The Fabulous Croatian Coast: Split, Korčula Island & Dubrovnik

View from the park near our apartment in Split

From Plitvice we took a rather long & hot bus ride (7 hours) to Split, a coastal city.  We caught some great previews of the famed Croatian coast along the way.  We had arranged to rent an apartment while we were staying in Split and Merien, the owner, graciously offered to pick us up from the bus station and take us by car to our new digs.  She was completely wonderful and it was great to not have to navigate to a new address with all of our things after such a long journey.   

Inside Diocletian's Palace

The apartment was in a great location – right between the large coastal forest in one direction, and a quick walk into the center of old town in the other.  And it had a washing machine.  =)  We had been sweating and hiking since Germany and were in dire need of some clean clothes. 

We hadn’t had much fresh fruit & veggies so that night we found a grocery store and got busy.  We devoured a huge Greek salad and felt great.  The next day we spent exploring Split.  It has a wonderful old town and in the center is Diocletian’s Palace – a pedestrian only area that was the heart of the original city dating back to the 4th century.  It was so fun to wander between cathedrals, houses, small restaurants and shops.

Matt & one of our meals using our kilo of meat =)

Near the old town there is a fantastic market where we discovered the joy of fresh figs.  Seriously, they were really, really good.  We returned daily to replenish our snack supply.  The market meat stalls are also where we ended up with 1 kilogram of some type of chops (still not sure if it was lamb or pork...but it was absolutely delicious!)  It's a good thing we had a refrigerator and a kitchen.  Sometimes the language barrier is hard to overcome -- what can I say.  =)    

Split also has a great waterfront promenade full of boats (both big and small), places to shop and eat.  One evening we caught a summer concert along the water.  It was a magnificent men’s choral group, and it was a perfect way to conclude a stroll with ice cream in the bay.  =)

We also managed to relieve the heat by finding some great swimming along the large park.  It was our first time swimming in the Adriatic, and the water was truly remarkable – so clear you could see to the bottom even as it got deeper and deeper.

Matt on the beach near our apartment in Split

Upon our arrival in Zagreb, Croatia, everyone we met asked us to which Croatian island we were planning on traveling, and when we responded with "we hadn't really planned on getting to an island," we were met with looks of horrified disbelief.  "But you MUST go to a Croatian island while you are here!" was the typical response, followed by their personal recommendations and experiences which included reviews of beaches, food, the local people, best nightlife etc.  

On the beach near Lombarda, Korčula Island

The beauty of only planning a few weeks (or days!) ahead, is that our schedule was flexible, so we amended the itinerary and tacked on a Croatian Island.  We looked around a bit (as there are a lot to choose from!) and finally settled on a place called Korčula both for budgetary and availability reasons (we were traveling during the summer high season).  It was a decision that we did not regret!

Overlooking Vela Luka on one of our walks

We hopped the ferry from Split to Korčula Island and landed in the town of Vela Luka, a sleepy little fishing village on the opposite side from the more traveled/touristy Korčula Town.  It was the first time in a long while that we not only had an AC unit, but one that managed to actually get the room cold.  We were in heaven.

The Grk grapes

We rented a car (this one nicknamed "Sparky," whose exterior had seen better days) and got to exploring.  After taking a day and driving the whole island, mostly on tiny little narrow roads, we understood why a Croatian island is a "must do."  The scenery was spectacular, we had the place mostly to ourselves, and we discovered a unique type of wine that I didn't know even existed!  The grape is called Grk, and the only place in the world it is grown is on the eastern side of Korčula near a town called Lombarda.  Naturally, we had to stop in for a tasting, which did not disappoint.  =)   Click on this link to read more about Grk from a fellow traveler.

Korčula Town

We also found time to explore Korčula Town which is an incredibly beautiful little place with an old town surrounded by high walls that is pedestrian only.  It is filled with tiny little passageways reminiscent of Venice and is thought to be the birthplace of Marco Polo.  The water and beaches there are simply stunning and it was well worth the visit.

After spending a few days living the island dream, we boarded another ferry for Dubrovnik, our last stop in Croatia.  It was a spectacular ride (though quite hot!) and we passed the hours getting to know a lovely Australian couple.  We only had one full day in Dubrovnik so we got busy getting to know the place right when we arrived that evening by getting off at the wrong bus stop and having to hoof it back up the hill.  =)  Live and learn (and enjoy more scenery, right?!?!) 

In the morning, we headed out early to walk the Dubrovnik city walls.  It was an expensive endeavor (almost 20 bucks each, ouch!), but worth it for the beautiful views.  Dubrovnik (a UNESCO world heritage site since 1979) was extensively shelled in 1991 after the breakup of Yugoslavia, but shows almost no signs of it now as it was quickly rebuilt using original materials where possible almost immediately after.  

Our swimming spot in Dubrovnik

After wandering the walls, we headed out in search of a swim as it was, again, getting oppressively hot (I swear the heat wave just followed us through Europe...).  We located a great cove and spent the next hour in ridiculously cold and refreshing water.  We gratefully soaked up the last of the Croatian coast, as it was on to a new country in the morning.  Next up -- Montenegro!  =)

Click below on the slideshow for the rest of the pics!  (I had so much trouble picking them out!  The coast is so pretty!)  =)