Croatia

We heard how beautiful Croatia is, so we decided to check it out for ourselves! We visited in early October, which is entering the off-season, but we were fortunate the weather was abnormally warm. Restaurants and activities were shutting down for the season, but we found plenty still open. Check out our Croatia travel guide below!

Where we stayed

Since it was entering the off-season, we found great deals for two bedrooms on Airbnb that were much more affordable than hotels. 

Dubrovnik

• Airbnb – This is a two-bedroom Airbnb overlooking Lapad Bay. From the large balcony, you can see the water in the bay. Our Airbnb host scheduled a car to pick us up at the airport for €50 and met us at the property. The Airbnb was very clean and easy to get in and out of. There were stairs leading down to the beach and restaurants. A small market at the bottom of the stairs next to the beach also had wine, beer, snacks, and beach necessities. The washer worked well. 

Hvar

• Airbnb – This is close to where the ferry drops everyone off in the harbor. It was another 2 bedroom with 1.5 baths. The kitchen was small, but the living room was big. It was located on the 2nd story with some winding stairs to climb but we were able to lug our suitcases up. One bedroom is on the street side and noisier while the other bedroom was quieter. The washer worked well.
  • Our Airbnb host told us that in the morning the sun is best positioned for the beaches and swimming to the left of the town (looking at the water), and in the afternoon, the sun is best on the right side of town.
• To get to Hvar, we took the Krilo ferry from Dubrovnik. It stops at two other islands before getting to Hvar in 4 hours. The bag limit is 50 lbs but they never weighed our bags. There was no Wi-Fi on the ferry and no access to go outside while on the ferry. There were drinks and snacks for purchase. 

Split

• Airbnb – This two-bedroom condo is a few blocks from the old town of Split. We liked it because we could walk to the main area of Split but it was also quiet at night. The beds were comfortable, and the unit had a washer/dryer combo. There isn’t a living room, just two small chairs with a TV. 
• To get to Split, we took the Krilo ferry from Hvar. It was a direct ferry taking less than 1 hour to arrive in Split. 

What activities we did

Dubrovnik

• Old Town
  • You can purchase a ticket to walk the walls for €35 online, at the information center, or right inside the walls. You can also purchase the Dubrovnik pass, which gives you one day of access to the walls and other sites for the same price of €35. We purchased the Dubrovnik pass since it was the same cost, but we didn’t visit any of the other sites.
    • Walking the walls starts to the left of the entrance and there are only 1-2 places you can get down from the walls if you don’t want to walk all the way around. We walked halfway around. 
    • We stopped at a bar overlooking the water that made fresh orange juice
    • We also stopped at Buza Bar, which overlooks people cliff-jumping into the water. Bring your swimsuit if you want to join! 
    • In the old town, we walked through the famous Jesuit Stairs from Game of Thrones
    • The Captin Candy Store had the best candy we have had in a long time. We went in Split as well. The peach heart candy was so good. 
• Blue Cave Boat Tour – We booked this through Airbnb Experiences. There were 3 other groups on the boat with us.
  • After boating out of the marina, you swim into blue and green caves. The water is crystal clear.  We recommend grabbing a snorkel or goggles from the captain to see more as you swim to the caves. 
  • We went to Lopud Island and Sunj Beach. It has an Instagrammy swing and beach bars with food and drinks. You can rent a sun bed for €10. There were also people hiking around the island, but we didn’t have enough time.
• After the boat tour, we went to the beach next to our Airbnb in Lapad. The sun beds were €15 and they took credit cards.
• We drove to a secret beach (Pasjaca) through Airbnb Experiences
  • The beach was a one-hour drive away. Our guide drove us in his car and provided delicious homemade sandwiches with homemade cheese. He kept our suitcases in his car while we were at the beach which was convenient since our ferry to Hvar wasn’t until 4 pm. 
  • There were only 5-10 people at the beach
  • Bring a snorkel and a small chair if you have it. I would recommend water shoes since it is a very rocky beach.
  • It takes 15-20 minutes to walk down to the beach since you are walking down a steep cliff. Wear shoes with traction, like water shoes. 

Hvar

• Hvar guided tour through Airbnb experiences
  • She took us in her car outside of the town of Hvar to experience more of the island
  • We went higher than the Fortica Fortress to Napoleon’s Fortress for a better view 
  • We saw a little bit of lavender in October. It is in season in June & July.
  • We walked around a village where only 200 people live
  • We stopped at an overlook of Starigrad, a town on the other side of Hvar
  • We ended with lunch in a near-abandoned village at a family’s home which was delicious and very special
• Beach Club Hvar
  • €50 to rent a sunbed with ladders into the water
  • The food and drinks were good along with the view

Split

• We did a photography session through Airbnb Experiences. She knew the best spots and lighting. 
• We walked around Old Split (old town). There were many people playing music among the bars and restaurants you can pop into.
  • What to see in the old town
    • Narodni trg (Pjaca) – main square
    • Diocletian’s Palace – people sit outside to have a drink and listen to the live music playing
    • Saint Domnius Cathedral – you can climb to the top for a beautiful view of the city
• Kasjuni Beach
  • More locals go to this beach than Banje Beach by the old town area
  • We purchased sunbeds at Joe’s Beach Lounge for €35 in cash 
  • The fish & chips were great
  • You can pay for food and drinks with a card as long as your bill is over €70
    • There is an ATM at the bar to get cash out
  • This beach is also very rocky. Wear water shoes and bring a small chair if you don’t want to rent a sunbed. 
• Tuk Tuk tour
  • It started as a walking tour of the old town, which we had already seen
  • Prva Vidilica Na Marjanu is a great viewpoint looking down at the city. There is a bar to grab a drink.
  • We overlooked Kasjuni Beach while in the Tuk Tuk
  • I would recommend doing this tour the first day you arrive as an intro to the city

Where we ate

Dubrovnik

• We arrived late our first night and used Glovo food delivery (like Uber Eats). We ordered fish and chips from Fish Bar El Pulpo, which were very good. 
• Soul Kitchen – This is a great lunch spot in the walls of the old town with many vegan options. The fake Italian and Schwartz were tasty. 
• Restaurant More – This is the restaurant above the cave bar in Hotel More. The tuna, sea bass, and oysters are local. It was an elevated restaurant overlooking the Lapad Bay. 
• Vapor – This was a restaurant in Hotel Bellevue on the water. I loved the pork and wine.  

Hvar

• Macondo – This was a cash-only traditional seafood place. They only took reservations until 8 pm. We booked a reservation by walking past the place during the day. It was very lively and cozy tucked in an alley. 
• Silk – This was an Asian place. We love to try pad thai when we travel!
• Konoba Stori Komin in Malo Grablje which is a near-abandoned village. This was a very special meal at the chef’s house which has been in his family for generations. We had delicious appetizers, homemade wine, and seafood peka. Peka is a traditional cooking method in Croatia that involves roasting the food over open flames using a clay or wrought-iron baking vessel. Our Hvar guided tour took us there. 

Split

• Fig – It had many vegan options and was located in a picturesque courtyard
• Konobo Laganini – This was one of our favorite meals of the trip. We loved the seafood pasta and tuna.
• Maona Cuisine – We grabbed a quick lunch here with a large outside patio. I loved their falafel. 
• Salt Gluten-Free – Great Gluten-Free takeaway food

Where we drank

Dubrovnik

• Buza Bar – This is a cash-only bar in the walls of the old town where you can watch people cliff jump into the water
• Cave Bar More – This bar is built within a cave and is under Restaurant More & Hotel More. It is a unique setup and has tasty gin drinks.
• Banje Beach – This looks like a great beach club during the day. We grabbed a drink to watch the sunset, but the walls blocked the sunset. We would recommend being northwest of the walls to watch the sunset. 
• Fratellos Prosecco Bar – This bar is higher up, which gives a better view of the sunset but not a complete view. They had great cocktails, and it overlooked the water. Our Uber dropped us off at the top, or you can take the stairs from the street. 

Hvar

• Rafas Bar and Bistro – It has loud music and is more of a sit-down place
• Kiva Bar – This was the best late-night bar we found. People were chatting in the alley and dancing inside. The cocktails were strong. 
• Lola Bar – This place had a DJ and the best cocktails. The ginger smash was the best. It was mostly outside seating. 
• Teraca bar – It is outside overlooking the square. You have to take the stairs up to the theater to find it. 

Split

• Kintoeka – They had the best live music inside and we loved their Moscow mule and old-fashioned. They also serve food in a beautiful courtyard. 
• Leopolds – This was a craft brewery that had outside seating on the stairs. It was a mellow vibe.
• Charlie’s Bar – This is a late-night bar.

What we recommend knowing/preparing

• In Dubrovnik & Split, Ubers are affordable and quick to pick you up. They will also take you to the airport, which is 30 minutes away. Elyse took a taxi to the Split airport and was overcharged. Hvar did not have any Ubers. We’d recommend using Uber when you can.
• Cars are not allowed in the old towns of each city. If you stay in the old town areas, you will have to wheel your luggage into the area and likely have to carry it up flights of stairs. Pack light!
• Driving is doable outside of the old town areas. In Croatia, they drive on the same side of the car and road as the United States, and the roads are paved and wide. 
• Many places only took cash (or said they only took cash). This even applied to clothing stores & restaurants. Bring more cash than you typically do.
  • There were a lot of ATMs
• The amount of time we spent in each location was accurate for what we wanted to see
  • Dubrovnik – 3 days
  • Hvar – 2 days
  • Split – 2 days
• In early October, many things were closed or closing since they were entering the off-season
  • There was still plenty to do and see 
  • We were lucky with great weather, but that wasn’t normal
  • We recommend going at the end of September to get off-season prices with fewer places closed and a better chance of warmer weather
• The swimming areas are roped off away from boats
• All beaches are rocky. We swam with water shoes on. We recommend bringing a small chair to sit on if you don’t want to purchase sun beds to be more comfortable. These 2lb chairs would be a great travel option. 
• If you are flying out of Split Airport, it is an 11-gate airport. We were told we needed to be there 2 hours before our flight however, we went through check-in and security quickly.
  • If you are departing from gates 7-11 you will have to go through customs. It was quick at 6 am, but it could get backed up.
  • There are limited food options at the airport
  • If you are flying Croatia Airlines, they give you a free checked bag with your ticket

What we didn’t do but looked into

• Lady Pi Pi – this was a restaurant in the walls of Dubrovnik that was recommended to us
• Culture Club Revelin – This is a nightclub in Dubrovnik 
• Hula Hula Beach Club in Hvar
• Carpe Diem Beach Bar – You have to take a quick boat ferry from Hvar

What we packed

We packed clothes for 65-70 degree weather but it was abnormally warm for October. We should have packed more swimsuits and dresses. We sometimes needed a light jacket at night.  We were very glad we packed water shoes given the beaches are rocky. Check out our recommendations for travel clothing and essentials.

We hope you enjoyed our Croatia travel guide. Leave a comment below or contact us for any questions. If you are looking for more beach vacations, then you should also check out our post on Portugal.

~Elyse