I spent 10 days solo-traveling around Croatia, and it was more beautiful than I would have imagined! Of course there are some nice cities and adorable and historic city centers and side streets, but my favorite was the nature: beautiful beaches with the bluest water I've ever seen (and that's saying a lot!) and lush green trees. I had a lot of fun researching and planning this travel, and it was fun to see it all come together - from busses to ferries, hotels to hostels, restaurants and sights to see, it was the perfect combination of adventure and relaxation.
Zagreb
One night in Zagreb gave me plenty of time to see the city and it's highlights. In fact, I found myself walking around in circles around the old town area because I had ample time and was not so interested in going to any of the many museums. I really enjoyed the beautiful parks, St. Mark's Church (with the intricate tile roof), and the market area. I was glad to meet another girl from my hostel and we enjoyed walking around and getting dinner together one evening. One of the best things about traveling solo is meeting people who I would never meet otherwise.
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Talk about BEAUTIFUL! Although it is in the middle of nowhere and my AirBnB was a little tricky to get to via bus (haha), this place was worth it! Many people opt to do the Plitvice Lakes as a day trip from Zagreb or Zadar, but I knew I would enjoy it more in the early morning without a large crowd, so I chose to stay nearby. This was a fantastic decision, as if felt I had the entire place to myself for the first couple hours. The lakes are an unearthly blue color, surrounded by all shades of green, and connected by the most breathtaking waterfalls. They are divided into upper and lower sections and there are many walking or hiking routes one can follow. I chose to start at the upper lakes and made my way to the lower lakes, without following a specific route, but combining them and going where I thought seemed best. When I arrived to the lower lakes, there were more people, but in my opinion the lower lakes are the most beautiful! I met a girl from France who was by herself too, so we enjoyed chatting and taking photos of each other!
Zadar
Someone once said that Zadar has the most beautiful sunsets in the world, and while I haven't seen the sunset from everywhere in the world to make that claim, the sunset was in fact very beautiful from here! I stayed in Zadar two nights, but arrived in the evening on my first day and left early the final morning. It was the perfect amount of time to see the city and enjoy the beach! I met two girls from my hostel, one from Germany and one from Italy (Very near to Chivasso, my Italian "home." The world is small and keeps getting smaller! We can't wait to meet up in a couple weeks!), and we had supper together both nights, walked around the city, and even watched a movie one night!
Hvar
Croatia has over 1,000 islands, the largest being Hvar, where I stayed one night in Hvar Town. This town was adorable! It was less busy and more quaint than the others, offering great viewpoints, precious little shops, a harbor lined with restaurants and cafes, stone buildings with iconic red tile roofs, and - you guessed it - nice beaches!
Brac
Bol, Brac was where I spent the most amount of time of this trip, and I am so glad I did! I stayed three nights in the most adorable little apartment, and went to the beach all day every day. Bol is known for the famous Zlatni Rat Beach, translating to Golden Horn, which is a pebble beach that is ever changing shape and size based upon the wind direction and strength, and surrounded by the most sparkling turquoise blue water.
Split
My final night in Croatia was spent in Split, which is quite large in comparison to the small island towns I had visited previously. Split has a beautiful waterfront promenade, many shops and restaurants and cafes, and, the main attraction, the Diocletian Palace. I enjoyed wandering around the streets within the palace, and really enjoyed going to the beach in the afternoon to conclude my Croatian adventure!
If you have the chance to go to Croatia, I would recommend spending the majority of your time island hopping and visiting the stunning beaches. In my opinion and from what I know, Croatia isn't a super common location for Americans to travel to, and I'm not sure why! It is stunning and should be moved to the top of your next beach vacation destination list.
Xo,
