Saturday was our last full day in Croatia and today we were doing a boat tour of the many islands off the coast of Split. We boarded the speedboat at 830 with our guide Martko.
We first stopped at Čiovo island near Trogir to pick up some other visitors and then made the rather long boat ride to the island of Biševo to see the Blue Cave. The Blue Cave is illuminated from around 11 to 12 so we had to go here first to see the cave under optimal lighting conditions. The boat was cruising at about 25 MPH so it got a little chilly with the wind. In about 2 hours, we made it to Biševo and had a quick break.
The views here of Vis in the distance were really nice.
We then boarded a smaller boat to head to the cave. The Blue Cave has a very small entrance and so larger boats can’t get in. Even in the small boat, we had to duck down when entering.
Inside the cave, sunlight penetrated the water outside the cave and illuminated the cave in a beautiful blue light. It was amazing to see and hard to believe that it’s natural lighting.
After a quick run through the cave, we returned to the dock and re-boarded our tour boat. Martko took us over to the fishing village of Komiža on the island of Vis.
We had about an hour here, so we walked around the town, first visiting Komuna, the fishing museum. They had some interesting exhibits but the highlight was the view from the top.
Then we stopped by Gusarica beach and relaxed for a bit to enjoy the view of the bay.
Back at the boat, we continued around Vis and made a quick stop at Stiniva beach, rated as the best in Europe.
Tucked back away in cove protected by cliffs, it's no wonder it was rated highly. Our next stop was at the Green Cave on the island of Ravnik.
This cave is much larger than Blue Cave and bigger boats were able to get in. A small hole in the roof of the cave allowed sunlight to get in, creating an interesting green spot in the water.
A few people were in the water swimming, but with multiple boats in here, swimming didn't seem safe. As we were leaving the cave, we saw some people on top of the cave, jumping into the water. It was getting into the afternoon and we were getting hungry so our next stop was the small island Budikovac, with a population of one. A rather eccentric gentleman lives here year round with his donkeys and some other livestock.
We had lunch here and then took some time to swim and snorkel in the beautiful water. The water was very cold, but so crystal clear and I spotted a few fish while snorkeling. It was too cold to stay in long.
Our last stop was the city of Hvar on the island of the same name. We first walked past the Church of St. Stephen and then made the hike up to the fortress.
Along the way, we passed an old church; I never figured out a name for this one.
At the fortress, we first headed down into the prison. There were several small cells, including a torture chamber.
Then we went up to the top of the fortress for amazing views overlooking Hvar and the harbor.
After a few pictures, we headed back into town just walked around the beautiful old city for a bit. Passing the Benedictine Monastery, there was a statue of a monk praying outside.
When it was time, we got back on the boat and headed back to Split. There was some type of regatta going on and we passed a number of sailboats as we headed back to Split. For our last dinner in Split, we ate at Fife. It was buffet style, but the food was really good. After that, we had one more drink along the Riva to enjoy sunset and then headed back to the room to pack.
Sunday was long day in many airports, but we made it home without any incidents.
Friday was an early morning as we had a long day heading to Dubrovnik. Our tour guide today was Igor and our driver was Ivan. After everyone was boarded on the bus, we headed south. We made a bathroom and snack break at the highest gas station in Croatia where we could see the towering Biokovo Mountains, the second highest mountain range in Croatia. From here, we continued south to our first stop in the small town of Ston. A defensive stone wall was built around the town that looked like a miniature version of China’s Great Wall.
In town, Igor pointed out a couple places to stop. First we hit up a bakery to pick up some pastries and meat pies to eat. Then we swung by the wine store to get some Croatian wine to bring home before exploring the small town. Walking south out of the walls, we could see the salt pans. We didn't really have enough time to walk through so just got some pictures from the street.
Down one street, we could see the Church of St. Blaise. Originally built in around 1340, the church has been repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes, most recently in 1996. And like many times in the preceding centuries, the church was being restored.
We walked around the town a bit more along the walls and spotted some amazing cactus growing up along the city walls.
But then it was time, so we headed back to the bus and continue towards Dubrovnik. Continuing on, we passed through a small section of Bosnia-Herzegovina and then back into Croatia. The drive along the coast here was absolutely beautiful and soon we were headed into Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is always crowded and a couple cruise ships were in port, so it was even more crowded than usual, despite being shoulder season. We got dropped off at the bus stop near an interesting fountain with statues of Pan and Nymph.
Starting our exploration of the city, Igor took us around the old town of the city for about an hour. He provided some fascinating history of the city and pointed out several landmarks throughout the city, including the the stairs where Cersei Lannister did her Walk of Atonement in Game of Thrones. Dubrovnik is the setting for Kings Landing and we recognized many spots from the show. He also showed us many of the beautiful churches located in the city. The Dubrovnik Cathedral was one of the most beautiful.
When Igor was finished, we had some free time to explore the city and headed up to the famous city walls.
Starting out in the eastern end of the walls near the harbor, we headed up and walked around the walls in the counterclockwise direction. Up here, we had amazing views of the city. The walls span the perimeter of the city and we spent about an hour and a half walking around.
There were several old cannons up here, indicating the defensive nature of these walls.
The bright orange roofs of the buildings of Dubrovnik made a spectacular sight from the walls. About halfway through, we stopped at Minčeta Tower.
Climbing up to the top was the highest point on the walls and provided the best views.
Continuing on, we could see Lovrijenac Fort, which is detached from the old town. Standing tall on a cliff high above the sea, this old fortress was stunningly beautiful.
The last section of the walls was along the coast and we could see the rocky water far below. At one point high above the rugged rocky coast, we watched some people jump into the ocean from the cliffs. When we finished the walls, we headed back to the old town. We visited the Church of St. Ignatius with the most beautiful interior.
The ceiling above the altar was painted with a heavenly scene and reminded me of the Sistine Chapel. Then we continued through town to Lovrijenac Fort, just outside the old town. There were many stairs to climb up but the views of the Old Town were great from here.
It really put into perspective the scope of the city walls we had walked earlier. After some pictures, it was getting to be about time so we headed back, passing the West Harbor of Dubrovnik.
Returning to the bus, we made the long drive home but Igor told us some stories and history of Croatia to pass the time.
Thursday morning, we woke up early again and ate breakfast down at the Riva. After breakfast, we headed to the bus stop for our tour of Krka National Park and Ŝibenik. Our tour guide today was Ernest and our driver was George. Leaving Split, we first stopped at Trogir to pick up some additional folks. This is Ernest’s home and he had lots to tell us about this little town. We continued on away from the coast and into Krka National Park. We first stopped at Skradinski Buk, Krka’s largest and most well-known waterfall.
This is the last waterfall on Krka River before it flows into the Adriatic Sea. Our quick stop for a sunset view two days earlier was just a short ways downstream from this waterfall. We started off near the top and made a clockwise loop on the trail around the waterfall. The Church of St. Nicholas was near the start.
Skradinski Buk has a number of cascading sections, each one quite beautiful.
I don't there's anywhere to see the entire thing. Although there were several old mills and other buildings around the falls, I didn’t they distracted much from the scene.
We slowly worked our way down after viewing each of the cascades and drops. At the bottom, we crossed the footbridge over the river to the base at the pool below the falls. Unlike Plitvice Lakes, swimming is permitted, and I had to take the opportunity to take a dip.
The water was quite cold and the current was surprisingly strong. It was hard to stop for a picture without getting swept downstream. I didn’t stay in long as it was too chilly, however. After drying off, we started heading back up the other side. It was more natural on this side with none of the mills or old buildings here. We saw beautiful travertine cliffs as we were heading up.
There was another really scenic waterfall along the way on a small tributary of Krka River.
Soon we got to probably the best view spot of Skradinski Buk – perched up on a cliff, the waterfall, footbridge, and old buildings made a beautiful scene.
And yet, even here, we could only see a portion of the entire waterfall. Continuing on, the boardwalk trails looped around past scenic little ponds and small drops, but nothing else too big. There was one area with a huge number of wildflowers blooming.
Finishing up the loop, we made a quick stop at the old mill.
We then headed back to the bus to continue exploring the park. Driving north, we made a quick stop to view the Visovak Island, containing a 14th monastery.
The island is not completely natural – the monks added rocks over the years to increase the size of the island. The views here of the island, monastery, and Krka river were great.
After a couple pictures, we continued on to Roški Slap. Here we had a traditional buffet lunch with bread, cheese, olives, and meat. We even had some local sherry and wine. After lunch we took some time to explore. First, we hiked the rather steep Niz Ploču trail up to a great overlook of the Krka River. Although steep and rocky, I stopped a couple times to enjoy the view and check out the chimney bellflower blooming along the trail.
In the distance, the river flowed between two mountains that almost looked like a wall that had been broken by the river.
Heading back down, we swung by the boat dock to see Roški Slap waterfall. The view wasn’t ideal from here; I think the only way to get a good view of this waterfall would be from a boat.
We swung by the gift shop and picked up a couple little bottles of sherry to take home. Then we got back in the bus and left the park en route to the historic town of Ŝibenik.
We stopped near the docks and followed Ernest toward the town square and the Cathedral of St. James, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ernest provided some history of this beautiful church, pointing out some of the beautiful architectural features. The building was unfortunately damaged in the war, but was being restored. We then took a quick walk through the inside of the cathedral to see the beautiful altar and interior.
Outside, I got a picture of many of the stone heads on the side of the building.
Then we headed up to the Medieval Garden of St. Lawrence Monastery. It's a very small garden, but quite scenic right in the old town of Ŝibenik.
Firethorn and other pretty flowers were blooming in the garden and a small cafe provided a spot to get a drink and relax.
After a few minutes, we headed back to the bus to head back to Split. It was a lovely drive along the coast between Ŝibenik and Split as we made out way back.
