Croatia
From a lush national park to islands to ancient Roman ruins and walled cities on the Adriatic,
this family-friendly road trip in Dalmatia was a sea-side ending to a two week adventure.
Notes from Christina.
Number of Nights - 8
Time of Year - July 2023
Type of Trip -
Road Trip / Family Travel
Itinerary -
Plitvice Lakes National Park - 2 nights
Trogir / Split – 3 nights
(with day trip to Hvar)
Dubrovnik – 3 nights
Inspired by a dream I had years ago, Croatia was the inspiration behind this entire 2-week summer road trip. In my dream, I was walking the ancient streets of the walled seaside city of Dubrovnik and knew it intimately. When I woke, I had to Google photos to see if the Dubrovnik really looked as it had in my dream, as I was only vaguely familiar with it.
Since then, I had been envisioning a road trip that took us from the fairytale scenery of Plitvice Lakes to the rich Roman history of Split and then down to Dubrovnik which was, quite literally, the city of my dreams. I wanted to end our trip here, so the entire second week our European road trip was a Croatian adventure.
Hot Tip– While in one respect driving between destinations was easy in Croatia, and the best way to get around besides buses, driving within some of its cities could get a bit interesting. These are ancient cities, not really set up well for driving and parking. We found this out in Trogir, when trying to navigate the tight alleyways outside its walled city. A local had to help us back out of a tight alley where we were very nearly stuck not being able to take a corner. In Split, in which the main city center is INSIDE a Roman palace, parking is limited, and the huge lots fill up fast. In Dubrovnik, we found that there was absolutely no available parking for our AirBNB, despite the host’s best efforts to secure something for us. At one point, we were blocking buses on a narrow road trying to unload our luggage. We ended up getting rid of our rental car early because it was easier to be rid of it! So, keep in mind that if you are going to road trip here, be sure to arrange parking for yourself in advance at each destination, and ditch the car when you can!
Plitvice Lakes National Park/ Plitvička Jezera.
This fairytale-like national park is a place I stumbled upon when researching Croatia and I knew that I had to somehow work it into our itinerary. It is a UNESCO world heritage site (and easy to see why) and features a lush valley of 16 terraced lakes all flowing into each other by cascading waterfalls. It is stunning.
It is situated in a remote area of Northeastern Croatia, not far from the Bosnian border. After spending a couple of days in Slovenia, this was our first stop in Croatia. The drive in took us through a remote and rural area of Croatia that we found much abandoned, and echoes of the wars that took place in the 1990’s during the break-up of Yugoslavia were evident. There were farmhouses that looked as though they had been shelled and left to crumble.
The area around the national park is not very built up - think dirt roads, and inns hiding amongst thick tree cover. The first day exploring the park, we had to follow a map provided by our B&B and essentially hike to a trail that would lead us into the park. It was really cool, and much more natural and rustic than some parks we are used to. Once inside the park there were nice facilities and snack bars at the main entrance and a few throughout the park but be prepared to bring in water and snacks and plan your route in advance. In fact, it is a good idea to buy your timed entrance tickets in advance, and you will have to indicate whether you will enter through the upper or lower entrance. If you have children with you, look at the routes in advance so you don’t get stuck on a route/hike that is too long for them. Also try to go early to avoid the heat and the crowds. It was very crowded when we were there in July!
You can explore the park in one day, like we did. However, 2 days would be ideal.
Let me tell you about this special, special place. A pristine and beautifully kept hotel, yes, but it was more than that. In this case, it was more about the people who owned and ran the B&B. A husband and wife who lived full time in Zadar with their two children, but who realized their dream of buying a B&B in the country to serve guests as their passion. The husband, Ante, is a native Croatian and chef, and the most friendly and kind man. His caring, fantastic Brazilian wife Luciana runs the administrative part of the hotel. Their warmth is addicting, and they make you feel as though they have known you their whole lives, and that your comfort is top priority. Food is sourced from their garden or local farms, and dinners and cocktails served al fresco and prepared with love and care. Their daughter, Maria Julia, was the same age as our son and our kids enjoyed swinging on the swing set with her, and even getting Croatian language lessons. We talked to Ante about the Bosnian/Croatian war and what his family went through during those years. We felt more like friends than guests and realized what a special place it was. Please check our their Instagram page, @plitvicariverhouse, and if you are considering a stay in this area you will not be disappointed.
Trogir / Split
We decided to base ourselves in Trogir for its proximity to Split, but we wanted a smaller town vibe than staying right in the large city of Split itself. Trogir has its own walled “old town,” on a small island connected to the mainland and the island of Čiovo by bridges.
We found an AirBnB (Stone House Near Trogir Center) that had a pool for the kids to enjoy and was an easy walk to the center. The home had a roof deck with lovely views and I have fond memories of hanging our clothes to dry and watching the birds fly around over the view of Trogir. Parking in this little town was impossible (it was here that we nearly got stuck down one of the alleyways!) and thank goodness the host arranged a parking spot for us for the 3 days.
Trogir’s small walled city itself is a joy to stroll around, with plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants and a waterfront where you can gaze at the fancy yachts. It was a bit more difficult to get to Split by driving than anticipated, but one could also take the ferry. We didn’t get to do this, but I imagine it would have been easier.
Hvar.
One of our days in this area was spent driving into Split, parking near the ferry, and taking a ferry over to the island of Hvar.
We arranged a private guide through Tours by Locals who picked us up in an air conditioned van for the day and showed us all around the island. A lot of people stay on Hvar as their home base, and I can see why. If I could do it over again, I probably would have done this.
Picture beautiful and historic old Hvar town, fields of lavender, UNESCO-protected Starigrad with Roman mosaic road remnants, and a hilltop farm where we dined on octopus “peka,” which is a traditional way of slow cooking meat or fish under an iron bell for hours. What an experience! It was extremely hot the day we did this tour, and it was a little rough on our son who was only 7 at the time. By the time we got back over to the city of Split to try to walk around and sightsee, he was a bit exhausted, and we had to cut our Split experience short, but it was memorable nonetheless.
Split
I cannot even explain the way I felt when we walked through the walls into the ancient city of Split, Croatia. I am a history lover, ever since I was young. When I found out that the City of Split had actually been built up INSIDE Roman Emperor Diocletian’s retirement palace, I knew I had to see it. The sun was setting as we got off the boat from Hvar and walked into the Bronze Gate of its Southern Wall, with the bells of its tower ringing loudly. It felt like walking back in time, and I was in awe of every piece of architecture around me. We had to find a place for dinner, and we dined outside in a courtyard that had been used for thousands of years. We wandered into its forum where there were men dressed as Roman soldiers, and peeked into shops. It was getting late, and the kids were exhausted from a long day. We were never able to make it back into Split on this trip, but I know I want to go back one day and get a proper historical walking tour. The city is absolutely magnificent, and it needs to be a stop on any Croatian itinerary!
Dubrovnik
For the culmination of our two week long road trip from mountains to sea, the walled city of Dubrovnik in southern Croatia is perched high overlooking the blue Adriatic Sea.
It evokes Game of Thrones, is known for its distinctive Old Town, encircled with massive stone walls completed in the 16th century. Inside its streets are paved with limestone, the pedestrian Stradun (or Placa) is lined with shops and restaurants. Here we opted to stay in an AirBNB right across from the city walls, with a balcony overlooking the city. The location was great, but I think staying at a hotel inside the city walls would have been equally as unique. Or even the large resorts with pools that provide a bus to the city walls might have been nice to beat the heat. But once we ditched our car (do not drive here if you can help it!) we enjoyed pretending to be locals.
We had 3 days here, and here are some highlights:
Walk the City Walls – Trust me when I say this, it is more strenuous than it seems. Try to do it first thing in the morning, before the day gets hot. Take water, wear sneakers, and wear sunscreen. Another great tip that someone told me was to start at the upper end of the walls (close to the street, and where our AirBNB was) so that a lot of the walk from there would be more downhill towards the sea side. There are a lot of stairs along the walls, even some juice cafes and bars to grab a drink. The views on all sides are awe inspiring. But it is a bit of a workout!
Ferry to Lokrum Island – Only a 15-minute ferry ride from the docks of Dubrovnik is this lovely island that really surprised me! The water is turquoise blue, wild peacocks roam free all around, and there are lovely spots to swim in the Adriatic or just wade in the pools around the rocks. The facilities were great with changing rooms, picnic areas, restaurants, museums and snack bars. It was a wonderful way to spend a day, especially with children.
Taj Mahal Bosnian Cuisine – One of the highlights was our dinner at this Michelin Star restaurant. The food and setting were incredible, and even our picky children loved the food.
Banja Beach – what’s better than a beach in walking distance to an ancient city?!
Again, I do wish I was able to do a proper historic walking tour, but I had to make concessions based on what might be more enjoyable for the kids on this trip. I do hope to come back one day to learn the fascinating facts of this city.
