Mediterranean Vacay- Split & Hvar, Croatia
How We Got To Split
We decided to make a road trip of it. We rented a car in Dubrovnik, and took the coastal route from up along the “Adratic Riviera” to Split. Since we were not in a rush, we took the scenic route rather than the highway. I saw reviews warning against driving along the coastal road because it is “winding and narrow”. However, being from a small island, these roads did not faze us at all. In fact I would go so far as to say I didn’t come across anything that would require the sort of warnings I had been seeing. Perspective eh? I often take certain reviews with a grain (or a whole spoonful) of salt.
The drive takes you across the border with Bosnia- Herzegovina. There is a checkpoint where your travel documents are inspected. It was a relatively hassle free process, especially getting into Bosnia. The officers practically waved us through. Once through the checkpoint, we drove along the coastline of Bosnia-Herzegovina (just 20 Km) until we once again arrived at the Croatian border. Can I count that as visiting another country?
It was a really nice drive overall. Lovely views of the Adriatic to the west, and the Dalmatian mountains to the east.
Where We Stayed in Split
The location of our apartment in Split that we booked through Airbnb was excellent!!! It was just off the Riva (waterfront/ promenade) and right at the edge of the Old Town. So we were in the thick of things, walking distance from everywhere, yet not so much so that night noise etc would affect us. The apartment was nicely renovated and had all the amenities we needed and more.
Our Apartment in Split
What We Did in Split
The Riva is a promenade that runs long Split’s waterfront. It’s a public space with lots of cafes, restaurants and entertainment .The Riva to me, is a vision of what Kingston’s waterfront could be like.
The Riva
Once we got into town, we dropped off our rental car, checked into our apartment and headed to explore the Old Town a bit. We walked along the Riva and decided to head for one of Split’s main attractions, Diolcletian’s Palace. We arrived at the main entrance (on foot) within minutes.
The Peristyle at Diocletian’s palace 
Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was built by the Roman Emperor at the turn of the 4th Century AD. The term palace may be a bit misleading because this area was more than just a residence. The Emperor’s Palace was built as a combination of a luxury villa, and a military camp. The structure has a large footprint, and the remnants actually form about half of what is known as the Old Town. As the world’s most complete remains of a Roman palace, it holds important place in Mediterranean, European and world heritage.
Out and about in the Old Town
That night we wandered around and ended up having dinner at Restaurant Central in Old Town. It was, as the name would suggest, in a very central location in the heart of things. It was a great spot for people watching!
After dinner we continued our exploratory strolling around the Old Town. Again, I will mention that staying the Old Town of a city such as this can make getting around a lot easier. We were quite literally walking distance from everywhere that we wanted to go to.
Hvar
On our second day in Split, we planned a day-trip to Hvar. Hvar is an island off the Dalmatian coast, and so we had to take a ferry. There are several ferry companies that ply the route daily. Our hosts recommended that we take the Kapetan Luca ferry service. So we simply walked down to the harbour at the appointed time and got tickets. We were there in about an hour
Hvar is a nice quaint town/island. We found a restaurant within the square and had a yummy breakfast. Then it was time to explore!
In the midst of our wanderings and chatting we suddenly heard something along the lines of ” Wait! You guys are Jamaicans?!!!” Turns out we had stumbled upon another group of Jamaicans holidaying in Croatia. What can I say, we say all the time that you can find a Jamaican anywhere in the world right?!
Let me tell you, most of the pics you will see on Instagram/Pinterest of people swimming in beautiful waters in Hvar are taken on the Pakleni Islands. To get those beaches you will have to take a water taxi from the Hvar port. Had I known this I might have managed my time a little differently. However by the time we realized all of that, it would not have been feasible to go and come back in time to catch our ferry. That’s not to say that there aren’t lovely swimming spots not far from the main square, but what you are probably looking forward to, is what you will find on the Pakleni Islands.
However we didn’t give up. We managed to find a swimming spot to our liking, which I now know is called Bonj Beach. While taking my dip, I met a Croatian fellow who lives in Canada. He loves Jamaica, has visited Jamaica more than 20 times (staying at Couples Resorts), and even has a Jamaican family member by marriage.
Bonj Beach
After our swim, we set off in search of a particular bar where we had a drink and killed some time before catching out ferry back to Split.
There is more to be seen and done in Hvar, for instance there is a 13th Century fortress on a citadel overlooking the island. However we were taking it easy, and also didn’t want to venture too far away from the habour area given the time constraints we were working with.
Back in Split
We had a very good dinner that night. I had a traditional Dalmatian beef stew of sorts. That wouldn’t normally be the type of thing that I would go for, but our wonderful waiter suggested it, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Had we another day in Split, I would have probably ventured to one of Croatia’s famed national parks, such as Krka or Plitvice. However next we were on to Greece!
Stay tuned for my next post about Athens.
General Tips
- Dubrovnik to Split is a nice road trip. The best car rentals I found that had pick -up and drop-off points near the respective Old Towns (as opposed to the airports) were from SIXT rent-a-car.
- Stay in the Old Town.
- Give yourself enough time to hop over to the Pakleni Islands from Hvar.
