I am travling to Croatia with my husband and my 2 boys in July. We will arrive in Zadar, and plan to stay for 7 days there (with a rental car of course to see other areas) Any recommendations for best sights? Best beaches in the area?

After our 7 days we are traveling to Susak. After Susak please send recommendation for 4 days and most convient travel from Susak. We need to be back in Zadar for final air flight home on the 5th day.

Thanks for your suggestions!

Hi

Can I suggest you repost? Your title is a little vague. Try "Croatia - What to See and Do".:'(

well, i have not been yet.. heading to Croatia May 22. I spoke with a friend who just got back and she told me about some 'musical pipes' on the beach at Zadar. she said someone planted some pipes on the edge of the water, and it was really cool. I havent found any info about them yet.. but maybe someone else can give you (and me too) some info. My friend was pretty vague, but said that anyone in Zadar can tell you where they are. Best wishes, and happy journey to you!

Hi, Zadar is a 5th largest city in Croatia and it's got a lovely walled old town situated on a peninsula.
The walls are well worth exploring. There is a really nice lounge bar up in the walls called "Garden Zadar" where it's nice spending an afternoon having drinks, listening to music and watching the boats leave and enter the port.
The "musical pipes" is a sea organ and it's situated on the riva, can't miss it. It's very interesting as the sound varies according to the weather and sea movements.
The most impresive sights are "St. Donatus" church (musical evenings held inside during the summer),
"St. Stosija's" cathedral, the permanent ecclestiastic art exhibition, as well a tons of interesting architecture around the city.
There is a lovely farmers market in the centre of town, as well as loads of shops, boutiques, cafes, another great lounge bar/exhibiton centre called "Arsenal" (near the "3 wells" square, not to be confused with the "5 wells" square).

I'm sure you are going to love Zadar, it is absolutely lovely. It's main beach is in the area called Borik. You also might want to take your boys to Zaton Holiday village (about 20 min drive), it's got kid's club and pool, as well as the beach of course, tennis grounds, water slide, mini drivig school, pony rides, etc..
Nearby is the historic village of Nin, worth exploring for an hour or two...

Make sure to take a day boat trip to Kornati while in Zadar.
Good source of info on Zadar and other Croatian cities:

http://www.inyourpocket.com/croatia/zadar/en/

This information is terriffic!@ I'm very excited...

I am looking at Funimation Hotel in Zadar...
I have Zaton Holiday Village on hold, but I am concerned about not having Air-condition in July. Otherwise, for the money, I would prefer to be here.

What do you suggest?

I second Zadar as a great little town (city?). The reliquary at Sv. Marija Benedictine monastery is a must see - incredible art objects. Zadar is a great jumping off point to numerous other places.

One restaurant sugeestion: Kornat, located near the tip of the historic center of Zadar, on the water near where the ferries dock. Wonderful updates of croatian cuisine and very affordable.

I'll be visiting Zadar as well, but in the first half of October. It looks like a good base for a few days for visiting the surrounding area. My question is does the town "close" down in October? Will it still worthwhile using it as a base? I'm talking about October 10-13.

Stel, Funimation sounds like a good bet, if they have air conditioning, as July in Croatia can get very hot.
I would recommend a day trip to Plitvice National Park,it is just stunning, not to be missed.

Sssteve, Zadar doesn't "close down" any part of the year, as it is one of the largest cities on the coast and a regional hub, so to speak. It is mainly certain
places on the islands and out of town resorts that go through the closure during winter months.
Zadar is a fully living and breathing city, it just won't be so crowded with tourists from October onwards.

Thanks teddybear.

Which islands do you recommend visiting during our visit to zadar? A friend from Zagreb recommended Kornati National park.
What do you think?

Yes, by all means take a day trip to Kornati. The scenery is raw and powerful, loads of uninhabited islands and the cleanest, saltiest water I have ever swam in ( I could literally scrape the salt off my arms after swimming). The boats are pretty, old fashioned open deck, wooden benches&tables type of boats, you stop off for an hour for a swim and the crew pick up some grilled fish for your lunch at the only restaurant on Kornati I happened to see.

There is usually a guide who chants off info in English, German and Italian, so you'll get some explanation on the various things you see along ther trip.

It's a very pleasant day to spend a day and likely to give you desire to do some serious sailing if you haven't done any before.
Personally, chartering a boat is the ONLY way to enjoy Croatian coast in the summer, you can't beat it!

teddybear:

"Personally, chartering a boat is the ONLY way to enjoy Croatian coast in the summer, you can't beat it! "

Won't be much summer heat in October. Will the cruise boats be running?

I don't have much time right now to go into details, but here is an example of charges for a cabin or a whole skippered yacht:

http://www.lazywinch.com/prices.html

This is just one amongst many companies running this kind of service.
There is something about sailing that is hard to put into words, I guess it has to be experienced.
Croatia is an ideal sailing destination...

teddybear, you have been such a great source of information....thank you so much! I'm also reading on to the recommedations of chartering a boat...

For Teddybear, I'll add my thanks to Stel's. You've been a great help.

Glad to help!
I guess the advantage of using a yacht is the freedom of movement. It suddenly solves all the logistics problems, as you no longer have to worry about catching the buses, ferries, or roast in a car in July heat, worrying about parking.
Being "one" with the sea as well as finding your own private coves, as well as island hopping at ease (not to mention close encounters with the dolphins ), is something that can only be achieved therough sailing.
The downside is that it is usually a more expensive option (not for the budget traveler).