Come See Croatia!

The Adriatic coast has been growing in popularity for travelers of all kinds over the past few years. Long thought to be a party destination for the young and hip, islands off the coast of Croatia offer more than just late-night discos (although you certainly can still find these bars if you want!). Croatia is a diverse country, and cruising along the coast will give you a great overview of Dalmatia - a place rich in ancient and modern history with a unique personality, cuisine and people.  Roughly 79 islands comprise the Dalmatian Coast, which runs from Rab in the north to Dubrovnik in the south. This is the southwestern portion of Croatia, which itself is shaped like the letter “C.” One feature that I was not anticipating was the incredible mountains running along the sea here: tall and ragged peaks loom just over the ancient port cities that dot the coast.
Dalmatia the region is named for the ancient people who settled here first – the Ancient Greek tribe of Illyrians. Evidence of their inhabitance can be found throughout the coast, but they were eventually replaced by the Romans and later the Croats – for whom the nation is now named. Many of the larger cities, like Split and Dubrovnik, date back to single-digit centuries. Yet, these cities also demonstrate how people continue to live uninterrupted for centuries and can offer contemporary amenities and experiences in the very same places. Any history buff will love to explore the ancient walls and structures still standing throughout these cities, while a foodie can find on-trend culinary arts.
 
Most of the small ship cruises in this region will begin and end in either Dubrovnik or Split, as these are the two of the four largest cities along the coast. Both are known best for their historic structures. In Split, you will wonder at the well-preserved Diocletian’s Palace – dating back to the 4th century AD! A guided city tour will orient you and bring you through the highlights. Finish the day on the promenade, watching passersby with a refreshing drink in hand. In Dubrovnik, the big attraction will be the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Old City, or Stari Grad. Covering a very smaller portion of the city overall, the Old City is enclosed by a wall, which I highly recommend walking the entire (approx.) 2 km in length. You will get not only great views of the city but also of the sea beyond. Here, you will find evidence of more modern history as well – Dubrovnik suffered great damage during the Croatia War for Independence in the 1990's, and some buildings have not been rebuilt yet.
A cruise along the coast is the perfect way to get a sense of Dalmatia - a special and seaward region. If you want to see more and get to the interior of the country, starting and ending your cruise in Split or Dubrovnik will not only offer a great opportunity to take a little more time to explore the metropolitan epicenters of Dalmatia but will also offer great access points for continued travels. Both have international airports, and Split is an excellent place to set out from if you venture to other parts of this beautiful and surprising place!

You’ve decided you want to cruise along the coast of Croatia. Great! But there are a lot of options out there to sift through. It might not be the first question but definitely an important question you will want to ask yourself – do you want to sail by large or small ship?
 
Cruise ships come in a variety of sizes – the largest can carry thousands of people. These ships will have multiple restaurants, evening shows and entertainment, and will be like floating cities. This style of cruise places a strong emphasis on your on-ship experience. Due to the size of these ships, the only ports in Dalmatia they can access will be Split, Dubrovnik and Kotor (in Montenegro). If you want just a small sampling of the local flavor and your on-board amenities are important, this might be the choice for you. At the very other end of the spectrum are private, for-hire yachts. These vessels can carry from 2 to 15 people and will come with a private staff. This style of travel will give you the ultimate level of flexibility but will also cost a lot of money. Most amenities will not be included in the cost of renting the boat itself, and you will still have to pay for local guides if you want to do any touring on land. If you want a fully private experience with total control of your itinerary, this might be the choice for you. 

At Adventure Life, we specialize in the sweet spot right in between these two: small-ship expedition cruises. The ships we work with will be between 36 and 244 passengers, and most of these will be only 36-40 folks on board. With ships of this size, you will be able to stop at smaller ports less visited by tourists. While your ship will be comfortable – and come in a variety of levels of from basic to luxury – the emphasis of your trip will be exploring Croatia.
There will be indoor and outdoor relaxation spaces. Evening entertainment can be found off-ship, or you can enjoy the company of your fellow travelers. Some cards and board games are stored on board, just in case, and one night of my trip we did have a movie night. Most of the action is in one dining room, where seating is informal and two meals per day will be served. Food on board will be a mix of local flavors and international fare and all sourced locally along the coast. Most days, depending on your schedule, you will have the chance to enjoy either lunch or dinner in port – which affords you a great opportunity to try specialties which vary island by island.

Your staff is Croatian with an English-speaking cruise director. Your staff knows the region, can impart local knowledge and can provide insight on some of the best ways to experience the area. Your cruise director will offer daily recommendations and can even help make off-ship arrangements for dining reservations or added tours.  With about 40 people on your ship, you will certainly get to chat with everyone once and won’t get lost in the crowd, but it will give you enough diversity to spend time with different people throughout your trip. While in some of the smaller ports, you may not escape notice among the locals, disembarking will not feel like a horde of people overwhelming these coastal towns as it might with a larger boat.
Perhaps the one concern that each person must decide for themselves is the question of seasickness. It is true that larger ships will be more stable on the water, and you will feel the sway of the water much less than in the small ships. A few items can mitigate this sensation on smaller ships though – in general mid-ship and lower-level cabins will be impacted least by the rocking of the boat, and luckily on these cruises, the longest amount of time you will be sailing is about 4 hours – and it will be sailing between islands, not in the open seas.

As a trip planner, my job is to find the best fit for your travel goals, so if these small ships sound like that kind of experience you want for your trip to Croatia, let us help find the right option for you!

A question that kept coming up for me and my mother when we were initially planning this trip was, “What is Croatian food like? What could we expect from the cuisine?" Early Google searches indicated that along the coast, we could expect to get a lot of seafood. Other than that, I was at a loss. It is true, though, that seafood – fresh and prepared simply – is a mainstay and a classic of the Dalmatian region. However, as you travel from island to island, you will also find that each stop has its own flavors and specialties.
 
Every day, your cruise director will post the day’s events and recommended activities on a board in the main lounge area. Anticipated arrival/departure times, the on-board menu, off-ship excursions as well as recommended restaurants/dishes/wine varieties will be written out every morning. 

One of the best surprises, for me, was the strong Italian influence on the cuisine here. For several centuries in the Renaissance, Venice was the controlling body for the area. I haven’t had such good pizza since I was in Rome nearly a decade ago. On the island of Korcula, rumored birthplace of famed explorer Marco Polo, you will find “makaruni.” (Say it out loud and it will make more sense!) This hand-rolled pasta comes in a variety of sauces to fit any palate, but the local favorite is a beef burgundy style sauce. It goes terrifically with the locally-grown wine of Grz. Vis Island, too, will yield not only special dishes but also a terrifically unique way to dine. Called “konobas,” these restaurants serve traditional and regional meals, and they will be rustic in nature – often far off the tourist lane-ways – and family-run.
With slight variations in climate and topography, wine varies island by island as well. Dining off the ship affords excellent opportunities to sample the local goods. Try one with dinner, or even take up your cruise director’s offer to arrange a wine tasting so you can sample one of everything.

The island of Hvar, also known as party island by the young people, is renowned for its olive oil and its lavender. You can find all manner of foods with lavender flavoring. Much to my ice-cream-connoisseur mother’s chagrin, however, the lavender ice cream was – in her words – “not good.” You might have to reserve judgement for yourself and have a taste. Black truffles, too, are commonly found on the island, so be sure to get your fill of these rare and expensive mushrooms.
 
I did not travel to Croatia expecting it to offer such varied and rich food and wine choices. I may have been going for the pretty views, but I was definitely rewarded by a delightful range of fresh flavors.