Lopar is the main village on the northern peninsula of Rab, 14 kilometres by road from Rab town. It is quieter and more workaday than the old town, with a small harbour, a handful of restaurants, and a supermarket. Most visitors come for the beaches rather than the village itself.
Lopar claims, with minimal evidence but considerable enthusiasm, to be the birthplace of St Marinus, the fourth-century stonemason who went on to found the Republic of San Marino. The connection is celebrated with a small museum and a street named in his honour.
The peninsula has the island's best beaches — sandy rather than stony — and is where most of the island's camping and apartment accommodation is concentrated, including the long crescent of Rajska Plaža and several naturist beaches. A local bus runs between Rab town and Lopar several times daily in summer.