Croatia - The Dalmatian Coast

Over the next week, we explored the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. Which is known for its port cities filled with Venetian and Roman ruins, but also the beautiful Adriatic Sea lined by a rocky coastline. 

We based our stay in Čiovo (pron. chee-ovo), which is technically a part of Trogir, but is an island connected by a bridge to a small medieval town.

In planning this trip, we went back and forth about whether to base our stay in Split, or Trogir, or to divide the time with the southernmost city of Dubrovnik.

We ultimately opted for a place where we could take day trips, but also spend a good amount of time just relaxing by the sea. A plus was that accommodations were a lot less expensive in Čiovo. The trade-off was that we would not visit Dubrovnik on this visit. Ultimately I think we made the right decision for us. 

But, before we arrived to Ciovo, we took a side trip to Zadar. This is kind-of on the way from where we stayed in Plitvice Lakes.

While there we explored the medieval town and also stopped by the "Sea Organ", which is an architectural sound object that is right at the edge of the city. The waves through through the Sea Organ to make a constantly changing "melody of nature." It is a bit hard to hear in this video, but it sounds like whale song to me.

After an afternoon in Zadar we continued on to our lovely seaside flat in Ciovo. We were happy to enjoy this view for 5 days.

And we could walk enjoy a nice walk into the old town of Trojir anytime.

Later in the week, we also did an afternoon in Split. Which we found very crowded, touristy and not nearly as cute as Trogir.

But, we spend most mornings exploring Trogir, which was our favorite. 

I could have spent ages wandering these streets.

Even the Candy Shops were cute!

And, we also played around the Kamerlengo Fortress. It as built around 1420, but was giving the kids some Monty Python vibes.

The view from the top was stunning!

Then, our afternoons and evenings were spent by the sea, where simple restaurants with shade, fans and drinks made letting the kids play in the water so much more relaxing.

Less relaxing was the number of smokers. 

It was hot here in June, a lot hotter than any of us expected. The sun was strong, and the air was dry. We walked a lot because the roads were very narrow and stressful to navigate with our 8 passenger rental van. 

So, a little shade, a little water, and a fan were welcome additions. 

A favorite of the kids was the water obstacle course. It was worth noting that in Croatia, they are expecting you to figure out the risk. We paid our fee, but no one is watching anyone on the course. From shore, you can easily lose sight of what was going on or if a kid was having trouble in the water.

So, the first time the kids went out, I went too. It was so much fun, but after a few rather undignified falls, I was feeling my age. I did play for a good two hours and had fun launching the kids on the blob. 

The next day, it was Tom’s turn. 

A must-do activity in the area is an island hopping boat trip. Blue lagoon, other medieval towns, a fish picnic. Check!

We are going to miss this beautiful view. 

But, in going back to the Puskarich roots. 

During our time in Croatia, we had had a few comments on our last name and also the fact that we were obviously not Croatian, but not much more than that. 

Then, when we were leaving from the Split airport, we had a very interesting conversation.

The woman checking us out said, “Puskarich, hmm, that’s a coincidence. I just bought a house from there.” 

“What, a house!?”

“Yes, the village of Puškarići. It’s to the north. It’s very green there. Farmland. A small village sort of place, near Ogulin.” 

Me, googling Ogulin. 

Gasp! 

And there it was! 

Behold, the location of the where we will stop on our next trip to Croatia.