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Published: October 13th 2010
Krk
The campanile in KrkKrk and Rijeka
Our plan was to arrive on Krk island by ferry from Merag on Cres and travel most of the day ending in the city of Rijeka for an overnight ferry to Split leaving at 20:00. Krk had wonderful cycling. It was more rolling than Cres. We rode from the port of Valbiska inland and across through Vrh to Krk town. After exploring Krk's fort and old city and enjoying lunch in a local konoba, we realized it was threatening rain. We skipped a side trip to Vrbnik and instead took the main and only highway from Krk to Rijeka. After enjoying about 5 kilometers on a bike path that started just outside Krk, we shared the road with too many cars, buses and trucks. This is the only dedicated bike path we saw anywhere and no one was using it. It rained heavily so we added flashing lights to our rain covers to alert drivers. All in all the experience of nearly 80 kilometers in rain and heavy Friday afternoon traffic was pretty bad and got worse as we rode closer to the busy downtown and port area. We decided to limit coast road riding in our future
Krk
Dan on top of the fort plans.
We enjoyed a vegan meal at FORK, a short walk from the ferry terminal then boarded the ferry. Our cabin was tiny and a fair night's sleep but the best part is you wake up the next day in an entirely different part of Croatia. From here until we were back in Rijecka, the days were sunny and the temperatures were in the 70s and 80s (fahrenheit).
On to Split
Split at 6:00 could not have been more magical. We departed the ferry and watched the sunrise over the city. We saw it shrug off the night and become a vibrant market city. We experienced our first solicitation for rooms when we were met at the ferry by owners hawking their rooms. It is how they do it in Croatia. You either have to wave them all off, or go with your gut and choose someone. Other than that, I have the feeling they would argue all day. We chose to go with Nedo to his "Old Town Hostel". At worse, it was a guided tour of Split. At best it was a place to stay. We did decide to stay for two nights and it was
Krk
Lorry at the top of the fort a great spot. We could start bike rides from there or from the ferry nearby and go to the old town as much as we wanted.
Our ride that day was to Trogir, a scenic popular tourist destination about 35 kilometers to the east of Split. The town is nice, but the ride was not. It is mostly through industrial zone, then through low level beach hotels and rentals. Instead of riding back, we put the bikes on a bus. Lesson here - even if the ticket window says "No bicycles" ask the driver. He might find space for a few kuna for tonight's pivo (beer).
Brac is worth seeing
It is about a three-quarter hour ferry ride from Split to Supetar on Brac. It was well worth the day there. The spine of the island is steep as we could see from the ferry. We did the usual climb out of the port in numerous switchbacks and headed for Bol on the other shore. It is kind of a roundabout route because a giant hill is in the way. On Brac we met quite a few groups of riders. Some mountain bikers we met were going on
Split
The busy market in Split to the east of the Palace. old trails in the hill area, but we stuck to the road. Bol was really beautiful and everything the guide books said. We lay on the beach and swam at Zlatni Rat, the famous beach. We were enough off season that is was not crowded, but the water was still warm. A side trip into Donji Humac was very good. Dan's nose seemed to lead him to this stonemason town with piles of marble everywhere, slate roofs and a beautifully renovated church. When were done there, we hit the pedals for a quick descent into Supetar. As was our luck, the ferry was waiting so we boarded back to Split.
We had time left in the perfect day to explore the Diocletian Palace, enjoy music in an open courtyard by the church and met Peter, a local who moved back after living and working in America and Puerto Rico. He took us under his wing to show us sites in between tokes or whatever. We learned that the crazy shouting and fireworks the night before was due to a national water polo victory!
In Split, we enjoyed dinner at a restaurant recommended in a guidebook named Kod Joze.
Split
The sky as we boarded the ferry. We came into Split at sunrise and left at sunset. We did not do this often, but were so glad we did. The local wine was wonderful and the food was so fresh and good. We were sorry to leave Split but it was time to move on to Hvar.
Full circle through Hvar back to the mainland
Because of the limits of bikes on the ferries, we had to take the big ferry (Marko Polo) that runs from Rijeka to Dubrovnik out of Split to Hvar. We went early and found a Bavarian couple to stow the bikes in their van, saving us about 49 kuna each. They were happy to help. On the ferry we shared stories of our adventures. Off the ferry we were once again hit with the "sobe" sellers. This time we went pretty quickly with Marija who had a lovely room in Starigrad about 2 kilometers from the ferry terminal. It was so clean and nice. The bikes were safe and we could walk or ride to everything we wanted.
As soon as we got settled, we dropped the heavy packs and headed for Hvar, the main town at the easterly end of the island. It was about 35 kilometers out. After
many climbs, a nervous fall and a long tunnel later we arrived in the town of Hvar. By this time Lorry had bruises on both knees and a black and blue for each day.
About that tunnel - The Irish woman said she talked to a biker who burst into tears when she finished it. Maybe a fall before you start is better. In reality, not one car passed us while we were in the tunnel. Lesson here - you have nothing to fear but fear itself.
Hvar is a beautiful, clearly popular resort town. Young folks were dragging cases of pivo (beer) and water out of the market. Almost everyone was in swimsuit or resort wear. In the middle of it all was a large plaza and really old church. The resident nun waved me in in my bike shorts, clearly understanding that was all I had. We had a good lunch, but not enough time to explore all the sites. On another trip, we might spend more time there. For the way back we kept to a local road that actually went over the main road with the tunnel. It was mostly empty and a wonderful
Konoba Perun
Dan enjoyed dinner with Ray Charles in a Split konoba route. The views of the sea were breathtaking. We were glad to be on cycling on yet another island.
That night in Starigrad, we found a restaurant off the Riva called Konoba Phara with great local food and wine. The setting was the kind of place you had to remind yourself was real. We were seated in an interior courtyard with ancient stone walls all around us.
We left Starigrad after breakfast on the Riva to get to the westerly end of the island and take a ferry to the mainland. Through Jelsa, and over the several rises, it was climb, climb, climb then stop for figs growing by the side of the road. The ridge was high and alternately seemed to have views of the mainland to the left and Korjula to the right. All in all, great riding on good surfaces with little traffic. The descent was another long grade to the ferry but we were getting used to that. We think, but never found, that there were good swimming holes nearby. The ferry at Sucaraj was waiting. We boarded, again with bikes stowed on a truck, to Drvenik on the mainland.
Good:Fresh figs everywhere
Brac
on the hill in Brac Bad: Lorry being so worried about a tunnel she fell before she even started.
Indifferent: The road to Trogir
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