Eurocamp: Zaton Holiday Resort, Croatia

Over the last few years we have had some amazing holidays with Eurocamp, most recently last Summer in Italy at Parc Albatros, and so this year we decided to try somewhere completely different, and somewhere we have never been before, and visit Zaton Holiday Resort in Croatia. Located on the Dalmatian Coast, just 26km from Zadar airport, Zaton Holiday Resort has everything you could ever need for a Summer family holiday and with direct access to the most beautiful Blue Flag beach. Ahead of our trip we bought Custom Luggage Tags with our contact name and number engraved on the back which gave us more peace of mind when checking in and collecting our luggage.

Accommodation

The great thing about returning to Eurocamp each year is that we know exactly what to expect and this year we stayed in the Azure Mobile Home, the same as previous years, which has a contemporary and flexible interior as well as a large covered decked terrace to really make the most of outdoor living.

Although we are familiar with the Azure mobile homes, each one is slightly different and as we stepped inside I instantly loved the wooden kitchen, very different to our previous years, which gave such a modern feel. Although the designs may vary, the Azure mobiles have the same configuration with a kitchen, dining and living space in an open plan design which, although small, is very functional for family living.

In the kitchen you will find an oven with hob, microwave, fridge, freezer as well as everything you need to self-cater during your stay. A small welcome pack is waiting on arrival with dish washing detergent and a sponge and you can buy more at the supermarket throughout your stay.

The seating area is very minimalist and yet in all honesty I can count on one hand the number of times we sat there during the week long stay. We much preferred to sit outdoors on the terrace and generally only used the indoors to cook, shower and sleep. That said, it was lovely to cool down inside thanks to the air-conditioning which was very welcome during the peak of the Summer sun.

To the back of the lodge there are two identical twin bedrooms, both with overhead storage and a single wardrobe. It’s worth noting that in the Azure accommodation beds are not made up on arrival and linen hire comes at an additional cost. We have always hired the linen to free up packing space in our cases and each linen pack also comes with a towel too which again frees up some space.

In the main bedroom is a queen sized bed with overhead storage and a double wardrobe. We have always found there is plenty of storage space, even as a family of six, and our empty cases fit beneath the beds so to keep our lodge as clutter free as possible during our stay.

In the bathroom there is a stand up shower and a sink with a huge pull out storage drawer and a separate toilet to one end of the lodge. Although we had a small issue with no hot water on arrival this was easily sorted with a call to our Eurocamp contact who was at our lodge ten minutes later to fix the issue. We found that the Eurocamp team were incredibly helpful and very quick to respond to any issues which was great.

For us, the outdoor area is the real selling point of the Azure lodges with a large covered terrace, a dining table and chairs as well as additional seating to relax on. We would be out here eating breakfast first thing in the morning and still be sat there enjoying a drink last thing at night.

In previous Azure mobile homes we have had a charcoal BBQ where as here we had the luxury of a gas powered hot plate which was so much easier and meant we used it to cook right throughout the day instead of using the oven or hob inside. The supermarket sells such a great selection of meat and BBQ dishes and we loved trying new Croatian varieties during our stay.

We absolutely loved our lodge and as always, found it to be both practical and comfortable for our family. My only negative would be the location of the Eurocamp lodges at Zaton Holiday Resort as it was a twenty minute walk to the beach/pool which felt like quite a long way carrying heavy bags, towels and water. That said, there is a train which runs around the parc each day and there is also electric scooter and bicycle hire which, in hindsight, we would have organised in advance so we could have got around the parc more easily.

Shops

Zaton Holiday Resort has a number of shops, all of which are open early in the morning until late at night, and we found them to be reasonably priced in comparison with local towns we visited. The supermarket is located beside reception and has everything you could ever need for a self-catering holiday.

Inside the supermarket you will find a fresh bakery counter with the most delicious pastries, breads and cakes, fresh meats and cheese as well as a large frozen section to stock up during your stay. I was pleased to see they had a small gluten free selection in the supermarket and for any extra gluten free requirements there is a large supermarket situated just outside of the Parc gates.

Outside of the supermarket was a daily fruit and vegetable stall and an ATM machine. Although the majority of shops at Zaton accepted card, a few were cash only so it’s worth remembering to exchange your Croatian Kuna before your stay as the exchange rate is often better in the UK than through the ATM machines.

Just a short walk from the supermarket is a second reception for Zaton Holiday Resort apartments and further along, the entrance to the main walk way through the resort lined with more shops, restaurants and bars.

Here you will find many more shops including a fresh bakers, a greengrocers, a candy store (which our children loved!), a clothing shop and countless souvenir shops. I love how it feels as though you have stepped into a small village with everything you could ever need right there in one place. If you wished, you could arrive at Zaton for the entire Summer and never need to leave!

Our children loved looking in the souvenir shops, some filled with postcards, magazines and sweets to take home for their friends, and some packed with plastic toys and novelty gifts which they agonised over when it came to choosing a special treat to take home at the end of the week.

We were really impressed by the number of shops here at Zaton, compared to previous parcs we have stayed at this definitely felt like one of the largest and yet, perhaps due to the pandemic, it wasn’t as busy as you would have expected for the peak Summer season. The busiest shop was the bakery each morning with a queue right down the walkway where people lined up for their fresh bread!

Restaurants

Zaton Holiday Resort has five restaurants as well as several snack bars too, all of which were utterly delicious. From traditional Croatian food to an Italian pizzeria, the standard in each of the restaurants was incredibly high as well as being very reasonable in price compared to restaurants in the local towns.

The restaurants do get busier from around 7pm onwards so it’s best to book a table in advance if possible to avoid having to wait. There can also be quite lengthy waits to order and receive your food so if you have children we found taking along something to keep them occupied was very helpful – either a book, a game or a tablet.

Our favourite restaurant served typical Croatian food with anything from steak to creamy pasta dishes, all of which were so tasty! Although there wasn’t a specific gluten free menu in the restaurants, there was ample choice for gluten free dishes and I enjoyed a real variety of foods along the course of the week.

Each restaurant had a children’s menu which they were more than happy to adapt to suit individual preferences, all with dishes such as burger and chips, breaded chicken and chips, and a choice of different pasta dishes. A couple of times our children chose a smaller portion off the adult menu or chose an adult starter as their main course instead.

We really enjoyed every meal in the restaurants and it was lovely to eat outdoors and enjoy the warm evenings with that real holiday feel. We have never tried Croatian cuisine before but it is certainly something I will try to cook more of now we are back home and clinging on to those Summer memories.

Although the desserts were lovely in the restaurants, we preferred to visit one of several gelato stands in the main square and it’s safe to say we tried a lot of different flavours over the week. I thought that Italy had the best gelato I have ever tasted and yet actually, Croatian gelato is utterly delicious!

On-site doctor

You can also find the on-site doctor at the main square for any urgent medical needs,COVID-19 antigen tests and prescriptions. During our stay Lewis suffered with an asthma attack and we were very grateful for the on-site doctor who was able to see him instantly and write a prescription for a course of steroids as well as direct us to the nearest pharmacy (about a 15 minute walk). Although nobody likes to think they will need medical attention whilst on holiday, it’s so reassuring to know there is one right there on-site should you need it.

Outdoor Gym

For those who like to work out throughout their holiday, there is an outdoor gym on the beach front where you can buy a day pass to use as you wish. Needless to say we didn’t use the gym during our stay but it did look well equipped and was fully shaded by the trees too.

Diving Centre

Also at the beach front you can find the Diving Center where you can book diving excursions, hire jet-skis and book onto other water sports. All of these come at an extra cost and whilst our youngest three were a little too young this year, they did look like a lot of fun. If you are travelling with older children and teenagers there is so much to keep them occupied here at Zaton.

Surf Hire

At the other end of the beach you can find the Surf Hire Shop with surf boards, paddle boards and kayaks for hire. We saw a huge number of paddle boarders in the sea with clearly marked out safe areas to do this. The sea is very still and incredibly warm and clear so if you’re looking for the perfect parc to enjoy water sports, Zaton is a great choice.

Entertainment

Zaton Holiday Resort has a huge animation programme with activities from morning right through to the evening with a daily show taking place at the outdoor theatre. Ordinarily this would be open to all guests but due to COVID numbers have been limited and each morning tickets are available at the beach front for that nights show. We found that the tickets for the popular shows all went very fast with people queuing up to an hour in advance for their tickets, something I wasn’t prepared to do.

There is a huge stage with a digital screen and a very professional light and sound department throughout. We really liked the tiered seating which meant that regardless of where you sat, you had a great view of the stage and the atmosphere in there in the evening was amazing.

We watched several of the evening shows and whilst a couple weren’t quite to our taste (European comedy feels very different to British humour somehow!), Zaton’s Got Talent was a really fun variety show with performances form all kinds of acts in including singing, dancing and comedy.

The children really enjoyed the shows and how each night they would start with the animation team performing the same song and dance routine to encourage the children to sing or dance along as they learned the moves. Each show started at 9pm and lasted an hour which was the perfect duration so the children could still get to bed without being too tired for the next morning.

Fairground rides

Just outside of the theatre was a small area with fairground rides which came at an additional cost. This area really came to life in the evenings before and after the shows and was particularly fun for smaller children. There was also a food van located here selling popcorn, candy floss and other snacks to enjoy in the evenings.

Adventure golf

Alongside 12 tennis courts, 2 table tennis tables, a football pitch, a basketball court, a volleyball net and a running track, Zaton also has an adventure golf course which was another fun way to break up the day or enjoy in the evenings. Again this came at an extra cost but we found all of the extra activities were very reasonably priced and also immaculately maintained.

In fact everywhere you looked at Zaton was beautifully kept, the landscape was particularly stunning, and impeccably clean. Travelling in a pandemic can bring some level of anxiety and so the fact that the hygiene standards were so high here really helped us relax and enjoy our stay even more.

Inflatable Obstacle Course

For us, the absolute best thing about Zaton was the inflatable obstacle course, positioned out into the shallow lagoon around waist height, and just the most amount of fun we have had in a long while. You can buy tickets from anything from 30 minutes to an entire 7 days and it’s suitable for adults and children – Lewis and I did it with the the children and I spent the entire time laughing and falling over. If you follow me on Instagram you can check out my story highlights which should give you a good laugh!

Day Excursions

The great thing about Zaton Holiday Resort is that you can spend your entire holiday right there at the parc and never leave, or you can see more of Croatia either by foot, by bus, or on one of the organised tours. There are a number of stands throughout the parc selling tickets to boat tours, jeep safaris and various other trips, and the guides are very helpful and not at all pushy which I really loved. We booked onto a boat trip to Dugi Otok which I will share with you in a follow up post.

Kids Club

The parc has a kids club which runs daily and can be used as a drop-off service for children aged 3-12. None of the activities at the parc, or the kids club itself, has any involvement with Eurocamp. These are run independently through Zaton Holiday Resort and any consent forms, time tables, or pre-bookable sessions should be organised directly with them. Although I was more than happy for our children to go to the kids club, they were having far too much elsewhere during our stay so we didn’t make use of it this time.

The Pools

When it comes to Eurocamp, the pools are always the real selling point for me and they beat any resort I have ever been to hands down. With an incredible seven pools to choose from, surrounded by sun loungers and views out to the sea, it was the most perfect location for children such as ours who would spend all day, every day, swimming if we let them. And most days we did!

The great thing is that pool appealed to different people, so whether you want to use the pool for swimming, or to relax, or to play, there is something for everyone. The pools also vary in depth so depending on the age and ability of your children you can gravitate more towards those pools during the day. We very soon picked our favourite spot sandwiched between the children’s favourite pools and, with them now being that little bit older and being capable swimmers, it meant we could lie back and watch them play as opposed to having to run around after them the whole time. Bliss!

Although there are no large water slides at Zaton, there are several smaller chutes as well as fun splash pools for the children. Our three spent most of the week running under the sprinklers, standing beneath the bucket waiting for the water to come crashing down, and whizzing down the smaller slides. It really did feel as though they had thought of everything when it came to the pool areas.

There is also a large poolside bar serving drinks, snacks, meals and gelato which came in really useful for lunches when we didn’t want to head back towards our accommodation. The kids loved tucking into a hot dog or a burger from their sun loungers and it was very much needed after all of that swimming!

It’s worth noting that sun loungers come at an extra cost of 30 Kunis per day (approximately £3) and the same for a parasol, something which we have experienced at other resorts before and actually, I have no issue with. I loved that once we had paid and got a receipt for our sun loungers we knew they were ours for the day whether we chose to leave and get some lunch, go to the shops or play on the beach, and it meant that people were less likely to reserve sun loungers for the day with no intention of using them, therefore freeing up spaces.

We spent the majority of our week at the pool and even had we gone home having done nothing at all else, it would still have been the most incredible holiday. Every single Eurocamp holiday we have had has excelled when it comes to the pool facilities and Zaton was no exception.

The Beach

One of the reasons for our choice of Eurocamp this year was that, alongside all of the incredible facilities, Zaton has direct access to the most stunning Blue Flag beach. The beach front itself is huge, spanning as far as you can see and lined with snack bars and restaurants as well as a massage station, segway hire and even a stand to buy tickets for a submarine excursion.

Again, sun loungers and parasols are charged at 30 Kunis on the beach and there are a huge number to choose from including the most luxurious four poster beds which did come at an extra charge. We had heard so many amazing things about the beaches in Croatia and this one certainly did not disappoint. The sea was crystal clear, like nothing I have ever seen before, and so warm that even I, who is permanently freezing, was able to swim in it without so much as a shiver.

At the beach you will find pedalo hire which was around £10 for an hour and all six of us fit on one pedalo with a slide. We hired a pedalo on a couple of the days and it was so much fun to pedal out and whizz down the slide. The children absolutely loved the novelty of it and it was the perfect way to cool down too!

Here you will also find the volley ball nets which are clearly marked out and a safe distance away from the most popular area of sunbathers. There is also a large play area directly on the beach which our children loved to play on throughout the day and into the early evening. We also saw several smaller play areas dotted around the parc but this was by far the largest and their favourite.

Every year we notice that the children are becoming that little more independent with them able to play on the play area whilst we relaxed further back at the pool or from our sun loungers a little way down the beach. During those hazy days when the three youngest were one, two and three it felt as though we would never reach a point where we would come home from our holidays feeling refreshed and yet here we are six years down the line, reading books by the pool and enjoying leisurely evenings in lovely restaurants. To all parents feeling like these moments are a long way away right now, hang in there!

We found Croatia as a whole extremely relaxing, with a very chilled out atmosphere and a very laid back lifestyle. After our Summer of UK adventures and very much being on the go each day, it was exactly what we needed to just slow down and enjoy some quality time together as a family of six. The thing I will always love the most about Eurocamp, and the reason I continue to recommend it year after year, is that from Harry at 7 to Lewis at 17, it has so much to offer every single age group and that is quite rare for us with such a large age gap.

We completely fell in love with Croatia during our stay and I feel so lucky we are taking such wonderful memories away from our Eurocamp Holiday for the fourth year running. There are still so many Parcs out there we are yet to visit and as sad as I am to leave the last, I am filled with excitement at the thought of the next. You can find out more and book your very own Eurocamp holiday over at the website www.eurocamp.co.uk.

If you were inspired by our stay to enjoy a break in Zaton Holiday Resort, you can book your Croatian break using On The Beach voucher codes. Book your holiday online and get a great deal on your next adventure

** We were invited to Eurocamp in exchange for an honest review. All words and opinions are my own unless otherwise stated **