What to visit on the island of Rab

Resort Lando is located on the island of Rab, in Kampor, in the bay of Mel. It extends to 6000 square meters along one of the most beautiful bays on the island of Rab. Along the entire resort there is a beautiful beach with tiny sand that is ideal for enjoying the sea joys all day long. It is surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation, which is part of the forest reserve “Dundo” which provides a perfect refuge from the hot summer days. The island of Rab is an ideal choice for a holiday because it takes you from the mainland to the island’s atmosphere only 15 minutes by boat. Many activities are waiting for you in Rab – historical buildings speaking untold stories, a great number of beautiful beaches and peaceful bays for sun and sea enjoyment, numerous cycling, walking and trekking routes stretching along the coast or through the park-forests of the Mediterranean vegetation or a climb to Kamenjak – 408 meters high limestone massif. For those who are enjoying the water sports- there are 5 diving centers that are waiting for you to give you a new perspective of your vacation.

Beaches on Rab

In addition to the beautiful beaches and bays that are located in the bay of Mel, in the immediate vicinity of our Resort, there are many beautiful beaches on Rab which is a Croatian island with the most sandy beaches. We’ll highlight some of them:

Suha Punta

Suha Punta, located on the peninsula of Kalifront, covers pebble beaches and rocks from which you can practice jumping into the water. Along the beach you can find cocktail bars, restaurants, courts for sports, places to rent a pedal boat, or rent sunbeds and umbrellas and enjoy the joys of the sea. You can reach Suha Punta by car for which you have parking, bicycle or boat taxi from the town of Rab.

Paradise beach

This beach is the most famous beach of the island of Rab. It is located in Lopar 12km north of the town of Rab, and it is 2km long. It is specific for fine sand and shallow, clean and warm sea that the young ones adore. On Paradise Beach you can find many restaurants, cafes, cocktail bars, as well as many fun activities such as pedal boats, aqua park, water sports, and plenty of activities for children. If you have taken your pet to a holiday, they are welcome to the southern part of the beach.

City beach Banova Vila

The most famous city beach on the island of Rab, at the same time the favorite beach of Rab locals. It is situated on the coastal part of the old city center of Rab. This beach is partly pebbled, paved and rocky, offering its visitors different experiences. On this beach there is a water polo court, you can rent deck chairs and umbrellas but also kayaks and pedal boats. For the refreshment we suggest you to visit the cult beach bar of Banova vila which offers you a wide range from hot drinks, smoothies, cocktails to sandwiches and salads.

Livačina

The Livačina beach is located east of Rajska Beach and is especially popular among the younger population due to its cleanliness, shallow sea and its contents, such as bars and restaurants. On this beach, visitors often play picigin – a fun game with a ball in the sea.

Pudarica

Pudarica is a beach with the most famous beach bar in Croatia – Santos. This pebble beach offers a beautiful view of the town of Rab and is said to experience the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. It is located in Barbat, 4 km south of Rab.

Naturist beach

On Rab there are also naturist beaches – Sahara Beach, Ciganka Beach and Kandarola Beach. Each of them is specific in its own way.

Beach Sahara

It is a 30-minute walk from Rajska beach, it is sandy and specific in that there are no tourist facilities, which allows you to enjoy peace and privacy. You can reach it by foot or by bike.

Beach Ciganka

It is specific in that it contains interesting rocky structures and the sea around is emerald green. Find your place on the sunny sandy plateaus and enjoy privacy. This beach is located in the northern part of Lopar and you can reach it by foot or by car.

Beach Kandarola

It’s also called the beach of England, and it was nicknamed because of the arrival of King Edward VIII of England. This beach is located on the peninsula Frkanj, and you can reach it by car or by boat taxi from Rab and Palit.

Cultural sights of Rab

Rab has a rich history and accordingly carries a multitude of architectural and cultural remains that record the traces of past times. The city of Rab is best known for its 4-bellion vision, due to which many compare it with a sailboat with 4 masts. These 4 bell towers are: the belfry of the cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the belfry of the church of St. John the Evangelist (located next to the ruins of the church), the belfry of the church of St. Andrija Apostol and the belfry of the church of St. Justine.

Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

According to records, this cathedral was originally built in the 4th Century as an early Christian church and later reorganized in an architectural style that corresponds to the Romanesque style. The last renovation of this church took place in the 15th Century, which resulted in the cyborium above the main altar which is distinguished by its diverse architectural styles. On the front of the canteen there is a marble statue depicting St. Christopher walking through the water with a child on his shoulders. In this church there is the skull of Sv. Christopher, who is the protector of Rab because he saved the island and its inhabitants, but, in addition to his skull, this church is a treasure trove of relics and precious paintings.

Bell tower and relics of the church of St. John the Evangelist

Church of St. Ivan the Evangelist is the only medieval sacred building on Rab, which has a march around the altar. According to the data, the basilica was built in the pre-Christian period, and during the renovation in the Romanesque period it received an existing bell tower which is 20 meters high. The church collapsed in the 19th Century and since then there are relics of the church that you can find today in Rab.

Monastery and bell tower of St. Andrew

Sv. Andrija has existed since the early 11th century. The bell tower is part of a three-necked church that was restored in the 18th Century, making it a unique combination of Baroque and Romanesque styles. This belfry is the oldest bell tower on the island.

City walls, palaces, towers and city clock

The old town of Rab is surrounded by walls built in the 12th century. On the walls there are also two towers (St. Christophor’s Tower and Smjelih Tower), which were built in the 15th century in order to strengthen the fortification. Within the city walls there are also three palaces. Dominique Nimira Palace dates back to the 15th Century, built by the Dominis family, who taught people of Rab to read and write. The palace is built in Renaissance style and you can find a portal with the coat of arms of the Dominis family inside it. The Bakota Palace is an example of the Gothic Venetian building, which today contains a garden wall with a portal. Rector’s Palace is the most important secular building in the city of Rab. It was built in Gothic-Renaissance style, but it is essentially a set of palaces built at different times. Above the Rector’s Palace is dominated by a square tower that features the Gothic and Renaissance style windows.

The Franciscan Monastery of St. Euphemia

At the bottom of the bay of St. Euphemia in Kampor, the most picturesque bay on the island of Rab, is the Franciscan monastery of the same name, which is a special feature of Kampor. The name of the monastery and the bay originates from the name of the church of St. Euphemia, which is part of the monastery, is mentioned already in the 13th century. The monastery was built in the typical architectural style of the Franciscan monks, and with its stone architecture, it fits perfectly into the natural environment. The center of every monastery is its church, in this case a small beautiful church that has the name of the patron saint. It is a one-nave, simple stone church. It has been reconstructed and restored several times, and therefore raises doubts as to whether it may be older than the 13th century when it was officially mentioned for the first time in the records. Along the south side of the monastery today is the chapel of the Holy Cross. On the wooden altar you can see a crucifix that is truly impressive to see. In1669., in the chapel, a ceiling tabulate is placed which contains painted scenes from the life of St. Francis and other Franciscan saints. In the cloister of the monastery, you can find the crown of a stone well, which, besides the inscriptions and tombstones that testify to the founding monastery, contains the sarcophagus Magdalena Budrisic, who was the founder of the Franciscan Monastery. The monastery also contains a library and a museum. In the monastery library you can find over 7000 books dating back to the 15th century until today. It is necessary to mention the work “Great Campaign Chronicle”, which was hand-written in six thick volumes, and it was written by Fr. Odorik Badurina. In the monastery museum there are extremely valuable paintings, pergamen of the foundation of the monastery, manuscripts, excavations from various periods of time, incunabula and a valuable collection of old coins. In 1989, at the rebuilding of the church of St. Euphemia, the permanent exhibition of Br. Ambrose Testen became part of the church. Ambrose Testen was a self-taught painter.

Gastronomic offer

Thanks to the Mediterranean climate and 150 sunny days a year, the soil on Rab is fertile and the sea is full of fish and seafood. After spending all day enjoying the beach, dealing with the many activities that this paradise on earth offers – you will definitely get hungry. Rab’s traditional cuisine is full of specific flavors, scents, colors, made from ecologically grown foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and Mediterranean spicy herbs. Rab restaurants provide you with a unique gastronomic experience such as grilled fish, brodet, black risotto, squid in Mediterranean, baked octopus, but also meat dishes such as lamb, chicken stew or tingul and the most famous – Rab cake. Rab Cake is a dessert whose recipe is 800 years old. As it says – “The fish swims three times. In the sea, in olive oil and in wine ” Rab also offers excellent and quality domestic wine experiences that compliment the dishes. On the island of Rab, the most famous wines are Brajdica, Plavina, Plavac mali and Pošip. Out of the traditional dishes, we would recommend recommending you to try dried octopus with eggs and Rab stew- both old, traditional dishes that, with the harmony of taste, bring a touch of what the people of Rab in the Middle Ages ate.