Split
On the day of my arrival, I checked into my hostel in Split and went straight to Kasjuni Beach. It set the tone for my time in Croatia, absolutely stunning and relaxing. The beach was a few miles North of the city, so I had to take a bus or taxi. I decided on the bus because I had great luck with public transportation on the trip so far. This bus was different, completely packed to the brim with people shoulder to shoulder as more and more people hopped on at each stop. On the way back to the hostel, I split an XL taxi with five strangers because we would have had to wait for a few buses as there were so many people waiting.
At nighttime in Split, everyone is dressed in fancy summer clothes and goes out for dinner, drinks, and clubbing. It was a completely different vibe from the previous places I went. Men wore designer collared shirts, and women wore tight dresses and heels. Everyone dressed this way, and there were lots of beautiful people. I felt underdressed because I didn’t have clothes like this. The city was built into ancient city walls and fortress structures. In the city center, there was a courtyard with steps where people sat around, chatted, drank, and listened to street performers giving concerts.
Bol, Brac
After a few days in Split, I took a ferry boat to Bol on the island of Brac. It was only about a 45-minute slow ferry ride. Definitely a beach town vacation destination, with small resorts and fancy restaurants. The beach was a peninsula with a point and two beaches on either side. It was so hot and sunny that I rotated between dips in the water, sunscreen, and beers both days I was there.
Plitvice Waterfalls
After Bol and before embarking on the sail, I took a day trip to Plitvice National Park, which had turquoise lakes and many waterfalls. It was a guided tour where we took a bus to the top of the mountain and then hiked down, seeing all the nature and wildlife. It reminded me a lot of California. Many tourists hiked with children in strollers. I can’t imagine it was fun for the children or parents because of the bumpy trail and many stairs.
Sail
Hvar is Croatia’s number one party destination. Everyone wore fancy outfits and got made up to go out and look their best. I went to Hula Hula Club, a swim bar, on the recommendation of a friend. The place didn't seem real. It had a DJ, lounge chairs, food, and swimming off the cliffs. Later that night, our boat went to a small dancing bar and then a silent disco, which was a ton of fun.
Croatia has a fantastic history of still-standing castles. As I mentioned earlier, the ancient walls in Split were still standing, as well as the city walls in Dubrovnik, which I will mention later. Upon the hill, which served as the backdrop to Hvar, was an illuminated ancient castle that mirrored the vibe of the whole country.
On sailing days we would sail slowly for 8 hours straight passing these rocky mountains. Just like the Hula Hula club, they didn’t seem real. The mountains looked like the backdrop of a play while on the water.
Makarska isn’t talked about enough. It was less crowded but just as fun as the other, more famous destinations. I had a fantastic night out with my boat at a street party. There was a DJ set up in the street outside some bars. That night, everyone from the boat wore matching sailor outfits, and we all partied until the street got shut down. It was a great time because there were many travelers from other sailboats there, too.
This picture was from another swim bar in Dubrovnik with cliff jumping. The entrance was a small gate right off the sidewalk with basically no signage. You would never know the gate led to a bar with swimming and cliff jumping. Dubrovnik was pretty expensive, and fortified walls surrounded the whole city. With no cars allowed inside the walls, tons of tourists walked, shopped, ate, and took in the sites on foot. The city has a ton of history from the recent wars with Yugoslavia and being the setting for the famous TV show Game Of Thrones. Up some stairs, I found this basketball court raised above the city overlooking the ocean. Slavic people are really good at basketball, and I could see why because I would never want to leave that court.
Overall
To be honest, I expected a little more out of Croatia. It was super touristy and a bit expensive. However, it was a great party destination. I’m not sure if I would go back but I’m happy with my experience.