10 Reasons to go to Croatia

Spending a month living in Split, Croatia was beautiful, relaxing and definitely challenging. We lived there during off season, which gave us a unique insight into what life is actually like for locals.

It was November and the weather had just begun to turn in Croatia, but we were still able to swim in the ocean during our first two weeks there. This was my second home on my Remote Year journey, and it was a stark contrast to the liveliness of Lisbon.

Living in Split during off season meant that half the restaurants were closed despite saying open on google. Grocery/convenience stores closed by 8 pm and the chances of meeting any expats were extremely slim.

However- you had the whole city, and the county’s beauty to yourself. Below are some of my highlights from living in Split, and side tripping around Croatia:

1. The Coast line:

This may sound extremely obvious if you’ve ever googled Croatia, but it’s all true- the coast is GORGEOUS. It reminds me of a warmer, calmer, and more sparkly version of Central/Northern California.

Every time I got to swim in this very salty sea my skin felt amazing, and it was the highlight of the month for me. Plus, look at that view. This coast line makes the entire country so photogenic.

2. The Palaces:

We all know at this point that Game of Thrones was filmed in Croatia. That aside, in both Split and Dubrovnik you are literally living and hanging out inside a Palace and the coolness of that cannot be understated. Home to a ridiculous amount of Unesco sites, everything feels like a movie when that’s the backdrop to your dinners, drinks, dates and days.

3. The Risotto:

The food in Croatia is extremely sub par, I’m not going to lie. To be fair, this may have been because almost everything was closed, but that also might be me being generous. The main cuisine is essentially Italian food, and it’s delightful until you’ve been there for a month and have no other options. I did have some of the best risotto I’ve ever had here, particularly the black risotto- coloring provided by squid ink. They also really understand their pumpkin soups and seafood.

4. The View Points:

The next two favorites definitely go hand in hand. Thanks to the many palaces, and mountains, there is a surplus of amazing viewpoints to catch some of the best sunsets and sunrises I’ve ever seen. My favorites were Marjan National Park, just a quick ten minute walk outside of Diocletian’s Palace, and the bell tower in Diocletian’s.

5. The Sunrises and Sunsets

Stunning doesn’t cover that. I woke up almost every morning to witness the sunrise over the beach, and hiked up to the bell tower or Marjan to catch the sunset at least every week. The air is so clear and the colors so vibrant, not to mention you are just surrounded by the ocean, so the backdrop is ideal.

6. The Spas:

Split in particular is a very well known tourist destination at this point. Although living there during off season meant most businesses being closed, one plus was all the amazing empty resorts and their spas. You can buy a day pass at almost any of these spas and pamper yourself, post up and work all day for less than $20 bucks with maybe only one or two people around you.

7. 80’s Music:

Croatians love their 80’s music, and “Hungry Eyes,” was suddenly the sound track to my month. Every club, car ride and cafe was blasting some of quality 80’s songs and I’m not gonna lie- it was thoroughly enjoyable.

8. The Taxi Drivers:

Seems a little strange…but due to Uber taking a big chunk out of their drivers pay checks, most drivers here give you their personal number so you can just call them directly. I actually made really good friends with my cab driver, Marjan, who took me all over Croatia for really good prices, and gave me amazing tips and insights into life there.

9. Plitvice Lakes:

What a place. It receives the highest amount of tourists than any other spot in Croatia and you can see why. Plitvice is home to 16 different lakes inside it’s national park, and the hike through is absolutely stunning. The lower lakes are far more well known i.e. instagrammed, but I actually preferred the less popular Upper lakes which had waterfalls and forests everywhere.

10. uber Boat:

You can actually order an uber boat here. Your personal uber driver can take you to one island, or island hopping all day, for a very reasonable rate, all with a convenient click of a button. Just be careful when you’re standing next to a uber boat pick up- I accidentally ordered a boat instead of a car when I was trying to head home from the beach.

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