Our most southern destination in Croatia was Dubrovnik, to be exact we stayed in Cavtat just south of the city as it was more cost friendly. Water taxi’s run from the smaller villages to the old town port so we opted to boat in rather than drive. We lucky to have a clear sunny day highlighting the crisp blue water of the Adriatic, and calm seas after the thunderstorm the night before. Our first step of exploring the city was to take to the walls, almost 2kms of uninterrupted fortress wall surrounds the old town, with a maximum height of 25m. The view of the city against the Adriatic is spectacular. From there we ventured into the narrow alleyways to find lunch, explore shops, and taste test some gelato. We learned later that the day we visited was a “Mega Day”, one of nine during the cruise season, bringing 8000 cruisers into Dubrovnik. We noticed the increase in people as the day went on, but were surprised to find out the full numbers from Branka. I wouldn’t want to see the old town during high season! With the majority of our day spent in the old town, we decided to head back to Cavtat for dinner along their harbour front.
We divided our drive to Zagreb into a couple of stops, an overnight in Makarska and two nights just outside Plitvice National Park. Makarska is a beautiful little beach town running up the side of the mountains, great views and steep walks from the harbour back to our apartment. Plitvice National Park is home to 16 lakes, all linked together through a system of waterfalls and various cascades. Visitors to the park stroll along pathways and hiking paths to explore the various viewpoints and all of the waterfalls. There are boats to take you across the big lakes as well as a shuttle to take visitors to various drop off points. With a full day at the park completed we headed back to the Airbnb for a bbq on the outdoor grill.
Our final stop in Croatia was Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. We dropped off our little Renaud Clio and made the most of our day in the upper and lower town of Zagreb. It’s a good mix of old and new, with the big city surrounding the old town and its traditions. Lots of people, and traffic...but they have their share of green spaces as well, along with bike lanes for commuters. It reminded me very much of Santiago! Our evenings there were spent indoors as we had a series of intense thunderstorms which limited our after dinner walks. All in all Croatia is a beautiful country with warm people, great sights and delicious food.