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Sibenik - to stay or not to stay!

My husband and I are going to Croatia for the first time this May. We are renting a car and our route is taking us from Zagreb south over 14 days.

We have plans to stay in Istria for 3 nights and before we get to Split, we would like input as to where to stay between Rovinj and Split. We are considering Sibenik. Any thoughts? We have 2 nights to work with. We are interested in Krk National Park which makes us think Sibenik might be a good stop, but we have noted that Rick does not refer to Sibenik in his Croatia book.
I would welcome your thoughts.

Posted by
5687 posts

Sibenik is a lovely town. On one of my Croatia trips a few years ago, I drove south from Rovinj to Zadar, spent a night there, and then drove to Trogir, stopping first at Krka National Park and then for a few hours in Sibenik. So I didn't spend long, but it has a nice feeling to it. Zadar and Trogir were both much more touristy (I was there in May too). I kind of wished I had stayed in Sibenik instead of in either Zadar or Trogir (both nice...just touristy) I didn't do much beyond see a few of the churches and walk around the town - it was a Sunday night so it was pretty dead, but I stopped for a meal at an Italian restaurant and it was delicious! Funny that that's what I remember most LOL. I think it was the best meal I had on that trip.

Depending on your interests, one night there is probably enough.

Posted by
172 posts

We spent 3 nights in Sibenik this past July. Lovely old town area. Plenty of interesting winding lanes with churches and historic buildings. Waterfront paths too. Just confirm parking availability if you stay in the old town. We didn’t have a car, but took an Uber to Krk Park for a days outing. Gorgeous. You won’t be disappointed with a night or two in Sibenik.

Posted by
3777 posts

After a dozen trips to Croatia we have never been to Šibenik. Maybe cause my husband has no family there. We plan on going this September during our yearly trip. I’ve only heard nice things from friends who stopped there during a cruise. Zadar was nice but if we didn’t have a cousin there we probably wouldn’t return. If you decide to stop there, I hope you do a trip report, I’ll be curious to know how you like it.

Posted by
6733 posts

Šibenik, Zadar and Trogir are all lovely. I'd be happy spending a night in any of them. We actually liked all three towns more than Split, which while bigger and arguably had some more "blockbuster" sights, we found Split to be too crowded and overwhelmed with tourists (many off of cruise ships) for our taste. Also in May.

Posted by
3 posts

Thanks for all your thoughts. You've convinced us to continue looking for accommodations in Sibenik!

Posted by
3039 posts

Sibenik has a turtle fountain that was completely amazing. Hundreds of turtles. We enjoyed our day there. We were staying at the Amadria Park for a conference. This is sort of an old-style resort from the commie time.

Posted by
4213 posts

I've always wanted to see the Sibenik area, but three days is so short for Istria--I'd share the entire itinerary and consider adding those days elsewhere. Where are you coming from in Istria? I would want to break up a long drive, how about Plitvice?