Destination: Split, Croatia
Croatia has so much to offer; with every region comes a wave of new culture and this time, we will be sharing the best way to enjoy your time in Split! A city with gorgeous locations, lively ambiance, and the most amazing seafood, Split needs to be your next destination! From solo travelers to families, from budget travelers to luxury traveling, here’s your guide to spending the perfect 4 days exploring:
What you can’t miss:
❖ Enjoy the panoramic view from Prva Vidillica Na Majanu
o Located an uphill walk on the outskirts of the seafront, this observation deck is worth the time and effort. When you reach the top, you’ll want to take a moment to sit at the many surrounding benches before heading back. I recommend making the journey during the early evening which allows you to experience the sunset shining on the Riva. You’ll find some of the prettiest and emptiest streets while making your way down!
❖ Take an island-hopping tour
o If there is one tour you book while visiting Split, let it be an island-hopping tour. There are some gorgeous islands surrounding Split so what better way to see them than on a boat tour! To help you decide, here’s a bit of insight on the five islands our tour included:
Blue Cave Tour: recommend you book a tour with admission included.
Komiža: swim at Plaža Gusarica but take water shoes and ask for snorkeling masks. We learned the hard way about the water shoes as we encountered so many sea urchins everywhere!
Stinivia Cove: gorgeous deep blue water; find the cliff jumping spot!
Blue Lagoon: One of the most popular places but a bit overcrowded; still a great snorkel/swim spot. Be careful with the donkeys; they’re friendly but unpredictable!
Hvar: Be sure to eat at Mizarola for fresh seafood then attempt to make the uphill walk to Fortaleza Española. You’ll find a beautiful view of Hvar from here.
We had a great experience with our boat tour so here’s the link to the one we booked with TripAdvisor:
(we will not receive any compensation from TripAdvisor, if you book with them!)
❖ Walk around Diocletian Palace
o We visited Diocletian Palace twice at very different times. Let me be honest, we are early birds regardless of when we travel or not, but I would recommend visiting Diocletian Palace in the morning no matter what! Here’s why:
In the evenings, you’ll have a difficulty finding seating as there are so many people enjoying the live music from street performers and having a few drinks. Although crowded, we really enjoyed soaking in this moment because there was so much positivity filling the air! It was fun watching the kids play in the center while listening to the locals talk; It really felt like we were one with the locals.
In the early mornings, the scenery was extremely different. It was literally a difference of day and night; we woke up at the crack of dawn to get ready for our boat tour and decided we would walk to Diocletian Palace for a bit to see it during the day. We arrived at 7AM and there was not a single soul in sight. The birds were circling above, the local shops around the corner were getting ready to open, and the serenity was like no other. We enjoyed our cup of coffee overlooking the Palace which felt like we were in a movie.
❖ Make the trip to Klis (2 gems in 1 spot!)
o Only 20 minutes away from Split, lays the lovely town of Klis… Klis is home to two very awing attractions: one a bit more popular, and the other a hidden gem like no other… If you plan on visiting Klis, I recommend one full day so you can enjoy everything!
(For all my GOT fans, you’re going to loooove this!) Klis Fortress is one of the most mesmerizing and strategically built structures I have seen. Sitting at the top of the cliff with 360* view to everything below, this fortress is referred to as “the key to Dalmatia and the heart of the medieval Croatian kingdom.” I recommend eating an early breakfast and grabbing the morning bus to Klis. Catch Bus 16 from HNK for the most affordable and direct route to Klis. We made the mistake of going to the wrong bus station and ended up hopping on a bus to Sinj where our bus driver kindly dropped us off on the highway close enough; we walked about a mile (1.6km) doing it this way, but it is a way! However, you decide to get there, Klis Fortress is worth the visit!
After you finish exploring the beauty of Klis Fortress, don’t miss out on visiting Stella Croatica which is 1.5 mile (2.3km) up the road. Admission to this Dalmatian heritage family-owned farm includes a guided tour through their candy factory, olive museum, access to the picturesque garden, and walk-through of their shop. The guided tour is extremely educational and interactive; we especially enjoyed learning the history and importance of olives in Croatia! At the end of the tour, you’ll be taken to their restaurant where you’ll have opportunity to eat a typical Dalmatian meal! Stella Croatica is open from May through October so be sure to stop by if you’re near!
❖ Go swimming at Kastelet Beach
o Kastelet Beach is a pebble beach located in Varos near the downtown Split area. This lovely beach is a local favorite, perfect for enjoying the deep blue water in a safe enclosed bay. On one end, you can see the locals jumping from the rocks into the deep water; on the other end, you’ll see most people snorkeling and swimming. If you’re interested in finding a bit more privacy, go over the rocks on the far side of the beach; there’s less people on this end and offers a much quieter scene. After swimming for a bit, we found the perfect spot to drink a beer and enjoy the sunset.
❖ Visit Bačvice Beach
o We walked to the beach in the late evening and found the beach to be rather busy despite the time! Lots of families and groups were enjoying the water and playing games since the beach had plenty of lighting. Also, there is a strip of restaurants and bars on the other side which were open. Bačvice beach seems like a lively spot for night life so I can only imagine how it must be during the day!
Where to eat the best food:
From local restaurants to more high-end diners, here’s where we ate and what we enjoyed. FYI: We basically ate seafood the whole time and can’t complain about any of it!
❖ Villa Spiza
Their menu changes daily depending on the catch of the day and current inventory. We ordered prosciutto, the mussels & grilled sea bass w/ 2 sides, and tiramisu for dessert. We paired dinner with Pan, which is the local beer of Croatia. Villa Spiza does not offer reservations; it is first come, first serve so I recommend getting there as soon as dinner starts to ensure you have a wide selection! Seafood doesn’t get fresher than this!
❖ Mizarola
While visiting Hvar, our guides recommended we have lunch at Mizarola. The restaurant has shaded rooftop seating which allows for the breeze to flow just enough to keep you fresh. Friendly staff and perfect sized portions, we ordered a grilled seafood platter with sides for two which brough a whole sea bass, sword fish pieces, mussels and clams, crawfish, scampi, and calamari. It was absolutely delicious and gave us the perfect boost of energy to keep our adventures going!
❖ Konoba Marjan
For fancy but not overpriced, Konoba Marjan is the perfect place. This small restaurant has a modern look inside, has a wide selection of wines, and offers a variety of dishes. Once again, we ordered the seafood platter for two which had a different taste to the one from Mizarola but was just as delicious. Paired with a red wine and flavored packed steamed veggies, dinner was the perfect end to our busy day. Feel free to make a reservation or add your name to the waitlist; we went at the peak of dinner time and decided to wait the hour in the comfort of our Airbnb.
❖ Dalmatian Tavern at Stella Croatica
As mentioned earlier, a visit to Stella Croatica grants guest the opportunity to enjoy a typical Dalmatian meal! The menu offers a meat and vegetarian option that includes appetizer, entrée, glass of wine, and dessert. The food is made with ingredients picked right from the garden! When we visited, our meal included freshly baked bread with Stella Croatica’s olive oil, creamy squash soup, steak covered in fig sauce (weird mix but delicious), freshly picked kale salad in vinaigrette, and the softest lavender cake possible. This was the one time I had anything other than seafood during this trip; I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way…
❖ Konoba Hvarian
We came across Konoba Hvarian tucked away close to our Airbnb while looking for a better dinner spot after a bad experience elsewhere. Konoba Hvarian was able to seat us quickly, offers wonderful outdoor seating and has very friendly staff! We continued our seafood desires by ordering the grilled Seabass and an Octopus Salad. The Seabass here had been the largest one from the whole trip! And it was gushing with flavor! Meanwhile, the octopus salad was a delicacy, the perfect balance between greens and octopus. This casual restaurant would be perfect for people looking for local and fresh food without having to wait an extreme amount of time!
❖ Brassiere on 7
We tried Brassiere on 7 for dinner one night because I was on the hunt for grilled octopus; it turns out the Brassiere was one of few places to serve this dish. However, the prices here were the highest we paid for any meal on this trip. Yes, Brassiere is conveniently located on The Riva which makes it a popular spot; it can be an easy dinner spot for the busy or party traveler. Although dinner wasn’t out of this world, we stopped by for breakfast prior to leaving for our flight. With limited options open so early for breakfast time, we found ourselves here again but this time, I enjoyed a wonderful baguette sliced in half topped with fresh farm eggs! Brassiere redeemed themselves through Breakfast, which is what I would recommend you have if visiting!
Where to stay:
Here’s what to keep in mind when booking your accommodations:
The Riva: The Riva is a long pedestrian stretch that you will stumble upon when you arrive at Split. The Riva is the hub for tourism. This is where you will find most of Split’s gourmet restaurants, bars, clubs, and street vendors. It is also just a few blocks walking distance from major attractions in the city such as Diocletian’s Palace and Viewpoint to Marjan.
Bačvice: Bačvice is the Hub for transportation, this is the closest you can stay near the major bus station and ports. Here you will also find the popular Bačvice Beach along with a selection of waterfront dining.
Varoš: If you are looking to get away from the heavy crowds of Riva, you will enjoy staying in Varoš. Varoš offers the opportunity to live among the locals and emerge yourself in their daily routine but is a bit further away from the most popular areas of Split.
How to get around:
By foot!
Walking around Split is not only the easiest way to get around, but also the prettiest way! With so many alleys only accessible to pedestrians, you’ll get to see so much more by walking.
Be sure to download google maps so you can access it offline!
Public Transportation!
Be sure to have cash upon arrival in Split airport; you’ll need to take the shuttle to and from Split back to the airport! Do not opt for any other way rather than the bus. One arrives every 30 minutes, takes cash only, and is the most affordable way to get to Split.
Additionally, there are multiple bus stations with different routes to everywhere. Take Bus 16 from HNK to get dropped off at the bottom of Klis Fortress; go to the Train Station if you’re interested in catching a bus to another city/country!
Currency/Affordability:
Croatia must be one of THE most affordable places to travel! Because of this, I would recommend it to every solo, budget, and young traveler! To put it into perspective:
1 USD = 7.05892 HRK
Average cost of dinner for two: 140 HRK / 20 USD
Cost of beer at grocery store: 14 HRK / 2 USD
Our accommodations (Airbnb) for 3 nights: 1652 HRK / 234 USD
The most expensive part of our trip were the tours which we booked through TripAdvisor, rather than directly through an independent company. I didn’t see much of a price difference as we walked around, though. Maybe if you’re good at negotiating, you’d get an offer much better than what was advertised!