'Hidden gem' beach with 'amazing view' is just hours from UK

A popular beach praised for its turquoise sea and white sand is just hours away from the UK. For holidaymakers wanting a picturesque location without committing to a long-haul flight, Croatia might be the perfect solution.

Just a three-hour flight from the UK, Croatia is known for its white sand, turquoise seas, car-free islands and dramatic cliffside coves. According to rental experts Villsy.com, Croatia offers all the beauty of the Maldives without the long-haul journey.

Croatian coastal bathing areas, according to the European Environment Agency’s report, are the cleanest in Europe. Tamed by its 1,244 islands, the Croatian sea is also very calm.

Toni Hrelja, founder of Villsy.com, shared a local’s guide to Croatia’s most beautiful beaches, including hidden gems where the "crystal-clear waters and stunning scenery rival the Maldives." Among them is Sakarun beach on Dugi Otok island.

According to Toni, Sakarun beach "stuns" with its shallow turquoise sea and white sand mixed with smooth pebbles. The beach features a "calm lagoon with a wide sheltered bay", which offers the shade of the pine trees.

The beach is located on Dugi Otok, an elongated island with small, peaceful villages. The island is home to only 1,500 people, and a huge nature spot Telašćica Nature Park.

On TripAdvisor, the beach is described as a "hidden gem", "a magical place" and a "pearl of sand." It has been given a 3.5 rating overall.

One reviewer said: "Sakarun is the most beautiful beach I have ever been. Crystal clear turquoise water, light sand, amazing view."

A second wrote: "One of the most beautiful beaches you can find in Croatia! It's worth spending at least a day there. We left Zadar with a tour that included a transfer with a fast catamaran (we arrived on the island in an hour) then they took us to the beach by coach!

"Wonderful. You have to walk a little to reach the bus and then to reach the beach but it's worth it. I recommend reaching the pine forest at the end of the beach to settle in the shade. There are a couple of bars, a small shop selling beach supplies and some chemical toilets that are generally clean. There are no showers."

Another added: "Carribean sea in Croatia. Far away the most beautiful beach in Croatia. Difficult to reach, the best way is by boat. A nice sandy beach with clear blue water."

Toni added: "Due to the island being remote, the beach isn’t crowded, even in the peak season, but it takes an effort to reach it." There are direct flights from London, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Liverpool and Bournemouth to Zadar.

From Zadar there are two ways to reach the island - either to take the ferry to Brbinj (1:45) or a passenger catamaran to Božava (1:20). If you don’t have a car to drive around the island, there’s a tourist train from Božava to Sakarun that goes every two hours.