A villa near the beach in Zadar lets you build a holiday around both the sea and a place of your own. At Villa Mary Lou, you can head towards the Diklovac coast for part of the day, then return to a private pool, a kitchen and a terrace where your group can spend the afternoon together.
Mary Lou is a whole-villa rental at Ulica Otona Ivekovića 50. It has four bedrooms for a recommended eight guests, with a maximum capacity of ten. The pool, sauna and jacuzzi are included in the stay. The villa is close to the coast rather than directly on the beachfront, so it helps to choose your beach and the route to it before setting out.
Where is the villa in relation to the beach?
Diklovac is the nearby beach area to start with. The villa sits within the city neighbourhood, and getting to the water involves local streets. Use the villa's exact address when planning your route; a search for Zadar alone will usually take you towards the historic centre instead.
For the first outing, decide which stretch of coast you want to reach and open walking directions from the villa to Diklovac Beach. The map is useful for assessing the route with bags, a pushchair or someone who prefers a shorter walk. Marija and Luka can help you identify a suitable arrival point on the coast.
This location gives you a different base from staying on the Old Town peninsula. You can make the nearby coast part of an ordinary day and plan a separate visit to the Forum, restaurants and waterfront installations in the centre. If you want to explore several beaches or take day trips, compare your options in our guide to transport in Zadar.
Choose a beach for the kind of day you want
Start locally before planning a different destination every morning. A beach you enjoy returning to makes it easier to leave some of the day for the villa. For variety, these coastal areas offer different settings:
| Coastal area | What to expect | How to use it in your holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Diklo and Diklovac | Bathing spots along the neighbourhood's coast | Begin here for a local outing from the villa |
| Borik | Pebble and sandy sections | Try it when you want a different beach setting |
| Vitrenjak | A beach beside a marina, with a playground | Consider it for a change of scene around the marina |
| Petrčane | Mixed pebble, sand and concrete sections, with pine shade in parts | Give this outing more of the day and arrange transport |
The beach characteristics above follow the Zadar Tourist Board's beach guide. Choose the specific stretch on arrival: shade, entry into the water and space on the shore vary along the coast. Seasonal services also vary, so take the essentials rather than relying on a particular café or rental stand being open.
Pack drinking water, sun protection and footwear suitable for the shore you choose. For current bathing-water information, the tourist board links to Croatia's official sea-water quality portal. Conditions on the day still matter, even at a familiar beach.
Why keep a private pool as part of the holiday?
The pool gives you another way to spend the day without organising a second outing. After the beach, you can rinse off, make lunch and decide whether to stay by the water or take a break indoors. Everyone has the same place to return to, even when the group wants different amounts of time at the sea.
At Mary Lou, the outdoor pool is reserved for the people staying in the villa. The sauna and outdoor jacuzzi are included too. These facilities are part of your accommodation, so an afternoon at the house can be as much a part of the holiday as a visit to the coast.
To picture the arrangement, look through the villa gallery. The terrace and shared dining areas make it possible to bring everyone together again over lunch or dinner, while the four bedrooms provide separate spaces for rest. If you are planning with two families, our family villa guide focuses on the sleeping arrangements and shared routines.
A beach day with time to enjoy the villa
One simple approach is to have breakfast at the house, spend the morning by the sea and return for lunch. Keep the afternoon for the pool or a quiet break, then choose between dinner at the villa and an evening in town. Treat this as a flexible idea rather than a daily timetable.
During a longer stay, alternate those local days with a trip further along the coast or into the city. You avoid packing the car every morning and still have plenty of opportunity to explore. A private pool is particularly useful when some guests would rather stay at the house while others go out.
In autumn, let swimming conditions shape the plan. The villa's outdoor pool has heating, but this does not guarantee a particular water temperature or year-round swimming. Our autumn guide to Zadar suggests city visits and outings to combine with time at the villa through 15 November.
Choose your dates for a whole-villa stay
Villa Mary Lou welcomes guests from 15 May to 15 November. Stays are Saturday to Saturday during the main season from 13 June to 12 September; outside that period, the minimum is four nights. Rates shown on the website are per night for the whole villa.
View the calendar and prices for the dates you have in mind. Send your arrival and departure dates with your group size, and the hosts will confirm availability and the booking details personally. You can then plan your beach days around a private place that is yours for the stay.
