Ljubac
Zadar County · Zadar - Nin lagoon · Ljubač
also known as Ljubačka vrata, Ljubač Bay, Ljubačka vala, Ljubačka uvala, Oseka
Riding essentials
Season
May–Sep
Months riders and schools name
How windy
15-25
Character: mixed · cross-shore
Room to launch
ok
access rules on record, below
Water
mixed
25–27 °C in summer
Hazards
9
Reported by riders
Level
Beginner to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
low crowds · busy July August
Schools
3
named at this spot
From the airport
Zadar Airport (ZAD)
Transfer times under Getting there
On the clock
15:00
Afternoon. In late July and early August the thermal fills in after about 15:00 and holds steady through the afternoon.
The mark is the clock time the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The fade after it is not an end time, and not a promise of wind.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Nin / Ždrijacno page yet
- Queen Beach / Kraljičina plaža, Nin
- Ražanacno page yet
- Vrsi / Sabunike
The spot
Water depth
Wind and season
Equipment requirements
Local infrastructure
Access and proximity
The wind
locals call it Maestral, Tramontana, Bura
Direction
Dominant direction
Maestral comes in NW, from Pag island toward the middle of the bay, in the afternoon. N/S also gives sideshore, and NW/SE turn sideshore farther north as the beach curves.
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
Light-wind gear is the rule here. A 21 m foil kite carried most late-July afternoons, and a 12 m only came out once the wind passed 6 m/s, about 12 knots.For a 75-85 kg twin-tip rider the indicative quiver on a 15-knot thermal day is 13-15 m, dropping to 10-12 m on the better 18-20 knot afternoons; those figures are derived from the reported thermal strength, not from any local size survey.
Character
Average strength
15-25
Typical strength
Around 15 knots on summer thermal days; the afternoon thermal is reliable, though no measured seasonal average is published.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan19
- Feb14
- Mar27
- Apr23
- May, riders' month11
- Jun, riders' month12
- Jul, riders' month3
- Aug, riders' month11
- Sep, riders' month22
- Oct16
- Nov23
- Dec19
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 19%Jan14°
- 14%Feb13°
- 27%Mar14°
- 23%Apr15°
- 11%May18°
- 12%Jun22°
- 3%Jul25°
- 11%Aug25°
- 22%Sep23°
- 16%Oct22°
- 23%Nov19°
- 19%Dec15°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal.
Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | Wind from | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19% | 34% | 31% | 10.8 kt | ESE | 14:00 | 7.4 °C | 14 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 14% | 30% | 26% | 9.1 kt | SE | 15:00 | 9.1 °C | 13.4 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 27% | 40% | 31% | 11.1 kt | ESE | 15:00 | 10.2 °C | 13.7 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 23% | 43% | 40% | 12.3 kt | W | 15:00 | 13.2 °C | 15.1 °C | 60 |
| May | 11% | 44% | 35% | 11.1 kt | W | 15:00 | 18.8 °C | 18.3 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 12% | 37% | 28% | 10.7 kt | W | 15:00 | 23.5 °C | 22 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 3% | 42% | 23% | 10.9 kt | W | 15:00 | 26.7 °C | 24.8 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 11% | 52% | 34% | 11.3 kt | WNW | 16:00 | 26.5 °C | 24.8 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 22% | 48% | 42% | 11.9 kt | WNW | 16:00 | 21.5 °C | 23.1 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 16% | 26% | 19% | 8.8 kt | W | 16:00 | 17.2 °C | 21.5 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 23% | 42% | 35% | 11.7 kt | ESE | 14:00 | 12.3 °C | 18.6 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 19% | 27% | 26% | 11.4 kt | ESE | 11:00 | 9.4 °C | 15.3 °C | 62 |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
mixed
Standing depth
Very shallow sandy bay: still under knee depth 100 m from shore, and shallow for anywhere from 300 m to 500 m out depending on the count. You can stand a long way from the beach.
Tides
Not a tide spot. Zadar's mean daily tidal range is about 25 cm; a tide calendar exists for Ljubac, and the only riders who need it are foilers in the shallows.
Temperature
25–27 °C summer · 12–15 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 13–25 °C
Wetsuit
Likely boardshorts/shorty in high summer; 3/2 or warmer outside summer, but no Ljubač-specific wetsuit guidance found.
Currents
No spot-specific current information found; regionally in the Adriatic, wind and pressure can create temporary sea-level changes, especially with southeast winds.
Conditions
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: ok
Somewhere else
4 spots nearby
Rescue
Launch
Sandy launches all round Ljubač Bay/Oseka: south or north of the small harbour, or from the south-western corner of the bay. The volleyball-court end of the beach keeps you out of the family area. Free parking next to the water.
Rules & access
1 min read
Riding restrictions
Local conditions at Oseka
Local zoning status
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Schools that ride here
Rider tips
- Judge the day at 15:00, not at breakfast: the Maestral is a thermal, and in late July and early August it fills in mid-afternoon.
- Launch north or south of the small harbour, or at the volleyball-court end of the beach; stay out of the family section in front of Oseka in July and August.
- Pack a 21 m foil kite or the biggest tube kite you own; a 12 m only came out above 6 m/s, and low-wind sessions are the norm here.
- Check the Nin and Queen Beach forecasts as well as Ljubac: the beach curves, so NW/SE turn sideshore farther north, and strength differs between the bays.
- Foilers: the tide range at Zadar is about 25 cm, which sounds irrelevant until you remember the bay is under knee depth 100 m out. Pick your line on the way in.
- Lessons at the local school run May to September, €150 for the discovery lesson (2026) and €100 an hour private (2026); book by message before you arrive.
Getting there
Airport
Zadar Airport (ZAD)
Route
Drive from Zadar or Zadar Airport on the local roads toward Poljica and Ljubač. Without a car: bus to Zadar bus station, then line 106 to Ljubač.
Transfer
About 33 min by taxi/car from Zadar Airport; bus via Zadar is about 1 h 40 min. The spot is 19 km from Zadar and 15 km from Zadar Airport by one measure, and 24.8 km road distance from the airport by another.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Apartments, holiday homes and beach rentals in Ljubač and Ražanac; hotels and city options are in Zadar. Plenty of places to stay around Oseka. The school can help with booking, but no kite-camp package is on record.
No-wind days
Zadar old town, Nin, Pag island and the Paški most area, Paklenica National Park, Kornati National Park.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kitesurf at Ljubac?
The main season is May to September, with an afternoon thermal Maestral as the mainstay; local reports describe the wind filling in around 15:00 in late summer.
Is Ljubac suitable for beginners?
Local schools market the bay for learning because of shallow sandy water and steady afternoon thermal wind, though some sources classify it more conservatively as intermediate and up because of small launch areas and changing wind angles.
What is the wind like at Ljubac?
Summer riding is mainly the thermal Maestral, commonly cited around 15 knots; Tramontana and Bura also work in the area but tend to be gustier and require more caution.
How shallow is the water?
The bay stays knee-deep or shallower for a long way out; local tourist and school sources put still-shallow water anywhere from 100 to 500 metres from shore.
Are there kite schools at Ljubac?
Kitesurf School Croatia North operates at Ljubac Bay and has run lessons since 2009, teaching from May to September.
The bigger pictureEverything about Zadar - Nin lagoon
Last updated: August 2026