The basic summer plans for many people in Croatia are the same, for both international and domestic travelers. All roads lead to the Adriatic Sea, an area dominated by 1777kms of coastline, and 67 inhabited islands. In the middle of summer season, it’s not possible to avoid crowded highways and seaports, but almost everything else looks fresh and appealing, and attracts more than a million tourists per day.
Let’s start our Croatian tour in Istria, with the most famous place – the Arena in the coastal town of Pula. The ancient Roman amphitheater is about 2000 years old, but it’s still in use for exclusive cultural events and top open air concerts which have included Arctic Monkeys and Tame Impala in recent weeks.
When you’re hungry in Istria, it’s good to know an unwritten local rule. Don’t go to the popular beach resorts or posh city restaurants. Take time to discover the Istrian countryside and taste food in a small tavern style konoba or oštarija. If you see an elderly lady with an apron behind the cooking equipment, that’s the right place.
Many Istrian delicacies like maneštra soup, domestic prosciutto and fuži pasta with white truffles are similar to Italian cuisine. The local wine menus are also very impressive, thanks to heaps of vineyards in the countryside. If you want some stronger local drink just ask for medica, a home made mixture of grape brandy and finest honey.
On Pag island, off the north Dalmatian archipelago, during the day you can take a look at some strange Lunar-like landscapes over the hills, while during the night you can feel crazy party vibes in the top clubs on famous Zrće Novalja beach. Pag is also known as the island of sheep, which means excellent local cheese.
In the heart of Dalmatia, the city of Split hosts the biggest summer event on Croatian soil. After a two-years break, EDM and big room house music festival Ultra Europe is back to Split with 60,000 party-goers on the 2nd weekend of July.
If you want to escape what’s oten a crowded and noisy environment in Split, go to the city seaport (which is crowded as well) and take a ferry or much faster catamaran to the offshore island of Vis. Meet some of the best Adriatic fishermen and taste the freshest seafood. Vis is also the top choice for nautical tourism.
Back to the Croatian mainland it’s hard to find a quieter place for a summer chill out than Baćina lakes, near the port Ploče. There are no hotels and no shops around the beautiful lakes, just tiny apartments and a few options for camping. The local rock festival was canceled years ago and now you’ll hear just the sound of nature.
The most famous destination in Croatia is the old city of Dubrovnik. A place with amazing cultural heritage and vibrant nightlife, it’s often full of celebrities. Now everybody knows this city from TV or movie screens. Game Of Thrones was filmed mainly in Dubrovnik, as well as parts of Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Robin Hood: Origins.
Now that you’ve learned more about the Adriatic coast, this guide can inspire you for a future trip to Croatia!
