Checking off the Bucket List in Croatia

A few weeks ago I shared our amazing Italian cruise with you and today I’m sharing the second part of that trip: Croatia! After Eric’s work sponsored trip to Italy, we decided to go somewhere just the two of us. We only had a few nights before we had to get back home to our kids, so we wanted a location that wasn’t too far from Italy and somewhere that neither of us had been before. We decided on Croatia!

^^It’s supposedly good luck to rub the toe of statue Gregory of Nin

I once saw a photo of Croatia probably 15 years ago and thought it looked like a beautiful place and it’s been on my bucket list ever since. Aside from that one photo I saw, I knew nothing else about the country so we had to do a little research to figure out the best cities and pick one to visit. It was between Dubrovnik and Split and after reading reviews of each city, we booked our trip to Split.

It. Was. Amazing.

We loved everything about Croatia and it is a place that everyone should put on their bucket list. You don’t need to spend a long time in Split to get the feel for it, but 3-5 nights is a good amount of time. We stayed there for 3 nights and I wish we had one more full day there to see some of the national parks.

^^Our first dinner in Split was at Corto Maltese and we loved it. I mean, just look at that charcuterie board!

The first day we got there we walked down to the old city to walk around the waterfront and Diocletian’s palace. So here’s a little history for you: the Roman emperor Diocletian built a summer home in Split. And by summer home, I don’t mean a quaint little spot on the beach. I’m talking the biggest, most ginormous palace that you can imagine. And now the old town of Split is within the palace walls. You can walk the narrow streets that are filled with shops and restaurants. The perimeter of the palace is so big that 3,000 people currently live within the walls now.

And fun fact: Diocletian’s Palace is made of the same limestone that the White House is made of. The limestone is from the Croatian island of Brač, just off the coast.

^^Everywhere you go in Split there are the cutest + most delicious looking smoothie and acai bowl stands. They were SOOO good!

The second day that we were in Split, we took a little hike up Marjan, which is a hill that overlooks the city. It is surrounded by pine trees and you can hike the area and even hike down the hill to beaches. We also explored the city a bit and indulged in some delicious food. Croatian food is very mediterranean, with plenty of fish options, risottos, and the most amazing charcuterie boards.

^^Did you know that many of Game of Thrones scenes were filmed in Split?! There are even Game of Thrones tours you can do!

^^Our second dinner was at Bokeria and it was a beautiful restaurant with yummy food!

And on our last day, we did the most amazing tour of the Croatian islands. We met our group on the docks around 8am and got on a speed boat with about 10 other people. We took off towards the Blue Cave (Biševo) and we were flying. We were going so fast and the skipper was playing great music and it was so fun and exhilarating. After about an hour of watching the islands zip by us, we got to the Blue Cave and I cannot even explain how blue it was.

From the Blue Cave we went to a beautiful beach called Porat and it was so serene and the water so clear. After that beach we went to the island of Vis to snorkel. Then we went to my favorite island of all– Hvar. We first went to a smaller island of Hvar to Carpe Diem Beach Club and it was one of the prettiest places I have ever been to. The beach club had tons of umbrellas, cabanas, and couches where we ate lunch while looking out on the clearest waters. I could have stayed there aaaallll day long. Our final stop of the tour was the main island of Hvar where we walked around and visited small shops and cafes.

If you ever visit Croatia, the islands of Hvar are a MUST. That last day of island hopping in Croatia was one of the best days of my life. I felt so happy and alive and can’t wait to do it again one day!

^^I think Eric has the pose down. 😉

^^This was our last dinner in Split and OH MY GOSH. First of all, the restaurant is literally right up against the palace wall and is on a balcony overlooking the promenade. And the food was amazing!!!

Our trip to Croatia was one of the most memorable trips we have gone on and I’m happy to be able to cross it off our bucket list. Now here’s to picking the next destination! 🙂

XO,

L