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Published: June 30th 2013
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Croatia! After our overnight ferry journey we saw the beautiful coastline of Croatia appear before us as the sun rose. Having arrived in Dubrovnik we made our way South on the scenic coast road toward Milini. This area is the self proclaimed 'Dubrovnik riviera' and is a series of small, quiet coves with blue water and pebbled beaches. We took a few dips in the sea and enjoyed the calm, refreshing water. During our stay we took a ferry to Dubrovnik from Milini and wandered through the white marbled old town. Unfortunately Dubrovnik's beauty attracts huge cruise ships - three had disembarked on the day we visited. We also visited a Balkans war photography museum. Dubrovnik was heavily bombed during the war; we saw shelled and derelict hotels on a nearby beach to where we were staying - a stark reminder of how recent the area was a war zone.
Driving North on the coast road we went through the Bosnian border crossing which intersects the Croatian coastline briefly and turned off onto the Peljesac peninsula toward Orebic. We had great pitch at the campsite with a lofty sea view. On our first full day we climbed Mount
Ilija which stands at 968 metres, no mean feat in 26 degree heat! It was an interesting climb over rocks, through forest and afforded us an amazing view at the top of the mainland and the peninsula. From Orebic we also took a boat to the island Korcula for a day trip which still retains some old town charm. Back on the peninsula we had a lovely bike ride along the quiet peninsula coastline. On the way back to the mainland we stopped to sample Croatia's best known red wine - the Dingac and less expensive Plavac Mali. The Dingac is grown on a very small, south facing slope which lends the wine a rich flavour. After visiting four wineries we came away with a nice selection. We also popped into the fortified town of Ston and walked part of the medieval city walls which are the longest in Europe (5.5kms).
The next day we drove up the coast to Split where we stayed for 2 nights. Split's old town centre is built within Diocletian's Palace (ancient Roman) - today exuberant cafes, bars and restaurants nestle haphazardly amongst the stone alleys and streets of the ancient compound. The revamped
sea promenade led into the intact ancient palace basement and, a little further on, a bustling food market outside the palace walls. The modern art gallery had a great collection of mostly 20th century paintings by Croatian artists. We ate a fish platter lunch at a nearby family-run konoba (restaurant) - delicious and memorable!
After Split we had a couple of relaxing days at a beach side camping resort near Sibenik. This was convenient for the Krka National Park which is accessible by boat and draws a lot of local and international tourists. The park is an array of large waterfalls and the boardwalks take you over a number of these and adjoining rivers.
Pag Island was next - joined to the mainland by a short bridge it has a barren appearance but the campsite near Novalja is an oasis with a wonderful beach. The water was warm, incredibly clear and flat. We spent a few days swimming and exploring the extensive camping resort, essentially a small self-contained village. Coming off the island we bought a portion of delicious Paksi sir (Pag cheese), the local sheep cheese similiar to Parmesan, and fig cake.
Next putting on our
walking boots we visited Paklenica National Park - a great starting point for multi-day treks and rock climbing. We walked into the 400 metre high rock canyon on a day walk in stifling heat. The next national park we visited is the largest and most spectacular in Croatia. Plitvice National Park is incredibly beautiful and hard to describe (see photos) but is in essence a series of stepped lakes interconnected by waterfalls. We found by chance a local bee farm providing camping facilities very close by and it made a great change from the more commercial campsites we'd been staying at. The owner looked like Che Guevara but supported Chelsea...
Our final destination before the capital Zagreb is the quiet, green hills of the Istrian interior. After reading that the coast of Istria was over-developed we located the only two campsites away from the coast. The first was at Motovun, a charming medieval town on top a hill where we spent 3 nights. Using Motovun as our base we cycled to the isolated town of Groznjan one day, and the sleepy town Buzet the next. We ate truffles at a restaurant meal, and sampled local wine. We are now
in a small rural hamlet at Katun on an olive oil and wine farm. Using the Istrian bike trail map we have explored the area on foot, and cycled to the coastal town of Porec - passing through gorgeous vineyards (growing out of dark, red soil) and quaint villages. Porec is a hyper touristy place but has an excellent Byzantine basilica if you need a breather from waiters in bow ties, luxury yachts and cocktail bars. Next to the capital...
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Dad
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Camper Van
Great photos Chris, the light looks really good for the photos. Nice to see the van in some of the the photos, makes it all look more real somehow. Looks like some great weather as well.