Why I Love Croatia
by Chris on 14th November 2018
Chris is the CEO of The Adventure People and has over 20 years experience in the travel industry.
- Location – Its so close to the UK and there are an awful lot of flights which means, if you can book early, you’ll get a great price. There are also lots of airports. The vast majority of people fly into Dubrovnik and holiday around the southern areas but Split, Zadar and Zagreb all have flights from / to the UK too and all offer something different.
- The Islands – Are magnificent and easily reachable. For starters there are more islands than one could visit in a year, it's true many are uninhabited but there are smaller islands which are just idyllic. Lopud for example, is one hour from Dubrovnik, traffic free, has a small harbour and a large sandy beach. What’s not to like?
- Things To Do – Sea Kayaking of course stands out. The clam and sheltered waters of the Adriatic are perfect to learn to sea kayak. I tried in a double kayak and eventually, when my confidence was up, move to a single. There are many islands and coves to explore although I would say only ever go with a guide! As well as kayaking though there are so many opportunities for trekking, cycling, hopping over to Montenegro and more.
- Island Hopping – Related to my last point but one can either kayak or hop on a ferry (maybe with our bike) and traverse some of the islands down to coast. There are loads ferries which run daily and lots of places to stay. We of course have various kayaking trips and cycling trips to look over (which I recommend!).
- Food – This may be a surprise but its just good and good value. Maybe its personal preference, I don’t really go in for very fancy food but across Croatia I’ve always been happy and if you can get to the back streets of Dubrovnik you’ll find these small pizza places which are amazing value!
- Exploring – Being able to hop on a boat and visit elsewhere along the coast is great. The boat rides themselves I find exhilarating but also spending time in a new place. I recommend Cavtat, about one hour south of Dubrovnik, for a day trip and evening meal. The harbour here is great for a walk and eating on the harbour side is a treat for many reasons!
- People – everyone I’ve met and worked with in Croatia have been so nice and bent over backwards to help or assist, I have not a bad word to say!
- Cost – I think this may be an elephant in the room. Staying in Croatia can be expensive but it depends where you’re staying. If you’re in the centre of Dubrovnik or the hip and rich island of Hvar then you can expect to pay a lot but I’d say venture further afield and off the beaten track a little. Not only will you find it much cheaper you’ll experience the real Croatia, or more real than Dubrovnik (I do love Dubrovnik but its also full of tourists!).
- Camping – YES ! in summer what’s better than camping on an island? We have a trip with a camping option available which I urge you to check out!
