Pula with kids is genuinely easy, which is not something you can say about every historic city. The centre is compact and walkable, the beaches are calm and shallow in the right spots, and the star attraction just offshore, Brijuni, has a safari park and dinosaur footprints that turn a history trip into an adventure. Add an aquarium inside a real fortress and a dinosaur theme park up the coast, and you have plenty to fill several days without a single bored child. Here is how to keep the whole family happy.

Family friendly things to do in and around Pula
Activity	Why kids love it	Good age
Brijuni safari park	Real animals, dinosaur footprints and easy flat paths	All ages
Aquarium Pula	Over two hundred species inside the historic Fort Verudela	All ages
Pula Arena	A real Roman arena to explore and imagine gladiators in	4 and up
Ambrela and Hawaii beaches	Shallow, calm, clear water for a safe swim	All ages
Dinopark Funtana	Life size dinosaurs, rides and shows a short drive up the coast	2 to 12
Private boat trip	Your own boat, gentle pace, swim stops and life jackets	All ages

The big hitters

Brijuni is the family favourite for good reason. The safari park lets children see zebras and other animals up close, the coastline has more than two hundred dinosaur footprints to hunt for, and the flat paths mean even little legs and pushchairs cope fine. Closer to town, Aquarium Pula sits inside the nineteenth century Fort Verudela and houses more than two hundred species, from Adriatic sea life to turtles and caimans, all wrapped up in the fun of exploring an old fortress. And the Arena itself is a hit with kids who get to run around a genuine Roman amphitheatre and picture the gladiators.

Beaches that work for little ones

On the Verudela peninsula, Ambrela and Hawaii beaches are calm, shallow and clear, which is exactly what you want with young swimmers. Ambrela carries a Blue Flag and has facilities close by, so a family beach day is simple. For a bigger splash, there is a modular floating water park just off Verudela beach in season that older kids adore.

A rainy day or a hot afternoon plan

The aquarium inside Fort Verudela is a great cool, indoor few hours.
Dinopark Funtana, a short drive up the coast, spreads life size dinosaurs, rides and a covered show arena across a shady forest, easily half a day.
The Zerostrasse tunnels under the city are cool, dry and a small adventure in themselves.

Why a private boat wins with kids

A boat trip sounds ambitious with children, but a private boat is often the calmest day of the whole holiday. There is no crowd, no fixed timetable and no pressure. A patient local skipper keeps the pace gentle, stops to swim when the kids want to and heads back when they have had enough. Everyone gets life jackets, the coves are calm and clear, and the sense of having your own little boat is pure magic for a child. It is worlds away from a packed, scheduled group tour.

See our private Pula boat tours, which suit families perfectly, pair it with the Brijuni safari day, and check the calm swimming spots in the best beaches near Pula. For everything else, here is the local guide to things to do in Pula.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pula good for families?

Yes. The city is walkable, the beaches are calm and shallow, and the Brijuni safari park, the aquarium and a dinosaur theme park nearby make it one of the best family bases in Istria.

Are boat trips ok for young kids?

On a private boat, yes. The pace is gentle, there are life jackets for everyone, and you swim and return on your own schedule with no crowd and no fixed timetable.

What is the best family day near Pula?

Brijuni for the safari park and dinosaur footprints, or a private boat trip with calm swim stops. On a hot or wet day, the aquarium in Fort Verudela is a great backup.

Is Aquarium Pula worth it with children?

Yes. It sits inside a real nineteenth century fortress and houses more than two hundred species, so kids get an aquarium and a fort to explore at the same time.

What can you do near Pula with toddlers?

Stick to calm, shallow beaches like Ambrela, the flat easy paths of Brijuni, and a short gentle private boat trip with swim stops. Dinopark Funtana also suits very young children.