ONE WEEK IN CROATIA

Please note that this blogpost was written after my 2016 Croatia trip. In 2023 I visited Croatia again and I have updated blogposts about that trip with more current information.

Beautiful swimming spot in Rovinj

I visited Croatia as a part of a roadtrip through Croatia and Italy. I knew I had to visit Croatia after having seen pictures of the Plitvice lakes, so I made sure to include those in our itinerary. We traveled through Croatia for a week, so this was way too short to get to know the whole country. While driving at the Adriatic coastline we discovered a lot more spots that we would want to visit a next time, but this is what we actually did:

Plitvice lakes

Our first stop in Croatia were the Plitvice lakes, we stayed in a rural area close to the Plitvice lakes, so we were able to go to the lakes first thing in the morning. Prices to entry the Plitvice lakes differ depending on season and prices for the high season recently sored to € 34 (2023: 40 euro) for a one-day visit, this includes tickets for the boats and buses in the park. You need to book your tickets online, in advance. Our host gave us advice to enter the Plitvice lakes via entrance 2 and take the boat as this route draws less crowds. We thought this was a crowded route already, but it just kept getting busier during the day. The lakes and waterfalls of Plitvice are perfect for a day of walking. You don’t need sturdy shoes really, sneakers will do. Unfortunately you are not allowed to swim in the lakes and during the high season you are definitely going to want that. I really liked our trip to the Plitvice lakes, but in spite of the insane beauty of the lakes they did not become a highlight of my trip to Croatia as I was taken aback by the herds of people walking on the tracks. Especially near the waterfalls it really felt like you were walking in a train formation, the upper lakes were a little better though as everyone tended to spread out. If you really like peace and quite (which could be a reason for visiting a national park) I would not recommend going to Plitvice lakes… It was probably naïve of me to expect that less people had discovered this natural phenomenon.

The upper part was much more quiet!

Kayaking tour in the Mreznica Canyon

I preferred this kayaking tour to visiting the Plitvice lakes, as kayaking was the perfect way to get active in the beautiful Mreznice Canyon. The Mreznica Canyon is located close to the Plitvice Lakes. We visited with our own car, but the tour companies can arrange a transfer as well. The Mreznica Canyon consists of different levels of waterfalls which makes the kayaking a true adventure. There are plenty of opportunities to cool off and to go for a swim, which is perfect for summer months. Because you will kayak with the stream it is not too challenging. On the tour you will have the opportunity to do some jumps/canyoning. One jump was really high, so I chickened out, but the tour guides are fine with that and will help you down stairs at the other side so you can join the group again. We went with Terraktiv and I would absolutely recommend doing this tour!

Dubrovnik

From Plitvice it is a 5 hour drive to Dubrovnik. I am not a Game of Thrones fan so I was surprised to discover the Game of Thrones tours being organized in Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik has really risen in popularity because of Game of Thrones and it also gets crowded during the day because of cruise ships stopping by. However it is very possible to escape the crowds during the day and enjoy the city at night, which is what we did. We spent one afternoon in Cave Bar More, enjoying the Adriatic sea from the lovely platforms, while sipping on our fancy drinks. You can find the Cave restaurant with the beach bar in hotel More, once you take the elevator down. Another day we visited Lokrum Island by ferry and had a swim over there. The Adriatic sea is worth visiting Croatia for: The water is super clear, we visited in august so the water had sufficient time to heat up and get to the perfect temperature. Because Dubrovnik has a bay the water is really relaxed and perfect for swimming.

The advantage of visiting a touristy town is the variety in restaurants. Dubrovnik has plenty of good restaurants, with different sort of cuisines, we even found vegan restaurants to stock up on some veggies. Make sure to check the reviews before you sit down and don’t eat at the central square as prices are incredibly inflated over there.  

The central square gets really crowded during the day
On the city walls you can get away from the bustle of the streets

If you want to enjoy a beautiful sunset, you should do that in the Buza bar. This is a trendy bar located on the rocks right next to Dubrovnik’s historic city walls. The Buza bar is somewhat hidden, but once you find it you will discover a true paradise. It is also possible to go swimming near the Buza bar, so bring your gear. Another advice is to go here directly after dinner, as it will be difficult to find a spot later in the evening.

Buza bar
The harbor of Dubrovnik is situated on a lovely spot

Rovinj

On our way to Italy we decided to stay the night in Rovinj. Rovinj is popular with the Dutch, but I was surprised about the relaxed vibe. The cute little center is full of colorful alleyways and also has a lot of locations where you can go for a swim near the rocks. I loved watching the sun go down in the harbor and was really happy we made a stop here. Another great location is Medittereano bar which is the perfect spot to grab a cocktail.

Don’t you just love sunsets like this?
The pastel colored Medittereano bar

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