Croatia is one of Europe’s prettiest beach destinations and it’s also a little less crowded than Spain or Portugal.

I visited beaches in Split, Dubrovnik and Hvar while I was in Croatia and found some beautiful spots.

However, while the beaches are stunning, there’s one thing tourists shouldn’t forget to pack for a beach holiday in Croatia.

Many of Croatia’s beaches are rocky and if you’re planning to swim in the sea, you’ll need to keep an eye out for sea urchins.

These small sea creatures look like little black rocks but they’re incredibly spiky and could easily ruin your holiday.

Sea urchins are found all along Croatia’s Adriatic Coast and you’ve got a good chance of seeing one if you go for a swim in Croatia.

While public beaches are sometimes cleared of sea urchins, they’re often found at more remote beaches and they’re still found at busy spots.

The sea urchins might look fairly harmless but they’re covered in tiny claw-like pincers and can deliver a painful sting.

‌

Symptoms of a sea urchin sting can cause pain, redness and swelling and could leave you with a sore foot for the rest of your holiday.

To protect your feet, the majority of tourists wear swim shoes to go in the water in Croatia. Aqua or swim shoes usually have a rough plastic bottom that helps to keep you safe.

While the shoes can be bought at tourist shops in Croatia’s seaside towns, you’ll probably save money if you purchase the shoes ahead of time on Amazon or Sports Direct.

As they’re usually very lightweight, they can be packed in your hand luggage without too much trouble.

The shoes also come handy if you’re planning on going kayaking, sailing or rock pooling while in Croatia.

If you can’t bear the thought of a rocky beach, you could check out Paradise Beach in Lopar, one of Croatia’s few sandy spots.