By Erik
Rasmussen
About 10
years ago, when you mentioned the name Croatia to the casual traveler, you
usually got one of two responses. The
first was “I have never heard of it” and the second was “Isn’t that Yugoslavia, and
in the middle of a dangerous war?”. It is true that Croatia
was once a part of the republic
of Yugoslavia, from after
the Allied victory in World War Two until the early 1990’s. It is also true
that there was a bitter war fought there at the time the Iron Curtain was
falling and communism was crumbling all throughout Eastern Europe and Russia. At that
time Croatia’s
tourism industry came to a near standstill as people stopped visiting this
beautiful crescent shaped country and its marvelous coast in favor of more
stable destinations. But times certainly have changed there, because today Croatia is one of the hottest destinations
anywhere, attracting millions of visitors from Europe
and all over the world, while offering a multitude of great experiences.
Featuring charming castles set in the forested hills in the north, sparking
blue lakes and waterfalls such as those around Plitvice,
to the cosmopolitan capital city of Zagreb; Croatia has
amazing diversity and beauty despite its small physical size.
The Plitvice
Lakes are a UNESCO World
Heritage site.
The crown
jewel of this country in my opinion is it’s very
western portion that includes the coastline along the Adriatic Sea from the Island of Rab in the
northwest and extending down past the southern UNESCO World Heritage City of
Dubrovnik. This part of Croatia
is commonly referred to as Dalmatia or the Dalmatian Coast. Dalmatia
enjoys a Mediterranean climate and all the benefits that come with such
pleasant weather. It begins with typical
Mediterranean vegetation and agriculture- including olive groves, fig trees,
small farms, herds of goats and sheep, rugged mountains with vineyards and rock
walls built on them, old stone villages, crystal clear waters, great seafood
and wine culture, small fishing communities, and of course abundant
coastline. There are over 1000 islands-
many of them uninhabited and right off the rugged coast. The area has also
retained its unique culture and most of its old Byzantine architecture and
medieval walled cities.
The dark blue is the portion of Croatia known as Dalmatia
It was in
the northern part of this famous and historical region that I embarked on a
7-day boating adventure a few years ago with 24 friends aboard a beautiful
handcrafted sailboat named the Moja Maja. We had a
friendly and fun crew, a great captain named Tomislav,
and very nice accommodations onboard. I knew right away we were in for a fun
filled time. Our first full day at sea began by exploring the magnificent
archipelago of Kornati, which is also a National
Park. These idyllic and mostly deserted islands are perfect places to hop off
for short hiking adventures, and jumping off rocks and small cliffs into the
refreshing Adriatic.
Kornati Islands 
The Moja Maja
In the
evenings aboard the ship, we were treated to tasty local wines and traditional
Croatian dishes such as fresh seafood grilled to perfection by our cook
Sonja. All the while all of us were able
to sit up on the roof deck and watch the stars fill the sky while the cool
night breeze brought in the pleasant smell of the sea. Our trip also took us south to other
beautiful islands and coastal spots such as Hvar, Korcula, Mljet, and Dubrovnik- the furthest southern major town in Croatia. We
were able to do so many exciting things on this trip, such as exploring
beautiful 1,000 year-old walled cities, castles, and forts in the old coastal
settlements of Hvar, Korcula,
and Dubrovnik.
We also snorkeled and kayaked the Adriatic
through and around rocky points and sculpted cliffs near tiny, deserted islands
with no name. On Mljet Island,
part of which is a National Park, we hiked through beautiful pine forests, swam
in freshwater rivers and visited a small castle on an island in a small lake
that is situated on the western portion of Mljet Island.
Most of us thought the idea of an island within an island was pretty
extraordinary.
Island within the Island
of Mljet.
View
of the harbor from the castle on Hvar.
In addition
to all these activities and sights, the nightlife in many of these little
ports, especially Hvar was second to none. Our group
had a fantastic and somewhat bleary-eyed time heading out to bars and clubs
that usually were only a few minutes walk from where our boat was docked in the
harbor. The majority of these are
situated in old castles or beautiful buildings and offer dancing, drinking, and
a festive and friendly atmosphere until well after the sun rises. In the
Dalmatian port towns you must be careful to get out of the club by the time
your boat is sailing in the morning! There is also nothing better than leaving
the clubs, then going for a dip in the Adriatic
as the sun rises, and afterwards stopping into one of the local bakeries as
they pull that day’s fresh bread and pastries out of the oven still piping hot,
while the smell of the fresh baking overtakes your senses.
The patio at Carpe Diem club on the water in Hvar.
Having fun in the clubs!
We ended
our trip in Dubrovnik, which is generally
regarded as the most famous site along the Dalmatian coast and arguably in all
of Croatia.
This perfectly preserved walled city is a stunning piece of architecture, and
its old cobbled streets are lined with cafes, restaurants and shops. Style and
fashion are also a big deal in Dubrovnik.
In the evening there are so many beautiful, well-dressed people strolling down
these streets that you imagine yourself part a runway fashion show. On the
architectural side of things, Dubrovnik’s
high walls offer great views of the entire old city and all the orange tiled
roofs that cover the old stone buildings bunched so close together inside the
walls. There are plenty of narrow
streets and corridors to explore for hours on end, nearby beaches, and great
views of the sea and nearby islands from the top of the wall. On our last night
my friends and I hit a little hole in the wall café and just admired the moon
over the sea for hours while sipping on some Karlovacko
Pivo’s (Croatian brand of Beer), and snacking on a
stone oven cooked pizza loaded with veggies and fresh meats like cured ham and
homemade salami.
Dubrovnik
The next
morning we all had to say goodbye to this magical place and return to reality.
That day I pledged to return here within a few years. Now I am keeping my promise by organizing
another group to visit in the summer of 2008.
Besides I still have to try one of the flaming drinks at the Carpe Diem
club in Hvar when I get back!
Written By:
Erik Rasmussen
Owner: Erik’s Adventures LLC. Our website is www.eriksadventures.com. To get more information on Croatia, other
travel destinations, or to join a tour with us please contact me at erik@eriksadventures.com.