Roadtrip croatia: Planning the start of every adventure
- geertsjelena
- Jun 27, 2022
- 9 min read
Updated: Feb 12, 2023
After lockdown and no extensive travel for almost three years, I looked forward to this Roadtrip. The moment everything was packed, we left Belgium towards our adventure. Our first stop was Bovec Slovenië. This little valley stole my heart the moment I walked over the bridge with the magnificent Socca river beneath me.
We were lucky enough to spend three and a half days in this beautiful spot. After this unexpected, fantastic place, it was onward through Croatië.
My hope is that this 18-day itinerary will help every traveller to plan their own unforgettable experience.
For more details of the places below, read the other blog posts of "Roadtrip Croatia".
18 Day Itinerary
Day one: off we go
We leave in the evening because my boyfriend hates traffic jams. So I packed everything as neatly as possible, and at night travel could start.
Day two to four: Get acquainted with Bovec
Bovec is a place where people come for outdoor sports. From hiking and mountain biking to all kinds of water sports. There is a lot to do in Bovec. We decided to follow the Susec canyon on our first day. But we couldn't because we didn't have any climbing materials (only wetsuits and helmets). So we followed the socca river upstream from the parking (parking coordinates 46.295239,13.489514), leading us into the Ucja canyon. The second day we filled with hiking the Brjeka trail and reading. For our third day in Bovec, our initial plan was rafting, but the water level was too low. Therefore we went hiking near the socca river and explored lonely little islands where we would relax, read and pick nick. You can take many guided tours, but we like to find our own routes and explore nature with us two; therefore, if it is not needed, we go without a guide.
Day Five: leave for Split and visit the vinegar clove.
The Vintgar clove is a must-visit when you are in Slovenia or nearby. You can easily combine your trip with a visit to lake Bled or lake Bohinj. The gorge is 1,6 kilometres long and, at its lowest point, 250 meter high. The walk is on a wooden path alongside the rock wall and ends with the waterfall of slap sum. The first part of the walk was the most memorizing. After that, walking back to your car is through the woods. In total, it took us 1 hour and 15 minutes with taken Photos. Dogs are welcome in the gorge. The path is slippery when it rains, and it is very narrow. Therefore buggies and wheelchairs are not allowed. The ticket price is 10 euros, and the parking is another 5 euros. You can only enter the gorge 15 minutes before your time slot. The best time to mind the crowd is to go early. We went around 8 AM, and that was perfect. We would have booked earlier if we had known you only get in 15 minutes before your time slot. You can eat and drink something at the beginning and the end of the gorge. We didn't because we liked to stay in front of the crowd. It was raining during our visit, but it was hot, and the rain was acutely a nice touch.
Day six to ten: Split and island hopping
Arriving in Split by car is not that easy. It's jam-packed, and there are not a lot of parking spaces. So when booking a place to stay in Split, search for one with parking space. We stayed in an apartment (with parking space!) near the popular Bacvice beach and the ferry port of Split. The first evening and day, we explored Split. Split is beautiful in daylight, but in the evening and at night, these are the moments when the city is at its best. Visit the market at the golden and silver gate of Split in the morning, get lost in the narrow streets of the old town of split and look up at the many magnificent buildings. Go for a walk at sunset to the top of Marjan hill and look over Split when the sun goes under. In the evening, you can indulge at the fantastic foods split offers, enjoy a few drinks in the many bars and explore Diocletian's palace. In the evening, with the lights, it's breathtaking and less crowded. After a short night or when it is too hot, go for a refreshing dip in the sea at Bacvice sand beach.
Our second day is spent with a day trip to Hvar (ferry 1 hour) and from Hvar to the Pekelini islands by taxi boat. There we stayed at Mlini beach to snorkel. Late in the afternoon, we returned to Hvar, where we ate something and left with the last ferry at 9 PM (ferry hours).
We lost our phone in Hvar, so we stayed near our apartment on our third day. Croatian people are very friendly, and we had our phone back in no time, which we celebrated with good food and fine wine. Initially, we planned to visit the island of Brac or take one of the many boat tours.
On our last day, we visited vis by ferry (2 hours and 20 min.). We explored Vis by motorcycle, tasted wine, went snorkelling and enjoyed a lovely salad in the famous Winehouse Aerodrom. We didn't visit the blue cave because, after reading many reviews, it looked like a tourist trap to us. I know I fall into repetition, but vis is a must-visit and my favourite place in the world at this moment. From vis to Komiza, every little beach it's just an amazing place to visit.
Day eleven: Sibenik
After four full days exploring split and the islands around, we left in the morning for the camping 'camp Krka near the Krka lakes (a 1-hour drive). On our way, we decided to make a stop in the city of Sibenik.
Sibenik is less crowded than Split and has its own little gems. Like the four forts; St. Ivan, St. Micheal, St. Nicolas and Barone Fort. The best view you get is at the St. Micheal fort. For 19 euros, you can visit both St. Micheal and Barone fort.
Another beautiful piece of architecture is the St. Jacobs cathedral. This building is made completely of stone without one nail or other building materials.
We walked through the streets, enjoying our ice cream and drinking refreshments on the port while watching the many little boats. We parked in the cheap city parking, which was only 3 euros. Around noon it was again pretty hot.
Therefore, we returned to our car to take our towels and went to 'Banj beach'. This beach exists out of pebbles, and there is a beach bar 'Petrus' where you can sit and relax in their comfy beach chairs.
In the late afternoon, we went on our way to the camping. Again, it was a little camping with all the needed comforts, even a small pool!
Day Twelve: Krka lakes
It takes only 5 minutes from our camping to get to the Lozovac entrance. You can park your car for free and take a shuttle bus or walk. It's a 10-minute walk on gravel to the gate. We did choose this option so we would stay ahead of the crowds. The shuttle is included in the ticket price of 200 kuna (27 euros). We booked our tickets with time slot of 8 AM and arrived 15 minutes earlier; this was again the perfect hour.
We were the first when we started our tour over the wooden bridges around 8 AM. Afterwards, we followed the path to Ethnotown and the famous Skradinski Buk waterfall. Waterfalls have fascinated me since I was a child. This part of our trip was a dream come true. Unfortunately, since 2019 you can not swim here anymore. You can only refresh yourself by putting your hands in the water, drinking cool drinks or using the AC in the old watermill. This route took us a little over 1 hour.
We also wanted to visit the island of Visovac and the monastery. However, it was closed to tourists because the monastery was used for pilgrims. So don't plan this trip for the first week of August. Dogs are permitted in the park except on the island.
For the second park route, we returned to the parking and took the shuttle. This part is less astonishing but still beautiful.
When you take the shuttle, you start uphill and follow 517 steps downhill to the Ozidana Pecina cave. In this cave were remains found that prove humans lived there from 5000 until 1500 years before Christus. Further downhill, you will find the Roski Slap and many little streams. This walk took us 1 hour.
We stayed the afternoon at the end of the trail, in the shadow with our feet in the water reading a book before heading back to the camping.
Day thirteen: exploring the caves of barac
We drove from camp Krka to Camp Korana (a drive of 2 hours). On the way, we saw a sign with 'caves of barac'. So we made the decision to stop and explore. The caves are located in a park where you can take a walk if you need to wait until the next cave tour. The tour takes around 45 minutes and costs 11,28 euros. Take a coat because it's cold in the caves. You can visit with your dog, but your dog can not walk the cave tour. There is a pet parking. The downside is that your dog can see you as you walk up to the caves. After the tour, we walked around the park and ate lunch at one of the many tables.
We arrived at camp Korana at 4 PM, all sweaty we followed the water route on the camping to camp near a river. After parking our car, we went straight downwards, searching after the river. To our big disappointment, the river was completely dry, not even a puddle.
So we returned to our car, made camp and walked 15 minutes to the nearest facility block. Camp Korana is enormous, and you can choose your own spot. We wanted to camp apart from other campers and with no light. It was a fantastic night.
Day Fourteen: Plitvice lakes and go back home
We packed our camping site early in the morning, like professionals by then, and drove for 3 minutes to the national park entrance. Parking was 50 kuna or 6,65 euros aditional to our ticket of 300 kuna, 40 euros. Again our timeslot was 8 AM, but there were already people 15 minutes before the timeslot this time. Still, this was the best time; when we started our walk, we had plenty of room and could easily take pictures without the crowd.
On our way back, the wooden bridges were packed. We followed route c. You will pase by caves, don't stop, you will see those on the way back. It took us 50 minutes before we were at the ferry to take us to the second part of the park. Every 30 minutes, there leave two boats. It is a ride of only 15 minutes, and you will enjoy the stunning views every minute.
In the second part, we walked for 1 hour and 30 minutes before taking the little train back to entrance one. The Plitvice lakes are more crowded than the lakes Krka. But let that not stop you. It's breathtaking, and if you come early, you can enjoy this Heaven on earth in peace. You can even bring your dog with you to explore the beautiful nature of Plitvice lakes.
Day fifteen to sixteen: Ljubljana
After the magnificent waterfalls of Plitvice lakes, we were on our way home. One of our last stops was Ljubljana. This small, romantic city is located alongside the banks of the same name peaceful river.
Ljubljana is vibrant at night. And during the day, you can explore this beautiful city by boat cruise on the river (12 euros) or walk up to Ljubljana castle for a magical view and walk around in the gardens. This city of dragons and bridges has an amazingly charming atmosphere. Every Friday from midden march to October, it's open kitchen. This food market is located near the three bridges. When we arrived in Ljubljana, the temperature was around 41 degrees. Therefore we visited the Technical Museum of Slovenia. The museum is on an old farm and has different sections. Such as agriculture, engineering, vehicles etc. We spend the afternoon in the lovely cool rooms for a price of 6,50 euros. The museum is huge and a fun activity for young and old. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in the museum.
Day seventeen: Rothenbourg ob Tauber
We left Ljubljana at night, and early in the morning, we arrived at the fairytale town Rothenburg ob Tauber. This little German gem is famous for this Instagram yellow house. At 6 AM, we were ready to stretch our legs and the only people walking in this medieval town. Time stands still here. And because we were this ridiculous early, I could take a million photos of the famous yellow house. We walked around town and saw it wake up. The city is completely closed in by old castle walls. You can walk on these walls and enjoy the sun rising over the rooftops of the houses. Our initial plan was to stay for one day and leave for home, but we missed our animals, and after seeing this lovely place, we went home.
Day Eighteen: Ridding home
We shortened our trip by one day. But after seventeen days of riding through Germany, Slovenia and Croatia, we saw the most beautiful places. So we where happy to go back home with our lovely animals, resting and preparing for our next adventure.
I will write more detailed blogs about each place. In addition, you will find prices, a more detailed itinerary, and where to stay, eat and drink.
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