Two Weeks in Croatia
When I went: Late June 2014
How long I stayed: 12 days
Why I chose Croatia: Affordable prices, unique history, beautiful beaches, and lots of wine.
Itinerary: Toronto – London - Split – Hvar – Dubrovnik – London - Toronto
Split
Accommodations: Airbnb
Must Visit: Krka National Park and Diocletian's Palace
Must Do: Eat lots of ice cream and pizza, climb the Bell Tower of St. Domnius, take a walking tour of Diocletian's Palace
Must Pack: walking shoes
How long I stayed: 4 nights
How to get there: Fly into Split Airport and take a taxi to Old Town.
Split is the second largest city in Croatia, so it was fairly easy to fly into from London. We took a taxi to our accomodations that was prearranged by our lovely Airbnb host.
We spent most of our time in Split getting lost in the beautiful, cobblestone maze of Old Town and eating the most delicious gelato I have ever had. The pizza in Split was also phenomenal and the pastries throughout Croatia were amazing. I still dream of the cheesie, flaky pastry I had while waiting for our bus to Dubrovnik. And did I mention the seafood?!
Other than food, I'd recommend doing a walking tour of Diocletian's Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Monument, through One Penny Tours.
Krka
From Split we took a day trip to Krka National Park to view the amazing waterfalls and crystal clear water. Day tours can be purchased through tour companies in Split that will transport you there and back. I was very happy we didn't drive ourselves, as the roads are very narrow, steep and windy.
Hvar
Accommodations: Airbnb
Must Visit: Jerolim Island
Must Do: Swim in the clear, aqua water, relax, and sunbathe
Must Pack: bathing suit, beach towel, water shoes
How long I stayed: 3 nights
How to get there: Catamaran from Split
Hvar felt like being in a secret paradise and I wish we could have stayed there forever. We spent our time sunbathing by the ridiculously clear water and drinking beer while watching the yahts float by.
We also attended For Festival, a music festival that took place on nearby islands, Jerolim Island and Carpe Diem Beach. By far one of the best times I had was listening to live music while sipping a mojito on the beach on Jerolim Island. Sadly this festival isn't around anymore.
Dubrovnik
Accomodations: Airbnb
Must Visit: Belvedere Hotel, Lokrum Island, Buza Bar
Must Do: Walk the city walls at sunset
Must Pack: good shoes for climbing stairs
How long I stayed: 4 nights
Transportation: Catamaran from Hvar to Split and bus to Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a beautiful city with a lot of stairs. The stair climbing was actually perfect for burning off the calories from all the beer we drank at Buza Bar, a bar that sits on the rocky cliffs just outside the wall of the city.
This city was the most tourist crowded city we visited while in Croatia. I would recommend walking the city walls at dusk, just before they close it, to avoid the hoards of tourists who walk the walls during the day.
We took a long walk to a hidden beach outside of the city and also explored the abandoned Belvedere Hotel, which was once a 5-star luxury hotel destroyed in 1991 during the Croatian War of Independence. The hotel was also the filming location from the Game of Thrones episode, "The Mountain and the Viper".
Lokrum Island
To escape the crowds in Dubrovnik we took a short boat ride to the quiet island, Lokrum. We went swimming and walked through the beautiful gardens amonst the large peacock population.