Croatian Adventures
This year we spent 3 days in Zadar. Just under 3 hours from Dublin, Zadar Airport is a pleasure to travel through as it’s really small and only 15 minutes from the city. We stayed in an apartment right beside two of the main city attractions – the Sea Organ and Greeting to the Sun. Carved into the steps of the seafront promenade, the Sea Organ is made up of 35 organ pipes that catch the sounds of waves entering and escaping the hollowed out holes, producing a unique soundtrack that has a hint of whale song about it, in my opinion. Located right beside this is the Greeting to the Sun, a solar-powered representation of the solar system that stores power from the sun throughout the day and displays a dazzling light show all night long.
This area is a very popular for watching a beautiful Adriatic sun set and a short walk along the promenade to the rest of the Old Town. The ancient, cobbled streets of the Old Town are lovely to wander around, with highlights like the Roman Forum and old City Gates.
While we were there, we took a Tuk Tuk tour of the city and also hired a boat for a day to sail around the nearby islands. We made two stops on the island of Ugljan, and enjoyed a lovely lunch in Kukljica, a pretty little town. The water was still too cold for me, but my hubby and father in law enjoyed a ‘refreshing’ swim. I love my food, and we had some great meals around Zadar. Favourite spots… Tri Bunara, Konoba Dalmatina, L’Osteria12 and Morita. Don’t forget to try some Ozujsko too and thanks to its proximity to Italy, the gelato is fab!
Last year the hubby and I spent 6 nights further south, 3 in Split and 3 on Hvar island. Split is a larger city than Zadar and has more to offer due to its size. The Old Town was so impressive and a walk along the Riva is a people watching delight.
The ruins of the Roman Emperor Diocletian's palace, which date back to the late 3rd century A.D, form the main part of the Old Town and are well worth a visit. The views from the top of the bell tower in the Cathedral of Saint Domnius are so impressive. While you are willing to walk up steps for views… be sure to visit the Telegrin peak in Marjan Park. Easy to access from the end of the Riva (plus 314 steps) there is a bar at the top to sit and enjoy the Adriatic views.
We hired bikes for a day to explore Marjan Park further, with our swimming togs packed a dip in the azure Adriatic was welcome after the heat of the cycle. For the non-seasoned cyclist, like me, it is worth going over the hill in the middle to see the views from both sides. From Split we sailed over to Hvar, and spent 3 nights in the Amfora Beach Resort, a beautiful hotel a short walk along the promenade from Hvar town. We were there in September and the town was still buzzing, but July and August can have more of an Ibiza party vibe so if that’s not your thing, visit outside those months.
Again, we hired a boat and took to the islands, highlights along the way included snorkelling over the shipwreck by Necujam and a swim in the Blue Lagoon by Fumija. I cannot recommend a boat trip from Split highly enough, we went with a small group boat, offering a more intimate experience with flexibility – some of the large boats are crowded and noisy.
Before I bore you with too much Croatia love… we have also been to Dubrovnik twice and it’s a city you have to see to appreciate its beauty and grandeur. But I will save that for another post. Bottom line… go to Croatia!
Contact me today to start planning your next Croatia travel adventure!
