Zusterna.. Slovenia's Secret family beach

If you wanted to know a great place for family time at the beach in Slovenia with all the little things like cafe, toilets, beach umbrellas and just 30 mins directly from the Lodge.. then put Zusterna into your googlemaps! You will see almost no tourists here at all as this is a place that Slovenian families know about and of course because it is just another of Green Slovenia's secret places to visit!

It is so close to the Lodge and offers all the creature comforts you need at the seaside, so often we just jump in the car and go down to the seaside, taking nothing but a towel. Everything else is here, easy parking, a cafe for snacks and fast food, umbrellas to hire, life guards, warm flat mediterranean salty water (usually) and of course that important ingredient.. sunshine!

We should tell you a little about the logistics first so you understand how really great this secret location actually is! A few years ago the coastal motorway was extended by tunnel between the Slovenian seaside towns of Koper and Izola and the old main road that used to snake alongside the sea next to a steep cliff was closed.

Bingo! Suddenly Slovenia had another 4-5km of extra coastline available to people, not cars and Zusterna is right at the start of this! Most people will be coming down to the coast from the Lodge and when you get to Koper there are a few motorway exits first, but just take the last one before the motorway tunnel.. it is labelled Zusterna, but it all comes at you quite quickly, so don't worry if you have to go through the tunnel, go to Izola and then come back, it would only take about 10 mins more!

So when you come off at Koper, it looks like you are going away from the sea firstly, but you go all the way around the roundabout and then just hug the sea and very soon you will come to a massive new car park, right next to the water. If you want to be sure you are in the right place then you can drive as far as you can go along this road and then you get to a roundabout that forces you back the way you came, but there is another entrance to the car park by here anyway. (The car park is usually free, but just take a look at other car's windscreens in case a ticket system does come in, regardless it will still be cheap for you).

Then you just walk along the coast a bit, (watch out for the bike lane as the cyclists here don't realise that you might not be looking out for them!) and enter the beach area next to a large open air swimming pool, which you can also use if you prefer, for a small fee.

There is a large pebble beach and a concrete concourse where you can find your spot and you can either jump into the warm salty water or go down the beach a bit, where there is a kiddies section and you can just walk into the sea.

We usually hire an umbrella and loungers and make a late afternoon of it. The cafe is great.. once you get used to the unnecessarily loud music churning out which for some strange reason often accompanies places where Slovenes get together?? The food is fast, but compared to most countries it is still a bit better quality than you might be imagining for fast food, but hey, you are out for the day at the beach, so ice cream, fizzy drinks and burgers might well be on your menu!

all the fun of the fair at the seaside for kids of all ages..
all the fun of the fair at the seaside for kids of all ages..

 

The large swimming area is basically the sea, but there is a safety barrier all around to stop you floating off to Italy or Croatia and several plastic kiddies play things for them to jump around on. We should also mention the view here so you are prepared.. look to the left and you see the stunning blue open sea, the view will be a dazzling one and then look to the right and you will see the beautiful old town of Koper with Venetian tower in the distance.. but you will also see the largest port in Slovenia with cranes and big ships.. so be prepared for this vista and thank your lucky starts that now you know about this secret place!

We absoutely love it here and have watched the facilities gradually improve over the years. It's not the only option for a seaside day out in Slovenia, it's one of many very different options, but it absoutely ticks the box for a simple family day out by the sea!

And just over the road is a hotel with an aqua park where you can pay to go in and have a slide around if you prefer. Also dont forget that this stretch of mediterranean coastline is car free and you can walk or cycle all the way to the beautiful little town of Izola.. which is our favourite place on the Slovene Costa del Sol! There are lots of little spots along this old road to Izola just over the rocks where you can stretch out in peace and quiet and take a dip!

You are also very close to Koper, so do think about going into the old town maybe later to have a walk around and a nice meal, or pop down to Izola to watch the sun set. Piran is also ridiculously close to here, so is another option when it gets quieter in the late afternoon to maybe just roll down there and have a bite to eat by the sea? And whilst Slovenia's coast is quite short, the coastal hinterland is massive and packed full of vineyards, olive groves and little hilltop villages, so don't be afraid to explore inland a bit.. particularly if want to try the local coastal Malvazia or Refosk wine!

And think about it.. we gave a massive clue above about this place being used by mainly Slovenian families in the school holidays.. So this place is an even bigger secret spot to visit on week days when the kids are still at school or back to school! Then this place is almost empty, so if you want to enjoy all the facilities and have a quieter time by the sea here, then just avoid the end of July and August! And don't forget the sun lotion!

Email: info@lipizzanerlodge.com

Address: Landol 17, Postojna 6230, Slovenia

Phone: +386 5620 3443
Mobile: +386 40 47 0239 or +386 40 37 8037

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