Waterparks in Croatia

Sure, the Croatian coastline has kilometres and kilometres of coastline – 1,777 kilometres to be exact. (That’s 1,104 miles if you’re English.) If your family consists of water babies and keen swimmers, you’ll have an ideal time splashing about in the Adriatic and/or in a hotel pool day in day out. But you know what gets kids (and older water babies) even more excited? A water park! There’s no denying that for some, whizzing down all sorts of “death-defying” slides, aiming water cannons at already drenched relatives and then relaxing on the laziest of lazy rivers is what makes a holiday. So, without further ado, it’s time we looked at waterparks in Croatia!

Note – yes, in Croatia, waterparks are generally referred to as aquaparks.

Aquapark Dalmatia, Sibenik, Dalmatia

Let’s start with a rather unusual waterpark for Croatia. Unusual how? Unusual because this one is actually open year-round! Now before you start thinking you need to pull on your woollen hat and gloves along with your cossie for water fun in December, I’ll explain by saying that part of Aquapark Dalmatia is actually indoors.

That’s right, as of summer 2024, Aquapark Dalmatia has expanded and now includes a fairly large indoor section to go with its exciting outdoor facilities. The park now consists of a 610-metre-long lazy river, 820 metres of slides (what now?!), a large wellness club with indoor pool, family-themed indoor playroom and changing rooms and plenty of water toys and games – sprinklers, cannons, jets, waterfalls and more.

This park is located adjacent to the Amadria Park Resort on the outskirts of Sibenik. It’s ideal for guests of this large-scale resort – who receive a slight discount on the entry fee – but is open to all. It costs The indoor-only area in off-season costs €15 per day for kids of 90cm to 120cm in height and €30 for anyone taller than that; kids below 90cm in height can enter for free. During the summer season, it is €20 for kids and €40 for larger kids. (2024 prices)

• More info: aquapark-dalmatia.com
• Best places to stay to enjoy this waterpark: one of the hotels in the Amadria Park resort (you will then be within easy walking distance); families will enjoy the Hotel Jakov or the Hotel Andrija

Istralandia, near Novigrad, northern Istria

The name Istralandia always makes me chuckle because it sounds so grand. It also sounds a little as if Istria got in a huff and separated from the rest of Croatia (please don’t do this in real life, Istria) and came up with a very important name.

But what is actual Istralandia like? There are multiple pools including the Family Pool (with a fun photo opportunity through a glass wall); a kids’ Jumping Pool (because to kids like more about pools than jumping in them); a kids’ pool with a “sunken” pirate ship and other play facilities; a wave pool and a hydromassage pool for a calmer way of life. There is also a spray arena which – well, let’s just say that kids will get a kick out of making everyone wetter than it is ever possible to be.

Moving on to slides, the four mini surf slides are ideal for younger kids who don’t want to slide down anything too scary. Bigger kids will love the 81-metre-long Sea Hole circular ride, while adrenaline-seekers will delight in the multitude of other slides such as the Crazy Hills slides. (How can you not make an immediate beeline for a waterpark attraction named like this?)

There are several snack bars and restaurants here serving mostly fast food, but that’s normally the order for the day in these kinds of places when you need to recharge.

During the peak summer months, you will also see some additional kids’ entertainment such as aqua zumba.

• More info: www.istralandia.hr
• Best places to stay to enjoy this waterpark: If you wish to stay reasonably near, consider places in Novigrad and Umag which would only be about a 10 to 20-minute drive away. Otherwise, Porec (30 minutes away) is also suitable.

Aquapark Cikat, Mali Losinj, island of Losinj

A smaller waterpark than the two listed above, Aquapark Cikat may in fact be where you need to head to if you prefer to avoid the crowds that waterparks in summer generally attract.

Part of Camping Cikat on the island of Losinj, this waterpark covers an area of 6,300 square metres with over 2,400 square metres of pools and other water fun. That includes a large 25-metre by 33-metre pool as well as a hydro pool and pools with water toys and a playground, as well as one with two slides. In addition to that, there are two smaller splash pools for the true water babies – as in, the guests who are literal babies.

There are snack bars for you to refuel and fun activities for children and adults – such as fitness programmes, beach volleyball, football and basketball.

Entry is free for those who stay in Camping Cikat, whilst it costs €20 for those aged 7 and over and €15 for guests aged between 3 to 7. (Kids under 3 can enter for free.) (2025 prices)

• More info: www.camp-cikat.com/aquapark-in-cikat.aspx
• Best places to stay to enjoy this waterpark: Well, you couldn’t be better located than if you stay in Camping Cikat! The campsite offers mobile homes, glamping tents and pitches for motorhomes.

Zaton Holiday Resort, near Zadar, Dalmatia

This one’s slightly different to the waterparks in Croatia listed above as it is solely for holiday guests and on the smaller side when it comes to daredevil slides. (The pool area is very large, however!) The expansive Zaton Holiday Resort is set around a 1.5-kilometre-long sandy bay with beautiful gardens and excellent sports facilities. The waterpark element of the resort consists of 2,500 square metres of pools including a large children’s pool with a water playground, and two water slides. In fact, there will be a brand new pool complex for 2025.

Of course, as this smaller waterpark is within a holiday resort, it is only open to guests of the complex. But if you want your summer days filled with water slides and splash zones all day every day, perhaps this is the accommodation to base yourself at?

• More info: www.zaton.hr/en/resort
• Best places to stay to enjoy this waterpark: At the Zaton Holiday Resort itself, of course!

Other Ideas for Waterparks in Croatia

Not proper waterparks in the sense of multiple pools and slide and water sprinklers as far as the eye can see, some thermal spas have indoor pool areas which also offer at least one kind of fun slide. An example of this is the Aqua Vitae resort in Krapinske Toplice in northern Croatia. Their 500 square metre indoor-outdoor pool contains a slide that’s 5 metres in height and 50 metres in length. They also have a wave pool, and a warm-water children’s pool with spouts and fountains.

Inflatable Waterparks in Croatia…of sorts

If you’ve holidayed on the Croatian coast during summertime in the last few years, you will have noticed large-ish inflatable structures moored just off some beaches in Croatia. Okay, so they’re not really aquaparks as they’re normally quite a small (comparatively), singular structure but if it involves sliding into or being flung into the sea, I’m sure your kids will be down for it.

You can’t really miss them – normally yellow and green, these structures contain multiple steps, slides, bridges and the like. It’s quite common to see groups of kids use them as a sort of assault course, trying to race around the full loop in the fastest time possible. In reality, most participants seem keenest to climb up as high as possible before flinging themselves into the Adriatic in the most dramatic fashion!

Although these waterparks on the sea are open, you absolutely do need to pay to use them. Normally you’ll see a beach hut where you can pay for an hour’s access. (Or more, if you’re somehow not exhausted by the first sixty minutes!)