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Trip Report: 12 days on Croatia's Dalmatian Coast with no car

Just returned from 12 days in Croatia and was incredibly impressed. Gorgeous Medieval towns nestled on the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea. This was a great trip that stacks up against all of my European vacations.

Four days in Dubrovnik (reached via airport)
2 days on the island of Korcula (via ferry)
2 days on the island of Hvar (via ferry)
4 days in Split (via ferry)

It felt like we had the right amount of time everywhere. Random thoughts:

Dubrovnik is incredibly beautiful. We stayed inside the city walls, which is really a must. We walked the city walls, of course. Had a drink at the Buza bar. Spent a day at the nearby island of Lokrum (a 10-minute boat ride), and took a private tour to the Bay of Kotor. Also saw two concerts as part of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. ... Very hot and crowded in August, but we swam a lot to cool off.

Korcula and Hvar were also gorgeous beyond my explanation. If you go during high season, be sure to book your ferry tickets in advance. Stay in a guest room or an apartment for the best value. Our room in Hvar with a sea-view balcony was 60 euros a night.

Split has a reputation as a transit town, but we very much enjoyed our four nights here. Highly recommended is Banica Apartments, located inside Diocletian's Palace a stone's throw from one of the prettiest Roman plazas you will ever see. From here, a daytrip to Krka National Park with Portal Day Tours was a huge highlight. This is a great tour agency.

The wine and olive oil are fantastic. And the house wines largely stack up against the bottles. I do have a bias here, but my favorite meals in Croatia were pizzas. They're just as good as Italy's.

The tap water is perfectly fine to drink.

Ideally, I think June or late September would be the ideal time to visit here, but we loved being able to jump in the water from all of these places. Just find a rock or a ladder and jump or climb in. For us, this is much preferable to having to trudge through sand.

Posted by
3777 posts

Thanks for the report. I find that a vacation in Croatia is more laid back and relaxing then other countries. While there are museums and Churches to visit, it is more about walking around and seeing the city itself. Also the prices can't be beat. I definitely agree with you about staying inside the walls. We have stayed in Lapad, with family on the Ploce Gate side, but prefer staying inside the walls. Korcula is my daughter's favorite island. And yes, the pizza is great, but Brooklyn pizza is still the best!

Posted by
10 posts

Sounds fabulous. I will definitely add Croatia to my "gotta go there" list. Thanks for taking the time to share your report.