Versão em português aqui
We spent a week in Croatia. Was it enough time? No. Definitely not. It’s a country where a 15 day itinerary can only cover the basics of getting to know the coast from north to south, but it was the time we had, so we enjoyed it as much as possible.
Our trip to Croatia was put together by a very competent travel agency from the US called Adventures Croatia. They not only made the hotel reservations and transfers, they also took us to hidden and exclusive places that we would have never discovered on our own. They made all restaurant reservations, even those most difficult to get.
It’s worth mentioning that we bought some tickets on Croatia Airlines to fly from Athens to Split and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it. I had read that the company was terrible, but I didn’t want to believe it. It was stunningly horrible. Our flight was 7 hours late and we were stuck at the airport with no explanation. And was not only ours. Every flight was delayed for at least one hour. Not to mention how apathetic the employees were.
We started from Split, the second largest city in Croatia, after Zagreb, the capitol, that unfortunately we didn’t have time to visit. It’s the city where, 2 thousand years ago, a long named Roman emperor lived and died: Caio Aurelio Valério Diócles Dioclecian. That’s why the main tourist attraction is the Dioclecian Palace, a sort of mini city where everything at the time happened.
We headed for Dubrovnik, in the South, a 3 to 4 hours trip through scenic roads. On the way, we stopped at Ston, a walled historic city. Nearby, we experienced one of those agency’s hidden gems: a quick boat tour that led us to an oyster farm, where we understood why they are so expensive and enjoyed a truly feast of Goods.
We came back from heaven and finally arrived at the most wanted place: the charming Dubrovnik. It is absolutely everything I have imagined before and captivated us for complete. So small, with just 45 thousand inhabitants, t’s plenty of life and joy and full of history. A thousand posts wouldn’t be able to transcribe in every detail what this place has to offer.
Leaving Dubrovnik, we return a little bit to the north, through the Peljesac Peninsula, where we had lunch in a 500 years family run tavern, in the region that they call Napa Valley of Croatia. We continued through scenic beach side roads until Orebic, a small village where we took the ferry boat to Korcula, our next destination.
Korcula is the name of the island and also the name of charming village where we stayed for the night. They say it’s where Marco Polo was born, hundred years ago, before he had to Italy. Luck for him, cause the small village is a delightful place to stay for one night or even more. With intense relation to the sea, its little marina is plenty of beautiful sailing boats with families enjoying the great atmosphere.
By the way, it’s important to mention that Croatia has a strong connection with the sea. Everywhere you go you see beautiful and well-organized marinas. The perfect way to get to know this winderful country is by boat as it has many islands close to each other. You can either rent you own boat or take a ferry boat, a popular and efficient way to move around.
We chose to rent our own boat to move between islands. So we took it from Korcula to our next and final destination, the trendy Hvar (read: “ruar”). Along the way (about 2 hours by boat), we made a stop in Brac, another famous island, in a beach called Bol. Extraordinary sandy beach, with that spectacular water. We had lunch “like a local” in front of the beach.
At the end of the day we arrived at the famous Hvar Island. As Korcula, it’s the name of the island and also the name of the port (Hvar Town) where is located the most variety of restaurants and beach clubs. The village is full of charm, with small ochre houses perched in a hill in front of the bay and its sailing boats. I loved this place!
To get back to Split Airport, which is located about an hour from Hvar, we rented our own private boat, but you can easily take a ferry boat that leaves Hvar Town every hour.
And that’s how we finish our fast but remarkable trip through Croatia. A country full of contrasts and charm. Mountains and rocks, blue crystal sea and green forests. Beautiful cities full of history. You can match with Greece or Italy, or maybe only Croatia, the country itself has it all, whether you are seeking for parties and lively atmosphere, history, gastronomy or just relax.
