Zaton near Šibenik – what to see

Zaton Šibenski is a typical Dalmatian village about 10 kilometres west of the centre of the city of Šibenik, at the coordinates 43° 47’ N and 15° 49’ E. Built from old and new stone houses, it grew right on the edge of the bay of the same name, in the channel that connects the brackish Prukljan Lake (a natural spawning ground for fish – sea bass, grey mullet, eels…) with the Šibenik Bay, which is why the sea here is less salty (mixed). A magnificent view of the bay and partly of the village opens from the Šibenik bridge.

The village lies in a magnificent bay and is sheltered on three sides by hills. The bay is surrounded by the hills Rastovac (133 m), Križeva glava (102 m) and Glavica (147 m). The backbone of the economy is farming, fishing and tourism.

It is located on a regional road. The village is exceptionally well connected by air (Zadar airport 65 km and Split airport 95 km), by road (access via Šibenik and the Pirovac entrance to the Zagreb – Split motorway; Zagreb 328 km, Zadar 74 km, Split 95 km), by sea (ferry ports in Split 116 km, Zadar 70 km and Šibenik 10 km) and by rail from Šibenik (10 km) to Zagreb and the rest of the world.

From the centre of Zaton, a pleasant 10-minute walk along the promenade brings you to the "Zvizda" beach (concrete, pebbles), and 15 minutes to the "Šarina draga" beach (pebbles). You can swim and sunbathe almost anywhere, and if you crave sand and salty sea, the tourist centres Šibenik (10 km) and Vodice (10 km), as well as the Solaris tourist complex (12 km), are very close, where you will find everything else for fun and excitement. Nearby are also Raslina with Prukljan Lake (6 km), Pirovac (21 km), Skradin (26 km), Murter (30 km) and Primošten (37 km). The area is also very well known for its historical and cultural sights and for two national parks, Krka (21 km – lakes, waterfalls) and Kornati. The nearby towns of Primošten, Vodice, Pirovac and Trogir, with their discos and night bars, offer tourists a better nightlife. For those who want a real adventure there is bungee jumping from the Šibenik bridge.



Zaton is most easily reached by sea. The sea here is calm and never shows its anger; it does not lash the shore, does not foam, and does not threaten the small boats and houses located right by the coast. Unlike the coast and sea of the nearby islands, several springs flow along the Zaton shores. The saltiness of the true sea is felt only at the lighthouse on Jadrija, at the relatively wide entrance to the Channel of St. Ante – or the exit, depending on which direction you are sailing. When, after the winding strait between steep, almost vertical banks carved out by the Krka, the view of Šibenik opens up before you, the boat should steer left, straight towards the slender arch of the Šibenik bridge, which in the late 1960s joined the steep canyon banks, and the road carried away for good the lively boat traffic that once linked Zaton with Šibenik. When the traveller reaches the shore, the gaze must climb the slopes of the hills, meeting red roofs and the greenery of the treetops. The long paths along the sea, where you can stroll pleasantly both in summer and winter, reflect the peace and harmony of this Dalmatian village. It is a lovely promenade right by the sea, stretching about three kilometres from the Dobri dolac bay to the Šarina draga bay.

In the immediate hinterland of Zaton there are good fields, gardens, vineyards, olive groves and fig plantations, and the small local market together with the fish market on the shore is always full of local produce, without exception and without any special effort to be organically grown. Thanks to its developed activities, Zaton has a rich gastronomic offer: prosciutto, cheese, lamb, fish, shellfish, crabs, quality olive oil and quality wine.

A large figure of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus albiventer, morski fratar, morski čovik, did marin) has been placed on the shore in Zaton, where it adorns the coast. This was done in 1979, when it was the symbol of the Mediterranean Games. When in 1979 a section of the shore wall (riva) was to be built on the site in front of the former post office in Zaton, a large, partly worked stone block measuring 150x120x55 cm was pulled out of the sea. A digger could not lift it and carry it away like other building material. At that spot the shore is not rocky but reclaimed land. That stone could have been the FOUNDATION STONE OF TAVELIĆ TOWER. One corner of it is broken off and it has a somewhat irregular shape. No other structures stood here, and the tower has never been attributed to any other owner. After being taken out of the sea, the stone was moved a few metres south of where it was found. The figure of the Mediterranean monk seal, the symbol of the 1979 Mediterranean Games (the rowing and kayak competitions were held in Zaton), was placed on it.



Zaton is an ideal place for rest, recreation and excursion tourism. Every year it attracts more and more tourists; the beautiful bay in which Zaton lies is exceptionally quiet (far from the noise) and suits families. The village has two supermarkets, a bakery, a post office, a health clinic, an ATM, a tourist office, the fish restaurants Porat and Feral, five café bars, fast food, a hairdresser, a face and body care salon, a children's playground, a sports field and more.

The best time to visit is from May to October. The temperature at the height of the season (July, August) can reach up to 38°C (100°F) and the sea temperature reaches a pleasant 26°C (79°F).

Thanks to exceptionally favourable natural conditions, Zaton also has a natural, high-quality rowing course with supporting facilities, where the Mediterranean Games were held in 1979. For years many teams and national squads have trained on this course and prepared for their national and international competitions, which extends the tourist season of this place (preparations take place outside the tourist season). Croatia's golden Olympic rowers Valent and Martin Sinković began their preparations for the Olympic Games in Brazil from the course in Zaton.

Right next to the fire station, the school, the kindergarten and the library, Zaton opened a new sports field on 1 May 2011. It was built entirely through voluntary work and donations, especially by the firefighters of the DVD Zaton volunteer fire brigade, with the support of the City of Šibenik, and in 2015 the Zaton bocce court was renovated. Zaton also has numerous cycling trails, jogging and hiking paths, and even cross-country running through nature. There are kilometres of varied trails to suit everyone. For recreational users there are less demanding trails, and for true cycling enthusiasts there are routes with very hard climbs. Extreme sports will satisfy the hunger for adrenaline even of the most demanding. About 70 per cent of the trails are gravel, field or forest tracks, while the rest are asphalted. The hardest trails are on the slopes of the hills V. Vranik and Rasovač. For the soul and the heart, recreational users are advised to take the easiest trails that wind along the coast – from Šarina Draga to the Hangar (Dobri dolac).



During the summer months various concerts and sports competitions are held. Zaton also celebrates the feast of its patron saint, St Roch, which is traditionally held on 16 August. The feast takes place in the evening and some of the stars of the entertainment world usually perform at it.

The Zaton Evening – usually held at the end of July or the beginning of August. The programme of the evening, which usually starts at around 18:00 and lasts about two hours, consists of the participation of various teams and individual competitors. The competitors, mostly young people, compete in categories: carrying an egg on a spoon, riding a scooter, jumping in a sack and riding a donkey. Older competitors, that is men's and women's teams, try their hand at tug-of-war.

For years the sports and entertainment tourist event PRUKLJANSKI GUŠTI (Skradin – Zaton – Raslina – Bilice) and the music event Klape na Vrulji have been held regularly.

Come and see for yourself and be convinced of all the beauty!