When we decided to visit Croatia in June 2016 it was difficult to narrow it down to one place to visit. So that’s why we decided to hire a car and stay in 7 different towns on and around the Dalmatian Coast! Here’s A Brummie Home and Abroad’s Guide to planning a 2-week road trip in Croatia.
Croatia is an Eastern European country with a beautiful coastline on the Adriatic and a fascinating history. It borders Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro, yet still has the longest coastline of all the Balkan countries. Much of this dramatic coastline is in the southern region of Croatia, Dalmatia, where coastal mountains sweep down towards shimmering turquoise waters. There are also hundreds of islands, from trendy hotspots to quieter and more secluded getaways.
Dubrovnik was the perfect starting point for our Croatian break. Breathtaking vistas, a stunning coastline and a beautiful old town within the city walls. And of course, you can reenact your favourite Kings Landing scenes from Game of Thrones; I particularly liked whispering “Shame” behind anyone descending the Jesuit Staircase. It’s also easy to make a side trip to Montenegro from Dubrovnik, and the lovely Trsteno Arboretum is a short drive away, although we did this on the way back through Dubrovnik at the end of our trip.
You can read about my guide to spending just 24 hours in Dubrovnik here.
Makarska was just added in to the itinerary as a stop between Dubrovnik and Zadar, but we ended up falling in love with this seaside town, with its beaches, palm-tree lined promenade and stunning mountain backdrop. You could easily spend more than one night here.
We took something of a circuitous route to Zadar from Makarska but eventually we arrived at this ancient Roman stronghold, with its straight narrow streets leading all the way from parkland to the top of the peninsular Old Town. Our final night in Zadar yielded us this stunning sunset, famously called “the most beautiful sunset in the world” by Alfred Hitchcock in 1964.
From Zadar, you can easily reach the fantastic Plitvice Lakes National Park and there are loads of boat trips available; we took a day trip to Kornati National Park.
Everyone’s heard of Plitvice, but Krka is just as spectacular as it’s more famous neighbour. A stunning cascade of waterfalls, ending in a pool in which you can take a dip. Scenic boardwalk paths meander through lush trees. And the town of Skradin, gateway to Krka, is a lovely little town to explore too.
Krka or Plitvice? Plitvice or Krka?
We spent the evening in the wonderfully rural Agrotourism Kalpic, a guesthouse in the middle of countryside with a pool and the most amazing home cooking. It was truly wonderful waking up to the sounds of the farmyard animals and it was a wrench to leave after just one night.
It’s the second largest city in Croatia after the capital Zagreb, yet the Old Town of Split – largely within the walls of Diocletian’s Palace – is extremely walkable, whilst it’s waterside location and beaches make it the perfect destination to relax too. If you’re feeling energetic, you can climb Marjan Hill for panoramic views across Split and across to the nearby islands. There’s also a ferry port here which is handy if you want to visit any of the islands – which leads us nicely to our next stop…
We stayed in Korcula town, on the north-east tip of Korcula island, and this was a perfect place to spend a couple of chilled out days. It’s famous for its vineyards, and tiny fishing villages, but apart from one long, hot walk to Lumbarda we were content to relax on our apartment’s private beach, eat seafood and gelato, and climb up a rickety ladder in order to get a cocktail with a view at Massimo.
Cavtat is lovely down in the harbour, but there’s a huge great big hill to get down to it – be mindful of this when booking your accommodation… This was our final stop, located just east of Dubrovnik and handy for Čilipi Airport. As with most towns in Croatia, it’s full of narrow streets, beautiful architecture, terracotta rooftops and splendid places for seafood and gelato.
So that’s A Brummie Home and Abroad’s suggestion for a 2-week Dalmatian Coast Road Trip! There’s so much more to discover in Croatia, and I think its safe to say that we’ll be back to explore more very soon!
All photos were taken by Mr Fletche – CPF Photography (apart from Split and Cavtat, taken by yours truly)
Slow internet, It’s taken me 5 minutes to upload this. Will have to wait until next week. Was missing everyone’s blog posts 🌞
Ah boo to slow connection!
This is great!!!! We went to Croatia a few years ago on a cycling and sailing and loved it. You’ve brought back great memories. We plan to go again one day.
I think it’s still relatively “undiscovered” as as holiday destination…everyone should go before that changes!
Croatia looks like another amazing place to go!
It’s so beautiful Ritu – and the colour of the water had to be seen to be believed 😊
One day… another on my list…!
I love Croatia. I’ve only been to Dubrovnik & Korcula, but now you’ve really made me want to revisit Croatia and explore all the other places. This sounds like a lovely trip.
Loved Croatia so much! Want to go back and do Zagreb, and Istria, and the whole bit of Plitvice we accidentally missed…
So much to see!
I haven’t been to Croatia yet, although it’s on our to-do list. I really appreciate the organization and attention to detail you share with us. This will make planning so much easier when I refer back to the Pinterest pin I’ve saved!
Glad it’s helpful Gabe – I always appreciate similar posts when I’m planning so happy to give back!
Awesome pics! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
My son is off to Croatia in a couple of weeks – and after seeing your pics, I’m even more envious!
I’m envious of him going to Croatia too!
This trip looks and sounds lovely. I’m so jealous.
I’ve never heard of this coast drive, but sounds amazing!
Ah I love Croatia! Love the pictures, wish I was there right now.
This would be my dream road trip! Thanks a bunch for the awesome idea!