourself costs €330 for a full day (09:00–18:00), fuel not included, and a licence is required. See the listing.
• Antares 6 (7m): a motorboat with a cabin and hardtop, 150 hp, GPS, up to eight people, only with a skipper. See the listing.

Private tours (price for the whole group of up to seven people, departure from the Nin marina, skipper, fuel and life jackets included, free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure):

• Pag Bridge & Vlašići Bay Tour: 3 hours, €330, with swimming, a chance of dolphins and, if you wish, a lunch reservation at a seaside restaurant. See the tour.
• Half-Day Private Tour from Nin: 09:00–14:00, €440, coves and islands around Nin with swimming. See the tour.
• Full-Day Private Tour from Nin: 09:00–18:00, €770, with several swimming stops, a chance of dolphins and help booking a restaurant. See the tour.
• Sunset Boat Tour from Nin: 19:00–21:00, €280, with a swim and the sunset over the islands. See the tour.

This is how booking works: you send an enquiry, we check the date with the owner, you pay us the reservation, and you pay the rest to the owner on the day of the rental.

Season and wind

• June–September is the main season. In July and August the beaches around Nin are full, and from a boat it is easier to find a quieter sandbar.
• May and October bring fewer people to the beaches and the bay.
• The maestral usually starts around midday in summer and strengthens in the afternoon. That makes the morning the best time for a small boat, and the half-day rental from 09:00 to 14:00 fits it.
• The bora is more frequent in the colder part of the year, but it also blows in summer; then nobody goes out.

For the Kornati, Dugi Otok and Telašćica, see our nautical guide to Zadar, and for Beritnica, Lun and the Velebit Channel our guide to boat rental on the island of Pag.

Boat rental in Nin with Crystalium Booker

See all boats and tours on the Nin location page or send us your dates and group size through the contact page, and we will suggest a boat or a tour. Do you rent out a boat in Nin or nearby? List it with us.