For the last 9-10 days I have experienced the joy and wonder of beautiful Croatia. Visiting three cities (Dubrovnik, Hvar, and Split) spread far apart in less than two weeks and giving them a good go certainly had us pushed to our limits but despite some travel hiccups and accommodation uncertainty we came back glowing with our lovely tans and re-invigorated by our mostly idyllic days spent eating, sleeping, swimming, and napping, with a few boat rides and kayak and bike ride adventures thrown in for good measure.
Tips
There are a couple of few to keep in mind when travelling in Croatia, especially during the peak of summer:
Pre-book accommodation. This is especially important for larger groups. Better to get in early and be certain that you’ve actually got somewhere to stay during your trip. Otherwise, the weather is probably warm enough to allow you to sleep on the beach. 😉 Apartments are very good cheap options and allow self-catering (like the beautiful meal Nige cooked for us in Hvar – nothing like cooking up a lovely fresh fish!)
Check ferry/boat transfer timetables. Travelling between the bigger cities of Dubrovnik, Hvar and Split even during the peak that is the summer season isn’t a simple as turning up at a harbour and hopping on to any ferry / catamaran, especially if you travel the “wrong” way like us by flying into Dubrovnik and flying out of Split. To our surprise ferries either didn’t run every day or left at the wrong time of day (hence a painful speedboat ride we ended up taking from Dubrovnik to Hvar.)
If you arrive at a beach late in the afternoon haggle the cost of your sun bed down. In fact, try haggling anyway – it never hurts to try!
Consider buying a pair of sea shoes. Croatia does not have sand beaches and as a consequence when you go in the water you are most likely to be standing on some very sharp rocks. I can’t even being to count the number of cuts I have on the bottom of my feet and up my legs and even on my arms!
Seafood and actually pasta in Croatia is fantastic … their risotto on the other hand (wasn’t game to try it in Hvar or Split after our Dubrovnik meals) …
