Can you Swim in Krka National Park in 2024?

One of the first questions people ask before visiting the park is “Can you swim in Krka National Park?“

It’s a really common question because one of the reasons the park grew to fame was due to Instagram photos of people posing in the water at the bottom of the waterfalls.

But if you Google this question, you will find mixed answers. There are many outdated sources and blog posts which haven’t been updated in a decade.

I found this frustrating before visiting the park for myself. Now, after spending a day in Krka, I’m here to provide an answer once and for all to the burning question of “Can you swim in Krka?“.

Let’s dive into it, shall we? No pun intended 😉.

Can you Swim in Krka National Park?

If you are dreaming of swimming in the most famous and most beautiful waterfall in Krka, Skradinski Buk, unfortunately, the answer is no. Swimming is not allowed in Skradinski Buk.

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed when I began seeing reports of this online. One of the reasons many people visit Krka National Park is to swim in the waterfall.

And it’s even more annoying that when you Google “Krka”, one of the first photos that comes up is of people swimming in Skradinski Buk.

Swimming was one of the main reasons people would choose Krka vs Plitvice Lakes. There are signs up everywhere saying that swimming is not allowed in Skradinski Buk. Instead, you have to admire it from the wooden bridge built alongside the waterfall.

Don’t worry though, the view of the waterfall is still incredible. And even though you aren’t able to swim in it, I would still encourage anyone who was planning to visit Krka to still visit, it’s a beautiful national park.

I visited Krka from Split – as the national park has some of the best waterfalls close to Split and I’m so glad I made the trip.

And in case you were planning to chance your arm, don’t. There is no way you are going to be able to sneakily swim in the waterfall. You will be removed from the park and banned from entering Croatia’s national parks. It’s not worth it.

The reason you are not able to swim in Krka National Park’s most famous waterfall is pretty much because it was destroying the environment.

Having tens of thousands of people swimming in the waterfall each day was having an extremely negative effect on the ecosystem in and around the waterfall.

So as of January 2021, swimming is banned in Skradinski Buk.

As I’ve said, it’s really frustrating because there are so many outdated blog posts out there telling you that you still can swim in Krka and as a travel blogger myself, I know how important it is to keep articles up to date, so it was a shock to me to see a topic so poorly covered.

That’s why I’m writing this post today. Swimming in the waterfalls was on my Croatia bucket list along with taking a tour to the Blue Lagoon from Split, or walking the walls of Dubrovnik.

And a small part of me was still holding out hope that I could swim in Krka, but unfortunately, this wasn’t the case.

But it was still a dream come true to see the waterfall in real life, and there was still a smile on my face even without swimming!

But to summarise, it is not possible to swim in Krka National Park’s Skradinski Buk, the most famous waterfall in the park. It has been forbidden since 2021.

Places to Swim Near Krka National Park

Thankfully, even though it’s not allowed to swim in Skradinski Buk, the main waterfall that everyone visits in Krka, there are other spots nearby where swimming is allowed. The two which I recommend the most are Skradin and Roški Slap.

Skradin is one of the two entrances you can choose to enter the National Park from. You can get a boat ride from Skradin into the national park included in your ticket- it’s great.

The town itself is a beautiful old traditional Croatian town with gorgeous waters all around it.

The water is the same greeny-turquoise colour you see throughout Krka, and the views are also incredible. I would describe it as “the next best thing” to swimming in the waterfalls.

As you can see from the picture below, the surrounding landscapes are absolutely stunning. It’s basically like being in Krka.

Another option is Roški Slap which is actually in Krka National Park itself, but just not the bit that everyone usually visits. It’s a waterfall in the northern part of the park and it lives up to the hype of the rest of the waterfalls in Krka.

It’s not possible to swim in the waterfall itself, but it’s possible to swim in the lake which the waterfall flows into. You can get about 50m away from the waterfall. Note that there are no lifeguards and you are swimming at your own risk.

To be honest, I think it’s better to take a different day trip if you want to swim somewhere pretty, such as the Blue Lagoon in Croatia. It’s a gorgeous lagoon with stunning turqoise water.

But if you really really want to swim in Krka National Park, then make the hike up to the top part of the park and swim nearby Roški Slap.

If you look in the picture below, the lake is the blue water in the left above the trees. The waterfall is a more gradual one and for obvious reasons, it’s not possible to swim in the waterfall itself.

And just in case you were wondering, it’s not allowed to swim in Plitvice Lakes either.

Krka National Park Swimming: FAQ

Below are some questions related to “Can you swim in Krka National Park?” along with my answers.

Can you Swim in Krka National Park: Conclusion

And there you have it, a complete guide to “Can you swim in Krka National Park?“

It’s really hard trying to find a definitive answer online, so hopefully you appreciate finding this blog post which answers your question.

I know it’s a shame that you can’t swim in the waterfall, it was annoying for me too, but at least there are alternatives nearby which offer other beautiful swimming experiences.

Enjoy your trip to Krka, it’s still amazing to visit even though swimming is forbidden.