Pula
My first stop in Croatia was Pula, arriving directly from Ljubljana, Slovenia. I was meeting my friend Maddie, who was just wrapping up a longer trip with other friends.
Although I only had one morning in Pula, Maddie and I enjoyed a beer overlooking the amphitheater while she told me about her snorkeling and boating adventures in the area.
Rijeka
From Pula, we made a one night pit-stop in Rijeka, Croatia. Rijeka is a small harbor town, with one wide Main Street for pedestrians. We appreciated some of the beautiful architecture in the city and especially enjoyed the morning market.
Plitvice Lakes National Park
From Rijeka, we were determined to reach Plitvice Lakes National Park in northeastern Croatia. We managed to book a long train ride with a layover to the city of Vrhovine, where the Dragan’s Den Hostel was located.
The hostel offers a shuttle directly to the park for a reasonable price. If you do not want to take the hostel’s shuttle back, the park offers free (somewhat secure) luggage storage and there is a bus station right at the park. Buy bus tickets first thing in the morning if you plan to take one of these busses to Split, Šibenik, etc! They sell out.
There are two parts of Plitvice, the upper lakes and the lower lakes. I recommend arriving as early as possible and starting with the upper lakes, which are less popular. They are beautiful and you can enjoy half a day without other tourists, and the lines for the lower lakes will have died down by the time you get there.
Split
From the Plitvice bus station we went directly to Split, arriving relatively late at night. Arriving late at night anywhere is not ideal, but this city was still buzzing with people.
Although our time in Split began with an absolute hostel nightmare, the next day we had a lot of fun exploring the old city and perusing the fruit market.
Sitting down as a newly formed group of three, Maddie, Courtney, and me, we made a game plan for the next couple of days.
Courtney agreed to join us on Korčula island, so we all rented an AirBnB and bought ferry tickets to leave as soon as possible.
Korčula Island
We arrived in the city of Korčula on the island of Korčula in the early evening, and our wonderful AirBnB hosts came to pick us up. For $60USD per night divided between the three of us, we stayed three nights in a comfortable apartment in the town of Lombarda.
Lombarda was a 15 minute bus ride from the main island port of Korčula, but the buses stop running after about 6pm.
We absolutely loved Lombarda. It had a small town vibe with few tourists, yet lots of things to do. Two wine tastings within walking distance offered the island’s iconic GRK dry wines, and the beaches were sandy and clean.
The highlight of our time there was the Friday Night Fish Fry. It was recommend by our hosts and a highlight of our stay. This community event sold portions of freshly caught and locally cooked meals and desserts. There were some tourists, but this was primarily an event for locals. And the food was delicious! Fresh grilled squid, fried calamari, and homemade cheesecake were our favorites.
Dubrovnik
After our long weekend on the island, we said farewell to Courtney who continued to the island of Hvar, an popular but expensive island with great parties.
Maddie and I took a ferry to Dubrovnik after much consideration. The hostels in Dubrovnik were obscenely expensive, and Maddie had already seen the city, but all of the ferries went to that port. We miraculously found a $20USD per bed hostel, and booked one night.
The next morning, I went to tour the city as early as possible to avoid the afternoon heat and tour groups. For $25USD, I was able to walk along all the city walls of Dubrovnik. I consider this a rather expensive ticket for an unguided tour, but it was worth it. I was able to see every part of Dubrovnik and enjoy beautiful panoramic views.
Although I left early, it was HOT! Red Cross officials are stationed through the walls because so many tourists pass out from the heat. My 10€ sunhat from Venice was a literal lifesaver.
After the city tour, I joined Maddie at the beach to wait for our evening bus. Bellevue Beach is a beautiful resort with a swimming area, and we paid for one expensive chair.
After jumping in the water, I put on workout clothes and slipped into their gym to enjoy a treadmill run. That was probably illegal but I definitely recommend it. It felt great to use a “free” gym and jump directly into the Adriatic Sea afterward! Plitvice and Korčula island were our favorite parts of Croatia. I look forward to returning to see all the cities I missed!
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