7 Places to Explore in Croatia
EM has checked into … Croatia
Ever since the release of Game of Thrones, this destination has been receiving so much popularity and has been marked by many in their ‘must-see’ travel bucket list.
As a die-hard Game of Thrones fan, of course I had to make a trip here and explore the essence of Croatia and secretly envisioned myself walking through the streets of King’s Landing.
But after spending 2 weeks in Croatia, I realised that Croatia has a lot more to offer. Beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters, luscious waterfalls within their stunning national parks, amazing food and wines and incredible locals who will be willing to help and hang out with randomly. And best of all, I was so SURPRISED that everything here is really CHEAP compared to what I was expecting when travelling in Europe!
Croatia IS the AFFORDABLE European destination you NEED to visit!
*Please note: my travels to Croatia was back in 2019 before COVID-19 occurred. Please do put your health in priority and avoid travelling until it is safe to do so in the future.
So we hired a car from Zagreb and worked our way from the North to the South of Croatia, here are my list of 8 places that you have to visit when in Croatia.
For more highlights of Croatia, you can head over to my Instagram @EMCHECKEDIN.
Motovun / Grožnjan
What you will see: Local charming towns that are famous for truffle, olive oil, honey and local delicious produce. But mainly TRUFFLES!
Why you should visit: You can really get a feel of the countryside of Croatia, plus this is the place that you can sample amazing local produce including white and black truffles, many local restaurants here sell freshly made pasta with truffles which are affordable and too good to be true. While you are here, make sure to buy some truffle pastes (if you have to only choose 1 thing, get the white truffle pastes - they last for years and you will not be able to get it anywhere else).
How long: Just few hours will do, this is a great pit stop when you are driving from Zagreb to Rovinj. We stopped here for lunch and spent around 2 hours here before driving to our accommodation in Rovinj.
2. Rovinj
What you will see: A romantic town and a historical jewel of Istria’s west coast.
Why you should visit: Great place to relax and unwind yet it has a slight bustling feel to it. You can also enjoy some of the best seafood restaurants in Croatia. Plus, you CANNOT miss the sunset here, it is gorgeous with the backdrop of Rovinj.
How long: At least 1 full day. We arrived here in the evening after driving from Zagreb and stopping at Motovun/Grožnjan area, so we decided to spend the next day soaking in the charms of Rovinj and made sure to witness an incredible sunset before moving on to the next destination early in the following morning.
3. Plitviče Lakes National Park
What you will see: A chain of 16 terraced lakes, joined by waterfalls, that extend into a limestone canyon. Walkways and hiking trails wind around and across the water, and an electric boat links the 12 upper and 4 lower lakes.
Why you should visit: One of the oldest and largest national park in Croatia plus it is granted a UNESCO heritage status. The way that the walking trails are structured in this park is very unique and makes you feel like you are walking on top of water. A very unique experience that you will never expect when travelling to Croatia!
How long: 3-4 hours to hike the whole of the national park including the waiting times for each boat rides between various points of the national park.
4. Šibenik
What you will see: Oldest native Croatian town on the shores of the sea that has 2 UNESCO heritage site (no other city in Croatia has 2), which are the beautiful masterpiece of St. James Cathedral and St John’s Fortress.
Why you should visit: A must to visit when in Croatia! We truly enjoy walking around in the streets feeling like we were back in the Medieval times. We have also booked a spectacular yet surprisingly really affordable fine dining experience at Pelegrini, I have also blogged about our dinner here.
How long: If you just want to wander around the old town, then a full day should do. But I would strongly recommend to spend 2 days at a relaxing pace to walk outside of the old town for an extended view of the town as well as allocating a dinner slot at one of Croatia’s landmark restaurant.
5. Krka National Park
What you will see: A series of 7 waterfalls extending along the 73km Krka River and it used to be a sanctuary for monks who have built their monasteries. In summer period, you are allowed to swim in some locations in the park!
Why you should visit: Compared to Plitvice Lakes, this national park is smaller yet I feel that it has more charm than Plitvice Lakes. The water looks clearer with a striking blue/turquoise colour. The waterfalls are also a lot more interesting and the surrounding old monasteries that paint a more mysterious picture are just too good to give it a pass.
How long: If you just want to walk in the park on the main trail, a good 2-3 hours will be sufficient. But if you want to explore further or swim in the park, then I would recommend a full day. The park has a lot of picnic areas for you to chill and relax or there are some small food or drink stalls for you to buy if you want to.
Lumbarda at the other side of Korcula
6. Korcula (including Lumbarda)
What you will see: Crystal clear waters, vineyards, olive groves, small villages and ABUNDANCE of wild sea urchins!
Why you should visit: One of Croatia’s most relaxing getaway with the locals enjoying a slower pace of life. It is very peaceful here with plenty of AMAZING food and wine. Often called a “little Dubrovnik”, Korcula is not to be missed!
How long: A day will be sufficient since it is a small island, however to fully enjoy its relaxing atmosphere, I suggest to arrive in the morning, stay overnight and leave the next morning.
7. Dubrovnik
What you will see: Last but not least, Dubrovnik is a must-to-visit when in Croatia. Vibrant orange tiled roof, contrasting turquoise ocean water, ancient history and one of the most amazing and cheapest culinary spots in the world.
Why you should visit: It is the quintessential destination and thanks to Game of Thrones, it has become an iconic sight and insta-famous. Even so, Dubrovnik has not lost its charm and local authenticity. And image sea kayaking here surrounded by Dubrovnik’s beautiful scenery!
How long: It really depends on what you want to do and how ‘relaxed’ you want your vacation to be. I strongly recommend to spend at least 3 days here to fully explore Dubrovnik in an ok pace. But 5 days will be ideal if you want to enjoy this place at a relaxing pace and you can also take day trips to surrounding mini-islands.
An underrated destination not to be missed!
Croatia was such a unique place to visit. I was definitely MIND-BLOWN! Honestly speaking when I was deciding to go to Croatia for a 2 week holiday, I was expecting more of just site seeing like what it’s like in Dubrovnik, but I was wrong. Croatia has so much more to offer! Especially its selection of fantastic local food and wine at a very cheap price!
Tips:
I would recommend to go in shoulder season, I went in late Spring, right before the crowd comes in, so that accommodation is still cheaper, less crowds and more cooling weather to manage
Hire a car for the journey from Zagreb to Split, you will need it as there isn’t any accessible public transport to move around for those areas, you can just drop off the car at Split and from Split, you can easily take a ferry to Korcula or neighbouring islands or even Dubrovnik
Try not to hire a car in Dubrovnik, it’s a nightmare to drive around and park - you can use Uber
Definitely buy their local olive oil and truffle paste
Worth to consider flying back to Zagreb from Dubrovnik or vice versa as the highway connecting the both doesn’t have much to see, I did my trip whereby I drove from Zagreb to Split > ferry to Korcula & Dubrovnik > fly to Zagreb but you can do it the other way round
For ferry tickets, best to pre-purchase them especially when it is peak season, they do sell out fast
Perfectly situated between Italy and eastern Europe, Croatia has the combination of both and it is something that words can’t even describe. Oh and believe me when I say the local pasta and sausages here are WAY BETTER than Italy (And I’ve been to Italy 3 times)! Every random local eatery that we want, we were never disappointed by the food served to us, NOT ONCE!
Till next time, take care and stay inspired!
xoxo EM
