Croatia has long been on my mind since stopping in Dubrovnik on 2015 as part of a family Mediterranean cruise. I loved the romantic architecture and atmosphere of the Old Town and left wanting to explore more of this unique country. On this trip, we revisited Dubrovnik and spent time checking out the islands off the coast as well as national parks within. Road tripping was a great way to take in the Dalmatian Coast and experience a lot of the detail in the small villages between tourist attractions.

EXPERIENCE  

We entered into Croatia via Montenegro and headed directly to Dubrovnik after a long afternoon of driving. We began our exploration on a mission to relocate the car to free parking after spending almost $80 on the first night to park it outside the Old Town walls upon arriving in the rain. I had an idea to put the car at the top of the Cable Car and simply ride it town with the remainder of our luggage. It was a little tricky to navigate our way to the top, but it worked like the charmed, and we seemed to be the only ones doing it. We explored the reaches of New Dubrovnik a bit as well, but there was not especially much that caught our eye. Back in Old Town we walked the city walls then strolled the streets below with the crowds. Other things to do here are the War Photo Exhibit and a trip to the Palace. Seeing this city again was nice, but the overwhelm of the post- Game of Thrones tourism boom, was too much for us. We were thrilled to hit the road in the morning and get out of the chaos and onto tranquil Bosnia.

After Bosnia we came back into Croatia to board the ferry at Drvenik to Sucuraj to Hvar Island. We took a half day’s drive to cover the island tip to tip, passing through many olive groves, lavender fields and vineyards. The majority of the island is quite unpopulated and we spend two days exploring its beaches and towns. Hvar is a hopping harbor town with many restaurants and nightclubs. We enjoyed walking around here for a few hours to see the shops and larger hotels. We were happy to be staying in Stari Grad however though, which was much more laid back and family focused. For our beach day we hiked down to a (not so) secret beach called Dubovica which was really lovely. We also drove out to Zarace and east of Zavala to check out their coastline. There are many small village and home wine makers throughout the island. This is a great little place that was a great half way point on the Eastern Europe portion of our trip.

From Stari Grad we boarded an early two hour ferry across to Split. In Split, we spent the morning checking out more attractions starting with the walled old town. We passed through the Silver Gate to walk around Diocletian’s Palace. While here we did some quick drives so see some other less impressive attractions including checking out harbor views from Marjan Hill and a quick stop for ice cream and more historic buildings in Trogir Town. We also drove up to the top of the mountain to Klis Fortress, which we choose not to go into, but enjoyed the panoramic view of sprawling Split down below.

We then continued on to Plitvice Lakes National Park which is about three hours inland. Here we explored the park quicker than most after getting rained out on our first attempt. We came back in the morning and snuck in just around opening time and hightailed it down to the big falls to take in the scenery sans tourists and hike the lakes while tranquil in just a light rain. This park is absolutely stunning, the colors alone make it one of those rare and special places, so happy to see it being cared for and treasured as the Croatians are doing. This was a great place to round out our visit through Croatia and move onto Hungary for our final stop.

EAT

 The food in Croatia was quite tasty. Once finally making it to our apartment in Dubrovnik, we hid out from the rain and cooked dinner in our room. This worked out well despite causing the entire building to short out with our electric stove. We picked up some groceries and wine at a store on the way into town and found this a good way to take advantage of the apartment style room. Breakfast was included in our Dubrovnik stay and served at the Dalmancio. This restaurant was un-notable and very much okay. The following evening we had dinner near our hotel at a nice street side restaurant and enjoyed some local mussels and shrimp. Gelato stayed on the daily menu as well, and we probably had the best of our trip at a little spot within the city walls. While no place stands out in particular for excellent food, the atmosphere is the selling point of eating in Dubrovnik. I’d recommend picking a spot that looks romantic and cozy, then moseying around for drinks to try some new vantage points.

In Stari Grad, Hvar we had great luck with meals. Our hotel served the best breakfast of our trip and we found an incredible restaurant in the harbor we ate at two nights in a row because we enjoyed it so much. The place was called Konoba Zvijezda Mora. Favorite menu items included the octopus salad, garlic mussels, sea bass, lamb, spaghetti Bolognese and the well done local draft beer. We had some other restaurant recommendations as well that I would be sure to try if we return, they included Eremitaz, Pharia, and Kod Barba Luke. The area publishes a leaflet with each page devoted to describing a restaurant which comes in handy while here.

Moving inland, we ate at near Plitvice Lake at a cute little restaurant with an outdoor wood burning grill and seating. Restoran Petar Plitvice Lakes had a great vibe and nice grilled meats with vegetables. This place is highly rated but tucked away as part of a guesthouse so it feels really secluded in the woods with almost a German Beer Garden vibe. We had a lovely dinner here and got to sample the local cheese, wine and honey that is being sold at every road side stand for miles around this area.

STAY

As we moved through Croatia we had several accommodations. In Dubrovnik we stayed at Apartments Most for two nights within the city walls of Old Town. While we appreciated having the kitchen to cook, we found the tourist scene so overwhelming in Dubrovnik that it was tough to enjoy. We liked the easy access to the attractions here, but the fact that you need to park outside the Old Town and carry all your luggage (which we still didn’t have) all the way in down many flights of stairs made it quite inconvenient.

Once we reentered Croatia from Bosnia, we stayed at Apolon Heritage Villa in Stari Grad on Hvar Island for two nights. This hotel is the old home of a Croatian archeologist, historian and writer. These were two of our most relaxing nights of the trip and we really enjoyed the location on the harbor and away from the “scene”. This little spot was very charming and situated in a family oriented area where we could watch the sailboats come and go and join the community they created when moored for the evening. This hotel had a wonderful breakfast included and the rooms have large bathrooms with fantastic natural lighting. We also enjoyed the hotels’ nice oceanfront patio for an after dinner drink in the evening.

On our fifth night in Croatia, we stayed at the Plitvice Miric Inn near the falls. This simple and quaint hotel met our needs and I would highly recommend it for travelers staying in this area. The breakfast here was very extensive and the rooms were cozy, clean and very close to the park. This whole region has a German Guesthouse feel to it, which was a fun change from the seaside hotel we were at previously. If you choose to stay here I recommend a room on the second floor with the skylights in the shower and bedroom, this was particularly nice during our thunderstorm weather.

This visit to Croatia was much more thorough than my first, and I have only positive things to say about this charming country. Though the people are not service oriented, they are kind enough and prepared for the influx of tourism that is underway. While Dubrovnik is a little exploited to the point of feeling like Venice (where allthe locals have been pushed out and the town is actually just a novelty destination), this is easily escaped with a short drive. I imagine much of Croatia to be like what Italy must have felt like fifty years ago during the summer months, traveled and discovered yet still local and authentic. The Hvar island stay was really nice and something we would consider doing again later in life and perhaps with a boat. I feel we had a nice chance to cover the country this week and there are no major sites I regret not making it too. Croatia is extremely accessible and well worth a visit for travelers of all kinds.