Croatia
We spent a glorious week and a half in the beautiful country of Croatia, and I can’t even put into words how much this trip will always hold a special place in my heart. It had been nearly a year and a half since we left the country before this trip, so to say that I was ready for a complete change of pace, scenery, culture, lifestyle, etc is an understatement. There were lots of logistics to figure out, as traveling during this time is still a bit chaotic, but all of it was worth it. I learned so much about Croatia’s history, culture and lifestyle, and I’m even trying to implement some of their mentality and “vibes” into my daily life. We stayed in Split for 10 nights and each day we explored and did something different. It almost felt like each day kept getting better and better. If I had to pick a favorite place we visited, I would say that it’s a toss up between Hvar and Brač, two of the most stunning islands I have ever seen. But beyond the breathtaking views, this trip made me feel more like myself again, reigniting my passion for seeing new places, discovering this vast world, and experiencing new cultures. I loved swimming in the salty sea every day, reading books cover to cover, basking in the sunlight, drinking all the summer fruit juices, and walking until our legs hurt. We had the absolute trip of a lifetime, and I’m already looking forward to our next international adventure! Xoxo
DIOCLETIAN’S PALACE, MARJAN HILL STAIRS, KLIS FORTRESS & SALONA
Diocletian’s Palace was close to our hotel, and we went there almost every day of our trip because of the incredible food options! My obsession was a dark chocolate vegan gelato that I couldn’t get enough of, and of course they had natural fruit juices everywhere. We also hiked/ran up Marjan Hill twice (at the beginning and end of our trip) and of course visited Klis Fortress, where they filmed many Game of Thrones scenes. We also stopped by Salona, the site of the first coliseum and village back in the 3rd century BC.
KRKA NATIONAL PARK
We had so much fun on our day tour of Krka, and then we got to hang out in Primošten after. Krka was stunning, with a gorgeous waterfall and walking paths along the lakes. It was incredibly peaceful and calming. It was also sweltering hot, so it was perfect to go to the beach in the cutest little town of Primošten after. We went swimming in the Adriatic Sea, our first real dip in the water, and it felt glorious! I’ll never forget how giddy we were in the water that afternoon, in the middle of the Adriatic.
HVAR ISLAND
We were so excited to visit Hvar for a day. We got on board a boat that took us there in a little over an hour. From the second we stepped off the boat, I was in LOVE. It was the cutest town that reminded me of a mix of Italy and Greece. We hiked up to the top of a huge fortress overlooking other islands, and it was my favorite view of the entire trip. The water was a stunning blue against the orange rooftops, and I just couldn’t believe my eyes (as corny as it sounds). We then went to a nearby beach, swam, and read for a few hours in the sun. From there we had some lunch followed by a delicious gelato overlooking the water. Hands down, one of the best days of my life!
KASJUNI BEACH & TROGIR
I wanted to visit Kasjuni Beach in Split because I had heard good things about it. It didn’t disappoint - clear water and again, no sand (which I loved)! It was right below Marjan Park which has tons of trees, so it almost felt like we were in the forest cove. We then made our way over to Trogir, which they say is a mini Dubrovnik. It was about 30 minutes away from Split, and we loved it. It was really small, but the main center reminded me of Venice. We explored another huge castle and admired how blue the water was from the top of it!
Brač ISLAND (BOL)
I can’t think about Brač without smiling because this was also one of the best days EVER. We took another hour and a half boat to this STUNNING island for a day, and I will never get over how cool Golden Horn Beach was. The beach area naturally extends into the sea like a horn, and it is crazy windy. The wind was so strong that you had to literally swim to fight against it in the water. I had never been to a place that had a beach on both sides. One side was windy, the other side was calm. We had so much fun swimming and laughing in the ocean. They also had the cutest little stalls with such healthy food, and we shared a delicious vegan brownie that we both were dreaming about for days after. If I could live on that island for the rest of my life, I would!
DUBROVNIK
Before having a few rest days at the end of our trip before we had to come home, we did a day trip to Dubrovnik. It was about a 4 hour drive each way, but it was so worth it. We even had to stop in Bosnia and Herzegovina to get there, which was interesting. Once there, we walked the city walls in the blazing heat, and it was awesome because there were barely any tourists there at all. The views were stunning of course, and although I had been to Dubrovnik before (very briefly) this time I felt like I got to really enjoy it!
