Project Croatia 2021
To sum it up, it was like this.
Technicalities:
we travelled during the first half of October;
our days were like this: ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼/☂ ☼/☂ ☂/☼ ☂ ☂ ☂ ☼;
there were no entry restrictions into or around Croatia.
For more details, please read on /you’ll find the info sorted by the places where we lingered overnight/—
Around ZADAR
*Nicest memories?
The sound of the Sea Organ (we were lucky to have waves that morning) and the lovely postcards by Ana Kolega that I bought for my collection (you’ll find them in the souvenir stall area).
Around TISNO
*Nicest memories?
My October wild swimming challenge completed somewhere on the way to Iza Andrije Beach, walking around Tisno and looking at the sea, having breakfast with the sea in the background after shopping locally and living a Mediterranean life for a couple of days.
**What else to do?
Trek around Krka National Park (entry fee: HRK 100/person) and visit Šibenik; you can read more about these half-day trips here.
Around VIS
*Nicest memories?
Stiniva and Srebrna Beaches, our scooter ride around the island (even though we had a bad accident), our fresh and tasty breakfasts overlooking the old walls of Komiža. Find all the details here.
Aaah! And we did meet Margreet on our way back to Split.
**Where to stay and eat?
We simply loved Apartments Villa Anka (HRK 750/2 nights) and we had nice dinners at Pizzeria Charlie. For quality bakes, visit Pekara Kolderaj.
***What else to do?
We will return to kayak to the Blue Grotto and see Barjoska Beach.
Provided that your departure/arrival port is Split, walking around Diocletian’s Palace is, even if tiring, a nice experience. We bought lavender there from a very kind old man; when he heard that we were Romanians, he gave me something extra just because we’re ‘nice neighbours’. Balkan-kind-of-neighbours. J I loved that moment. P.S. here— If you’re looking for a very nice place to have a bite in Split, head to Bistro Ćiba, my favourite restaurant of our entire Croatian trip.
Mala Draga Beach seems a very wild
place – but we only got half the way there; I encourage you to
use a 4x4 or to walk to reach it. We will probably try our luck again next time.
Around GRADAC
We will return to the area to go and see Blace Beach.
This time around, we chose it because it was halfway between the Neretva Delta and Omiš. I was happy to finally see the Neretva River on its way to the sea. I had imagined the entire area to be cleaner, still… it was beautiful. Umh… we did buy 2 kilos of the famous tangerines in the region but our dear friend in Zagreb told us that we had been overcharged (HRK 20). The silver lining? They were so tasty!...
One of the best memories from our trip was kayaking Cetina River Canyon; it could not have been possible without Adventure Omiš. Read the whole story here.
Our dear friend Pauli warned us about the force of bura winds. We came to understand what she meant when we experienced it on our own on our way to the north. Keeping the car on the road was a challenge indeed.
Around RASTOKE
*Nicest memories?
The poppy pastry bought from Pekara Europa – my favourite bakery from those I visited in Croatia – while trying to complete the trek around Rastoke. I didn’t understand anything from the trek or its entry/exit points and everything seemed a bit commercial, but I was with Marcel ♥ and we marvelled at the water.
**Where to stay?
Pego (EUR 90/2 nights) was modern, comfy, and nicely situated.
***What else to do?
We missed some wild swimming spots – Škrila, Oltar and Kotlac – and a kayaking session on Gacka River because of the rain and the cold. They are still on my mind.
Go to Zagreb; we went there to hang out with our dear Pauli and her daughter Maya. We laughed and ate together (so many yum things!) and walked around the city in the rain. We also visited Samobor – apparently, the place to have crempita in Croatia –, 30 minutes away from the capital. We loved being with them. Friends matter. ♥
Around LONJA
*Nicest memories?
As we were in Lonjsko Polje National Park, we went to see the pigs, horses, and cows grazing.
**Where to stay?
We loved our time at Stara Lonja (EUR 90/double room, en-suite/2 nights); the welcome was very friendly, the traditional food – very tasty; plus, you’ll find 19th-century houses preserved there.
***What else to do?
We will return in spring for cycling, kayaking, fishing, and horseback riding.
When it rains and it’s cold, you can drive to Jasenovac and see Una (my favourite river in the whole world) – here, the natural border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Stop at Slastičarna Mladost for some really tasty sweets; I befriended the nice owner and talked about our passion for baking. Marvel at the old wooden houses and the many swans along the Sava River.
Be careful when—
Choosing a restaurant to have a meal
Eating out is generally expensive in Croatia and good restaurants (for my taste and in my opinion) are just a few. Research well. What does your intuition tell you? :-)
Renting a car
We’ve had a bad experience with Avant Car and I’ll share it here with you—
Most of the employees are rude. I was not even greeted by the man who submitted the car to us! We received a different car than the one booked. Being high, it was a bit difficult to drive under conditions of strong wind. The most disturbing aspect was, however, the fact that they didn't accept our debit card (even though it has a credit line attached and we've used it all over the world - from Argentina to Egypt), so we had to pay double the rental amount for the full insurance. However, they did manage to block EUR 200 for gas from the same debit card, so I think that we are talking about manipulation, lies, and theft. We initially went away trying to secure a deal with another company, but couldn't find a decent car rental company around Zadar Airport (or one that could accept a debit card and provide a fair rental rate). We decided not to ruin our trip and accepted the deceit being sure that somebody up there will settle the accounts and see the truth. * These times are dark, troubled, we are blackmailed and manipulated from all sides but I choose to continue telling the truth, as all persons should.
Suggestions
Breakfasts
Most accommodation spaces in Croatia don’t provide breakfast options. Visit local fish markets, fruit and vegetable markets, and the pekara (=bakery) in your area. You’ll fix yourself a wonderful breakfast, at low costs.
Motorway fees
Yes, motorway fees in Croatia are huge. Avoid them by taking longer routes – and at times more scenic drives. If avoiding them is impossible, keep the change and use it to pay at your last stop at the motorway booth.
Enjoy your time in Croatia!
Allow yourself to get lost and choose to live and experience rather than fall for tourist traps.
P.S. We travel light, so I only had a small backpack on me. My dear Pauli did buy ‘Lino’ for me to take back home because she introduced it to me and knows that it became my favourite hazelnut spread. The guys at the luggage control saw the jars and wanted to take them away.
Marcel was terrific, whispering ‘They’re taking your Lino away’…
‘No, not my Lino!’ [and I put on my sad face]
The officer looked at me and said: ‘Aaaah, Lino Lada… Croatian products are ok but… we would have taken Nutella away.’ J
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