Tasting and Discovering Croatia
Before I landed in Croatia in September, I put little thought into just how beautiful and historic a country it actually was. Online, I saw sandy beaches, turquoise blue waters, and colorful houses dotting the shores. It was only after I booked the trip that I did more research on the history of Croatia, from ancient Greek and Roman times through Tito and the fall of Yugoslavia.
There is so much to share about what I saw and ate, and I have tried to condense it into one post. I have broken the post into three sections, sights, tastes, and hotels to make it easier to follow along. So, grab a coffee (or a glass of wine) and enjoy this blog on the tastes and sights of Croatia.
Why Croatia?
For the past two years I sailed on the Windjammer Angelique with several friends as well as people I didn't know. I enjoyed the experience tremendously, but felt it was time to push myself a little further by traveling with a complete group of strangers.
There would only be ten women on this trip, which meant we would all get to really know each other. Five months ago it wasn't scary at all. In fact, I was excited for the challenge. As I sat in my hotel room in Dubrovnik that first morning, preparing to meet the group, my stomach did a little flip.
By nature I think of myself as outgoing. Yet, when placed in a situation where I know no one and am in a new location, I become timid. I had a brief panic attack prior to breakfast but met two delightful women from England traveling together, and they cheered me on for being so adventurous. "Plus, you'll love the country, even if you don't love the group!" one of them told me.
Girls Guide to the World
Searching for a September trip, I had only a few requirements. The first was that it be somewhere warm and near the water. I was, after all, giving up the chance to sail on the Angelique again, so there needed to be some time on and near the water.
The second requirement was an all-female group. I wanted to be with likeminded women rather than potentially being the odd single female. Finally, a room of my own was mandatory. I didn't want to pay a single supplement; I just wanted a room of my own like everyone else.
There are a number of female-only travel operators to choose from, but what they offer and where they go varies a great deal. Early September was my chosen time, so that limited my options significantly. When Girls Guide to the World popped up during my search, I saw that it fit many of my needs.
With only ten people per trip, the group would be more personal than several of the other women's travel companies I checked. Smaller numbers of women could mean less drama, or perhaps the opposite, but I was willing to take a chance.
Seeing Croatia
Dubrovnik
Driving in from the airport that first night, I was mesmerized by the intense orange and yellow sunset, the mountains, and the Adriatic Sea. Bruno, our driver, was young and very proud of his country. He and I chatted about handball, his sport, and football (soccer). He told me about his parents and his hopes for schooling.
After settling into my room and enjoying the gorgeous patio overlooking the vast dark sea, and the twinkling lights of the hotel pool and beach area, I went for a walk in town. It was very warm, and there were many people strolling around.
I felt self-conscious about my sloppy outfit compared to the tall, beautiful women and men I observed. Tomorrow, I'd need to be more stylish when I came to meet the group. But tonight, I just soaked in the sights and sounds of Dubrovnik.
Trees glowing in the evening. The first dance at the wedding. My first encounter with a friendly cat.
Hearing the sounds of laughter and music, I gravitated toward it to see what was happening. It was a wedding reception, and I had the privilege of watching the bride and groom have their first dance. Several of us onlookers stood along the stone wall, gazing down at the couple and their families celebrating.
Walking a little further, I encountered my first friendly cat of the trip. It gave me a head-butt and then sat next to me as I stroked its silky fur. With this kind of a start to the trip, it was bound to be a pleasant journey.
A touch of antiquity on a building. A family home along the wall of the city with an historic window. A town square where fresh water runs freely.
The old town of Dubrovnik is positively charming. The streets are narrow, and the architecture is a mixture of old Roman buildings and Ottoman influences. I enjoyed walking with our guide through the city seeing people actively living in such a historic place.
Cats are an important part of the community in Dubrovnik. This man let us try candied orange peel, dried figs and candied almonds. Yes, a store selling only fries!
The vibe I got here, and in the town of Split, was a mixture of Mykonos, Greece, and Venice, Italy. Large tour boats discharged passengers to spend the day in the city, where they would eat gelato and go shopping.
Wedding photos at a local spot. What a lovely place to have a bridal portrait. Another bride and her groom.
Small passageways led down to cocktail bars and eateries everywhere I looked. And all the streets were paved in old stones, likely from the Roman era.
Views of the Old Town from the wall. A steep fall to the sea outside the city walls. Looking down onto a dining area surrounded by homes.
Several of us on the tour decided to spend our free time walking along the walls of the old city. Looking down at the town, I saw terra-cotta roofs and thick stone buildings. In some places, a pile of stones was all that was left of a former building.
I still don't know if these ruins were from the Roman era or later, but it made for a delightful walk, passing ruins immediately next to a very active restaurant.
A Day on the Adriatic
With my swimsuit on and the sea breeze blowing through my hair, I was ready for a day aboard a private boat touring the Elaphiti Archipelago. Our captain and crew welcomed us with glowing tans and warm smiles. The boat had a covered fantail, a large sunning area at the bow, and an elevated area where the captain piloted the boat.
Everyone had a place on the boat, with some of us seeking out the sun while others sought out the shade. I headed up to sit next to the captain in a covered area and look out at some of the 1,800 islands that dot the Croatian coast. I couldn't stop smiling because I was so excited to be on the water. This was going to be a great day.
We had our choice of small nibbles as well as water, soda, and wine while on board. Sitting next to the captain meant seeing this eyes roll every time his phone rang, his mother was on the other end telling him what to do. I loved looking out over the bow, seeing cruise ships, islands, and sea birds floating by. This was a vacation day in its truest sense.
Dropping anchor just off a sandy beach dotted with towels and umbrellas, we had the option of swimming to shore and sitting on the beach or just swimming off the boat. We all opted for the boat, and at one point almost all of us could be seen floating lazily while laughing and chatting. The water was warm and salty which making it easy for me to tread water for over forty-five minutes.
For lunch, we stopped on a small island where we dined on grilled fish, olives, and fresh bread. I could get used to eating this way — and the time spent floating in the water was pretty nice too.
Marino showing us our lunch. A lovely lunch of fish and vegitables. Always wine, water and beer if wanted it.
But our fun boating day was far from over because we docked at another small island and had a brief tour of the waterfront and then a chance to eat gelato or browse through the small shops. Our final stop was dropping anchor at one final secluded swimming hole, with no beach but with aquamarine waters and small fish swimming beneath me.
Heaven on earth — I could have spent the entire week doing just this every day.
Split
I want to gush about Split for a minute and the choice by Girls Guide of our hotel. The hotel was right in the Old Town, so we could wander aimlessly without needing a driver or guide.
The town just sang to me with its narrow walkways, locals with stern faces trying to navigate around the obvious tourists, and the small touches of history just waiting to be discovered at every glance.
Restaurants and homes on the square. The main square that reminded me of Venice. Tour boats docking in Split.
Split is full of Roman history, and we only had a chance to touch the surface while there. I had to keep reminding myself that I signed up for a taste-and-feel trip, not a deep dive into Roman antiquities tou. Let me explain about my obsession with Roman history.
In elementary school, as part of my Latin instruction, I studied Emperor Diocletian along with the gods, geography, and memorizing conjugation. Before this trip, I hadn’t thought of Diocletian in decades, and his name would never have popped into my mind.
But while doing advanced reading before the trip, I learned that after ruling Rome, he retired to Split to live out the remainder of his life. Wow, elementary school knowledge back in cycle after almost fifty years!
Diocletian's mausoleum. A sphinx from Egypt Part of Diocletian's palace.
Split's Old Town includes Diocletian's palace and his mausoleum. Unlike in Great Britain, where palaces and homes are preserved as places to visit, Diocletian's palace has been repurposed and is still used to this day. I wonder what he would think about that?
Splits football team logo. One of the small eateries we had lunch in. An entire store devoted to ducks.
The Greeks and Romans were early settlers in present-day Croatia, so it is no wonder that the Croatian people and their country bear their influences. Today Croatia is its own republic, but the remnants of the time it spent under Roman rule can be seen everywhere.
Repurposing buildings has gone on for centuries. I was delighted to learn what happened to Diocletian's mausoleum after Christianity took hold of the Roman Empire.
Wanting to utilize all the buildings in the town, but not wanting to include aburial place for a man who believed in many gods in their city, officials had Diocletian's bones removed and the mausoleum repurposed as a cathedral. Inside the former tomb, I found a heavily gilded altar with dark religious paintings of Jesus and Mary flanking the walls. Repurposing at its finest.
Inside what once was a mausoleum. I loved the laundry hanging over the diners. I started conjugating latin after just one day here!
In summary, Split is a town you could visit for five days and leave feeling both educated and refreshed. With the Adriatic right outside, good food, shopping, and sightseeing, there is much to like about Split.
Hvar
We took a ferry to Hvar and spent time touring its mighty fortress and the village below. The village of Hvar is small and sleepy. There were tourists present, but not in the numbers we saw in Split or Dubrovnik.
There wasn't much to information presented in the fortress, but the views were spectacular. Much to my surprise, a man was giving free archery lessons while we were there. This summer I had thought about taking archery lessons just for fun. Maybe this is a sign?
While only two of us were willing to try our hand at using a bow and arrow, I'm pleased to say that with just one lesson, I was able to hit the center (after almost sending an arrow over the wall).
Krka National Park
Get ready for more gushing about another beautiful location. If you can only visit one park during your visit to Croatia, Krka might just be the best option. Lush greenery surrounds your head while the sound of moving water fills your ears. The park is located along the Krka River and is very popular with locals and tourists.
A fun fact about Krka and the Krka River: the Jaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant opened in 1895 and was built using Nikola Tesla's designs. It is the second-oldest AC polyphase power system in the world, and the first one built in Europe. Looking at the plant from a distance it looked more like a lovely housing compound than a power plant.
Even if you don't care about hydroelectric plants, Krka is breathtaking. We walked along a boardwalk through the forest and over flowing water. In several places we were able to view small and large waterfalls.
Krka's falls reminded me a little of Iguazu Falls in Argentina. Unlike Niagara, with its huge plunge of water, Krka's falls were a series of smaller but still powerful tiers. If Krka's falls could talk, they would say we are many powerful bodies combined into one tremendous force of nature.
As we got closer to the falls, I gazed into a pool of water where I saw masses of good sized fish. I learned from the guide that four types of trout are found at Krka. I could see brown and rainbow trout but was unsure of the others.
Was I in Michigan or Croatia? Visiting trout ponds is something I do every summer while in Michigan.
There was much more to see in the park, but our time was limited, so after we made the full circuit of the boardwalk trail, we hopped into our vans and headed to the hotel.
Hum
Known by locals as the smallest town in the world, Hum sits atop a hill overlooking mountains and vineyards. By historic definition it is a town, not a village, because it has two churches, a graveyard, walls surrounding the houses, and a main street.
Walking through the small town gate you walked through a rather dark room before coming out on the street. A man sat in a chair playing a guitar which was a nice way to enter little Hum.
The town was a mix of dilapidated homes and quaint cared for storefronts. They have a thriving rental market for the few houses that are in good shape, which might make for a fun overnight if you had plenty of time to spend in the Croatia.
Welcome to Hum! The only street in town. A nice little shop where we bought chocolate, liquors, and truffle potato chips.
Hum, it is not the smallest town in the world today, but it makes for a good story, and the town is indeed small and charming, if a little touristy. I am glad I had a chance to be in a town with only about 20 residents in total.
Rovinj
What a warm and inviting place. Yes, I sound like a broken record saying the same thing about each town I write about, but it is true. Croatia is full of lovely towns dotting its coast and interior, offering sea breezes, colorful houses, and delicious food.
A narrow passage leading down to the sea. Up we go, taking in all the color and shapes as we climb. I just kept sighing at all the antiquities we encountered.
Our visit to Rovinj was brief, but we were able to wander the stone streets and look at a mixture of antiquities and later architecture melded together. As the sun set, we stood along the water taking selfies and laughing.
Pula
There is only one thing to see in Pula to my knowledge and that is the arena. Looking strikingly like the Roman Colosseum, this antiquity is still in use today for concerts and other performances. During Tito’s time, he built a brick structure inside its walls and held a rare book exposition!
Views of the arena in Pula. Inside the arena in Pula. Partially restored you can walk throughout the arena.
There have been some improvements to the space, like seating for the concerts, but other than that it is just as it was. Wandering around inside reminded me of my trip to Rome with Sofie and how much we enjoyed visiting the Colosseum together.
Zagreb
I cannot say much about Zagreb because I was only there for about eight hours before catching a 3am flight home. Driving into Zagreb reminded me of driving into Berlin. The stark, cookie-cutter grey apartment buildings lacked originality or color. After all the color and life along the Dalmatian Coast and Istria, they were depressing.
Our guide, Marino, took us on a walking tour of the city center near where we stayed. There we saw some colorful older buildings along broad streets. I did learn that the reason for the pockmarked and rundown look of some of the buildings was due to a bad earthquake that hit the city in the middle of COVID.
Zagreb city life. Sights of the old city. An old nuclear bunker now used as a walkway.
In fact, there would have been a lot of deaths during that magnitude 7 quake had people not been in lockdown. As a heavily Catholic country, the earthquake struck at a time when many would have been in the city's cathedral celebrating Mass.
The spires of the cathedral under scaffolding. A view from the cathedrals front entrance. Under restoration after the quake.
Luckily, there was no Mass that day, and when the church's two towers started to collapse, no one was inside to get hurt. Finally, a positive from the COVID lockdown!
Thankfully, Zagreb is rebuilding the church, both inside and out. It will take a lot of money and time, but the city seems determined to rebuild.
Tasting Croatia
Peka
Since this was a taste-and-see tour, we did a lot of tasting during our ten days. We had a chance to dine at Marino's cousin's home, where he cooked using a traditional technique called peka.
Marino's cousin cooked our food. After removing the ash from the dome the sweep the area clean. After 3-4 hours the meat is succulent and delicious.l
Peka is a particularly popular cooking method along the Dalmatian Coast. Meat and vegetables are slow-cooked for hours under an iron dome that is then covered entirely by hot coals. The meat came out both tender and flavorful. It's a labor-intensive cooking technique.
Oysters
We also had the chance to meet an oyster farmer and ride on his boat as he explained how oysters are farmed in Croatia. Instead of digging them up, the oysters are farmed on lines strung with hard plastic disks dropped into the sea, and tended to daily until ready for harvest. Of the thousands of oyster eggs he plants on the disks, very few actually mature.
These are the buoys marking the oyster lines. These young oysters have not yet grown their hard shells. A full grown oyster and some mussels tagging along for the ride.
I don't like raw fish and was hesitant to try the oysters. He told me these oysters have a different consistency than the oysters we get back home, and the farmer encouraged me to try one.
But, he said, I may not just swallow it! He was adamant that swallowing his oysters without chewing three or four times would be a waste, and he wouldn't give me one if I was planning to just swallow. Life is one big adventure, so I took an oyster and chewed.
Remarkably, it was very tasty! Two of us were skeptical as we chewed our first raw oyster, but we both came back and asked for a second. After the oyster tasting, our group dined on mussels cooked in garlic, olive oil, and fresh tomatoes. What a meal to devour on a boat with the husband and wife who did the harvesting and cooking.
Sadly, the farming of oysters in Croatia is too small an operation for them to export any to the US. So, unless I come back again to visit, that will be the last time I try raw oysters.
Truffles
On another day we drove to the home of a man who produces truffle oils and products. We had an extensive meal of both white and black truffles, tasting the difference between the two types. I prefer black truffles to white because their taste is less pungent. After the meal, we followed the truffle hunter and his two dogs to hunt for truffles.
Every dish was made with truffles. Different kinds of truffles prior to being shaved into the pan. Our truffle hunter making eggs with truffles for lunch.
The truffle dogs are fed truffle-infused food from a young age so that they grow to know the smell and taste. I learned that dogs are better than pigs because pigs are more difficult to stop from eating the truffles once they find them.
The truffle hunting dogs ready to work. I found one! They are not very appealing looking in the wild.
These dogs would dig down to the truffle, and then the man would pull them aside and finish digging with a metal tool. He'd reward the dogs for their find with hunks of freshly made bread, which they devoured.
The Salt Beds at Ston
Another tasting excursion was to Ston, where we visited salt beds built by the Romans. I kid you not — the same rectangular salt beds and tracks between them, used by the Romans, are used today. As a salt lover, I was fascinated to learn the process of turning seawater into salt.
With low blood pressure this was a healthy place for me to visit. A photo of men hand mixing the salt beds. Pure salt straight from the salt beds.
Workers must move and turn over the evaporating water so that the salt does not turn into a hard sediment. We tasted fleur de sel, a finishing salt sprinkled on meats and desserts, and learned how it is harvested by hand.
I was able to taste salt they had harvested and even some of the valuable and dainty fleur de sel. This is the place to visit if you have very low blood pressure.
Cooking Class at a Local Home
We visited a home in a small village that still retains much of the lifestyle of Croatia from an earlier era. Candles lit the rooms, tools and old-fashioned cooking implements were out on display, and a woman greeted us in Croatian peasant clothing.
An authentic Croatian kitchen from the past. Eggs nested in salt can last for months. A stone for grinding cornmeal.
It was a little hokey but also fun to assist in grinding the coffee beans and then using a stone to grind the corn for the bread.
Eating family style means we all get to try new foods. Very salty anchovies. Exceptionally smooth ground coffee.
Here we dined on simple Croatian fare: cheeses and salamis, olives, white anchovies, and sardines.
Restaurants of Note
Articok
We ate a lot on this trip, but the food was fresh and Mediterranean in style, so much healthier than I might find elsewhere. We dined in two great restaurants I'd like to mention. In Split, we had dinner at Articok, an upscale restaurant that served black risotto, picanha, and delicious tuna steaks.
The interior of Articok. Tuna with pureed cauliflower and zucchini. Picanha with vegetables was moist and flavorful.
At Articok we all were delighted to order our own mains for a change since everything else we ate was family style. The choices we each made did not disappoint any of us. The ambiance was warm and friendly and the manager of Articok greeted Marino with a kiss and all the rest of us with a heart 'welcome!'
Sol
The second restaurant worth mentioning was in Zagreb on our last night. Sol, the word for salt in Croatian, is owned and run by Croatian MasterChef Mate Janković. The menu is a take on Spanish tapas, and the rave reviews are well deserved.
I'm not a food critic, but I will say that the multi-course meal we were served showed off the talent of the chef and the fresh local ingredients on hand. And the service was attentive but not obsessive.
Black pig with a duck terrine starter. Tuna tartare with spices and vegetables. Fried mackerel with onions.
The black Slavonian pig served with a terrine made with duck was out of this world as a starter. Eating at Sol was the perfect way to end an excellent adventure in Croatia.
Hotels and Villas in Croatia
I think Girls Guide did a good job selecting the placed we slept. We stayed in a variety of accommodations while in Croatia. The three I would recommend, based on their location, style, and beauty, are the Rixos in Dubrovnik, the Cornaro Hotel in Split, and San Canzian Hotel & Residences in Buje.
San Canzian Hotel & Residences
Let's start with the dreamiest place first. San Tommaso was the name of the villa we stayed in for two nights in Buje. The villa is managed by a mother and her three beautiful and talented daughters.
Located in the Istrian area of Croatia, this villa exuded serene calm, and the women who staff it are like earthly angels.
My private porch. My princess bedchamber. Our pool at night with a constellation of starts overhead.
Each daughter had a warm smile and a ready hand to make our two days feel like we were pampered princesses. When Mary led me to my room, I was taken aback by both the size and the views from my private terrace. None of us spoke much about our rooms, and I know why — I think we all secretly thought we had the best room in the villa!
A fluffy bathrobe hung on the door along with slippers to . I wore that robe down to breakfast for the next two mornings, getting my coffee and chatting with the girls before retiring up to my terrace to glance at emails, but really just to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the space.
Tiger waiting to greet his new guests.
The village of Buje has a resident cat who is owned by no one but loved by all. Tiger, is a solid male feline who meows like a Siamese and believes he runs everything. On that first morning, I greeted him in the kitchen while I waited for my latte. After giving him a series of scratches and chatting quietly with him, I invited him to come back upstairs with me to sit on my terrace.
Good morning Tiger, Making sure there are no vermin to remove. Patiently waiting for a snack.
He came upstairs and strode right into my room, inspecting every corner, looking for vermin or snacks. Sitting opposite each other, he gazed at me for a few moments and then let out several loud meows. Seeing I had no food to offer him, he flicked his tail several times and stalked off back down the stairs in search of food elsewhere.
The Rixos
The Rixos in Dubrovnik is the type of hotel you stay in to while away your days in the sea or beside the pool. It has a couple of restaurants, a pool bar, bedrooms with balconies overlooking the sea, and a beach vibe.
I loved getting up on my first morning and being able to jump into the Adriatic and swim a couple of laps against the waves. The hotel staff was both friendly and helpful. When I arrived, the sliding door to my balcony would not budge.
Entering my room at the Rixos. Bedroom and coffee bar with doors leading to patio.
I called for help, and they came immediately. There were no complaints when I asked to move to a room with a working balcony door.
Hotel Cornaro
Hotel Cornaro in Split gets my vote as the most accessible hotel of the stay. This is a place where you would not need to call a taxi to explore the historic areas of Split's old town. It is also accessible to the sea, so if you wanted to take a boat out or catch a ferry to explore the islands, it would be possible.
Nicely decorated but not great pillows. A good sized bathroom lots of space. The night time sky from the hotel's roof.
My room at the Cornaro wasn't as spacious as at some of the other hotels, but the room was pleasant. The Cornaro offers a pillow service where you can request the exact type of pillow you prefer.
Sadly, when I requested my preferred pillow, they never brought it to my room. But with extra bath towels already provided, I was able to create my perfect pillow using the case from one provided to make it less rough.
Should You Go?
The short answer is yes. This is a country that has so much to offer for everyone's taste in a trip.
Croatia is a place where foodies will enjoy sampling local wine, cheese, olives, truffles, and fresh fish. Sun worshippers will laze by a pool or sprawl out on the deck of a boat in the sea. And history buffs can make a deep dive into everything from ancient history all the way up to the revolution that separated Croatia from the former Yugoslavia. Tasting and discovering Croatia needs to go on your bucket list if it isn't already.
I am so glad that I took a chance on Girls Guide to the World. The guides, the women travelers, and the personalized service they offered made this an excellent first trip on my own. And my fear of experiencing clicks with the small group? Entirely unfounded.
Comments