- Sailing Croatia -

August 3-11, 2024, Amy Davoli had the opportunity to spend 9 days in Croatia. 
This blog is a recap of her experiences in Croatia, as told by her.

Croatia, a crescent-shaped country, boasts a stunning coastline, crystal-clear waters, and beautiful historic towns, making it a destination that leaves travelers in awe. Over nine days, I embarked on an adventure that took me from the beautiful Kravica Waterfalls in Bosnia to the pristine salt lakes of Mljet National Park and beyond. Join me as I recap my incredible nine-day Croatia visit, five of which were spent onboard a luxury yacht cruise with Unforgettable Croatia, where I made so many amazing memories.

Day 1: Arriving in Croatia

I flew out of Toronto overnight on KLM for the first time, via Amsterdam, before arriving in Croatia.  I will say that flying with KLM was a great experience, and I would highly recommend!   When I touched down in Croatia, I was filled with so much excitement for the journey ahead. After months of planning, my adventure in this stunning country and on its waters was about to begin – little did I know exactly how beautiful Croatia was!  I proceeded swiftly through customs, and my driver was waiting for me to take me to my hotel for the first 2 nights. 

I booked a quaint little but wonderful hotel, Hotel Splendid Dubrovnik for my stay. If you ever find yourself in Dubrovnik, I do recommend staying here. This hotel was a coastal paradise, just steps away from the sea. The room was immaculate and there plenty of amenities that I would have taken part in, had I had more time. I do know that they had a buffet restaurant ($23E pp) for dinner and an a la Carte restaurant that overlooks the water.  This hotel is a short taxi or bus ride from Old Town Dubrovnik, and for me, the perfect location.    So, my first day, afternoon really, was mostly about getting settled, with some buffer time to soak in the surroundings. I soaked in the scenery, grabbed some tasty food, found a place to watch the sunset, at Sunset Beach, and then headed back to my hotel to rest up for my first full day was going to be a busy one!

Day 2: Waking Up in Dubrovnik / Bosnia!

I woke up very early in Dubrovnik after a great sleep knowing I had a big day ahead of me!  I had a full day to myself, my travel partner (and cousin), Christina would not be arriving until the next morning.  So, with a whole day to myself, I decided to book an excursion some place new to me – BOSNIA!  By 6:20 am I was heading off to catch a bus that would start my adventures for the day.  I met up with my excursion group, and by 8:45 am, we had crossed the border from Croatia into Bosnia and Herzegovina. My first stop was the breathtaking Kravica Waterfalls. I hadn’t even realized how much I needed to see this place! It’s definitely important to visit here as early in the day as you can, because by lunch time it will be very crowded.  

The next stop was Mostar, a city filled with history and charm. Mostar is approximately 4.5 hours from Dubrovnik and about 2.5 hours from Sarajevo. It is the second oldest hottest city in Europe. Surrounded by mountains, the heat settles into the city and often peaks at 50c in the summer! We certainly did feel the heat, but there is no humidity, so it does make it more bearable.

The smaller bridge I’m standing on was the only bridge that survived all the bombings in the 90s. It is now considered to be a good luck bridge and those who cross it will receive good fortunes.  The larger bridge is the focal point in town, but is a new bridge. The original bridge stood for 475 years before it was bombed during the Bosnian war and was rebuilt in 2004. Mostar went 2 years with no bridges to connect the land and city, making it difficult for both sides to communicate and transfer goods. I learned a lot more than just this, but wanted to share some highlights.

 It wasn’t until 5:30 pm when I arrived back in Dubrovnik.   I’m not sure where I found the energy, but I decided to continue exploring before I went back to my hotel.   I walked and walked, found a great place to have dinner and then soaked up another amazing sunset at Sunset Beach.  It was the perfect ending to a fabulous day! 

Day 3: Meeting Up with Christina/Yacht Boarding Day

Day 3 was even more amazing, who would have guessed!  It began with my cousin, Christina, finally arriving; first thing in the morning, too! Christina and I began our day with a tuk-tuk excursion, and all I have to say is, if you are ever in Dubrovnik, you have to try this. We had a great time with our driver Vito.  He shared so much about Dubrovnik, took us to all the great photo spots, and turns out he’s a great photographer as well!  He had a great sense of humor and shared fascinating info about Dubrovnik’s history.

After our tour, we asked Vito to drop us off in Old Town (instead of back at the hotel) so Christina and I could explore “inside the walls”.   Let me tell you, Old Town Dubrovnik is one of the cleanest and best-preserved European cities I’ve ever seen! The tiny alleys reminded me of the alleys in Venice, only I didn’t feel like I was going to get lost. We enjoyed a snack… a pastry with cheese - was delicious! Did I mention how beautiful Croatia is?? I can’t get over it!  We hurried back to our hotel, grabbed all our luggage, and our driver arrived to take us to Gruz Harbour.   

FINALLY - the time had arrived!  It was time for our yacht journey with Unforgettable Croatia. The beautiful yacht, Memories, would take Christina and I on an unforgettable journey along the Dalmatian coast, visiting some of Croatia’s most gorgeous destinations, as we sail from Dubrovnik to Split.

Stepping on to Memories for the first time was incredible!  While most of the other guests (also travel agents), took a tour of Old Town, Christina and I were able to stay on board to explore the ship.  We eventually found ourselves on the top deck, enjoying the hot tub with cocktail in hand, soaking in every minute until the sunset (yes, I have a thing for sunsets)!!  What an amazing feeling, like the luckiest gal in the world!!

Day 4: Yacht Crusin’ and Our First Swim!

We started our morning with a breakfast buffet served at 8 am. By 8:45 am, we were cruising right in front of Old Town Dubrovnik. I feel so lucky to have experienced Dubrovnik from so many angles— Seeing it from high above, walking within the city walls and now sailing right past it. It’s just breathtaking!  Some educational information… Croatia didn’t become an independent country until 1991 when Yugoslavia collapsed. Croatia joined the EU in 2013, and only started using Euros last year (2023).

We had our first swim stop today. It was incredible, though I have to admit, the Adriatic Sea was a tad too cool for my liking. Everyone else didn’t seem to mind!  They jumped in without hesitation, and enjoyed lounging in the water for over an hour. I just wanted to soak up the sun on my floatie – which is exactly what I did!

Day 5: Slano and Ston

Today, we docked in the small town of Slano. After our delicious lunch on board, Christina and I had about 60 minutes to explore this quaint place- but honestly, that’s all we needed! It’s super tiny with just two bars, a pizza joint, three or four shops, and one hotel.

Next, as our included tour, we boarded a coach bus and took a 30 minute drive to the town of Ston. Ston is a sought after seaside town which is known for its oyster production. We took a small boat out into the middle of the estuary and enjoyed sampling fresh oysters directly from the sea with a dash of lime and some locally produced wine/grappa. This was a very unique and fun experience – the crew said it’s always one of the clients’ favorites! Don’t worry, if you don’t eat oysters or seafood, they had a plate option for you too! I had prosciutto, some yummy cheese, bread and olives. It was so fun watching many people try oysters for the first time, but I just couldn’t do it.  Our group was so much fun!  We had a blast as our cruise director brought a speaker and played music while everyone ate and drank and had a great time! The drinks and food flowed, and soon we were all singing and dancing on the tables! Definitely going to be a memory for a lifetime!

Later, we had the Captain's Dinner and everyone dressed to impress! The dinner was on board Unforgettable Croatia Memories, accompanied by two local musicians. Afterward, we enjoyed some late-night fun on the aft of the ship with music, dancing, and plenty of drinks. A few brave souls even took a late-night plunge into the sea—it was such a fun night, and the entire day was absolutely fantastic!

Day 6: Mljet National Park and Korcula

Today was all about exploring the breathtaking Mljet National Park! Christina and I started our adventure at the famous salt lakes, which can I just say were more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. The entrance fee is usually 25 euros per person, but was included with our Unforgettable Croatia experience which was awesome!  A nature lovers delight.  You can almost rent bicycles here and take a ride around the lake.  I did dip my toes in the water, the lake was very warm compared to the Adriatic Sea.

Back on board, we set sail to our next destination, the island of Korčula, which is best known as the birthplace of the famous explorer Marco Polo. Planned, and included for us, was a short guided walking tour of the charming Old Town with a very passionate and fantastic local guide. The picturesque fortified town of the town.  We learned that Korcula was ruled by Venetians in the past, and that the city has an ingenious layout in the shape of a fishbone. The Old Town was built in Venetian Renaissance style excluding the cathedral which was constructed in Gothic Style.  Along with the construction of stone walls surrounding the city, 12 towers were erected throughout the Middle Ages to provide protection for the town, however only 7 towers still stand. Today approximately 3500 people outside the walls, but only 196 people live within them.

As part of our visit in Korcula, the Unforgettable Crew treated us to a local meal in a local village.  After our tour of the town, we took a long walk to see the village before arriving at our restaurant.  It was truly was incredible to understand people still live in these small villages and live such a simple life.   Our gem of a restaurant was so hidden you wouldn’t even know it was there.  Open air dining, but covered with a rough, and buzzing with chatter and excitement from everyone seated.  We started with homemade gnocchi noodles with beef in a sauce, that was incredible!!! I might have had 2 or 3, yes 3 helpings. It was soo soo good. Next was salad with a light dressing, authentically in Croatia the lettuce is mostly chopped cabbage. Then to the main park - the Peka.   A cast iron lid goes over the meat and vegetables, it’s closed, sealed tight and then fire is applied on the top. All the juices stay inside and it's slowly cooked, for over 2 hours.  Three types of meat are included in peka; beef, lamb, and chicken, prepared in this traditional way. The meat is incredibly tender and the vegetables and potatoes are soft and delicious. For dessert we had some fried dough with icing sugar sprinkled on top. While I know we are in Croatia, this brought back my childhood memories from my Italian grandmother and how she would make this similar dessert.  Fantastic meal, great service, wonderful ambiance, would highly recommend!!

 

Day 7: Swimming, Hvar, and Delicious Foods

What an incredible day! We kicked off our morning with the best swim stop ever—anchored for 2.5 hours of pure fun and joy!  By 9:30 AM, the temperature had already soared to 30°C (92°F). We had a fantastic time with all the water toys, including floaties, noodles, paddleboards, kayaks, and the cherry on top—a jet ski!  One of the deck crew was a very experienced jet skier, with his own Instagram account all about jet ski stunts!  We took turns enjoying rides with him on the back of the jet ski, it was so so much fun!  I might have even snuck in a second turn for another ride. 


Later in the afternoon, we docked at Hvar.  Our time in Hvar included a lovely wine tour at a family-owned winery, where I sampled a rosé and a couple of whites and reds.  After our wine tour we had some free time to explore Hvar.  Christina and I browsed some shops.  I bought myself a lovely pair of gold hoop earrings as a Croatian souvenir for myself.  For dinner, we decided to try two different restaurants because we couldn’t decide. At our first stop, Soul, we shared some Parmesan-crusted avocados and a refreshing drink as our appetizer.  After some more browsing and shopping, we dined on a rooftop terrace where the Croatian pasta with pesto sauce was to die for—rivaling even the pasta I had in Venice! Shh.. don’t tell Italy! Christina ordered gnocchi with four cheese sauce, which was equally delicious. To top off our meal, we were treated to shots of limoncello, a delightful way to finish our evening in Hvar.

Day 8: Krka National Park and A Charming Harbor

Christina and I started our second to last day with a visit to Krka National Park, where we enjoyed a beautiful nature walk, although some might call it a hike.  This national park is quite a large park with many things to do. For nature lovers, this place is absolutely beautiful and a must see!   It’s hard to imagine that a long time ago people used to live within the park. It takes approximately 30 minutes to walk along the plank-wooden path of the park if you just walk with no real stops to soak up all the nature and beauty (or take a ton of photos), you can certainly take as much time as you like! The highlight and reward of this hike/walk is finally reaching and seeing the 7 waterfalls where the rivers meet. Although my highlight might have been the refreshing cold drink at the meadow stop where there are vendors, a restaurant, and lots of places to just sit and relax. And relax is a must!!! To end your stroll in the park it is 200 steps up to get back to the entrance/exit of the park!!! You can only imagine hot and sweaty we all were after this journey in 32C/90F +++ degrees!

After our hike and a quick lunch, we headed to the historic town of Trogir. We had some free time to explore the harbor which was lined with palm trees, restaurants, and shops. While wandering through the small streets, I stumbled upon some of the most delicious ice cream I’ve ever had! My only regret was not getting more!  We definitely didn’t have enough time to explore Trogir. It’s not a large place, but definitely could have used more time to explore, and stroll, and relax near the water.  

 

Day 9: Split

Our yacht finally made it back to Split! With a whole extra day to explore, Christina and I decided to take it slow after such a busy week.  Split is known to be the place the younger generation likes to visit and party. But truthfully, you’ll find people of all ages here. The marina is steps from so much to see and do, and Riva is where it’s happening! Whether it’s daytime or nighttime you will find a ton of people.  There are lots of restaurants and shops (stores and tents) and ambiance to just soak up. The marina/harbour/pier is right there, so the minute you arrive it’s impossible not to take a stroll down Riva.    It’s also only a few steps from Diocletian’s Palace. 

Diocletian’s Palace is the largest and best-preserved example of Roman palatial architecture, representing a transitional style half Greek and half Byzantine. It was built as an imperial city-palace and a sea fortress, as well as a country house of vast proportions and magnificence.  Today the remains of the palace are part of the historic core of Split, which in 1979 was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

 

After wandering around the city on foot, we opted for a one-hour bus tour to see more of Split beyond the main tourist spots. It was a relaxing way to take in the sights, and the open-air bus helped keep us cool. Split is so different than Dubrovnik!   Both are must see destinations as they both offer unique experiences.  While Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful walled cities in Europe, and offers better beaches, Split’s authentic self with visible graffiti is daily historical reminder of Croatia’s birth due to the fall of Yugoslavia. 

 

And with that, my time is Croatia has come to an end.  The time went by so quickly, and in hindsight I wish I had stayed longer and saw even more.  Thank you for having me, Croatia! I will definitely be back!