Croatia: A summer odyssey in a country full of sunny beauty spots

“It’s a karst landscape,” our guide Andreas confirms, as he explains the similar ways the limestone region has formed and how the stone walls we see protect the soil from erosion – and, more recently, can help manage forest fires, the scars of which we notice throughout the week.

Built by hand, the walls once took 300 days to construct a mere two kilometres.

In Hotel Ilijaria in Croatia’s seaside town of Biograd na Moru, I am greeted by warm air hitting my skin.

It’s my first time on the Dalmatian Coast and the weather is just as I expected – the Burren-like terrain not so much.

We are en route to Šibenik, a city about an hour south of Biograd no Moru, as part of a week-long tour with the Travel Department exploring Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast; three days of guided tours to nearby cities and islands, balanced with three days of leisure to soak up the sun, sea and explore as we please.

Before reaching the city, we pitstop at Šibenik Bridge. Spanning the Krka River, it offers vast views over the city and deep blue waters below.

Home to oyster and mussel farms, it’s another similarity that reminds me of the West of Ireland. Daintier than Irish natives, and more saline, we sample delicious Croatian oysters before continuing our journey.

With a population of 35,000, Šibenik is one of the three largest cities in Croatia, a coastal outpost overlooked by the striking St James Cathedral and St Michael’s Fort.

Our walking tour takes us from the water through small streets, avoiding Greasy Street – named for the local butchers who threw their leftovers here – and opting for the route to the Cathedral instead.

Along the way, Andreas points out family emblems on the buildings, a glimpse into the influence of the Venetians on this city – the first of many insightful stories about the history of this little country, which is smaller than Ireland.

Visiting in the off-season has its advantages and we have the square to ourselves to appreciate the beauty of the cathedral, a Unesco heritage site hewn from limestone with a uniquely vaulted dome.

Once inside, the details of the basilica, known as this because of the three aisles inside, are quite special, but none more so than the baptistry down a passage to the right of the altar.

This small room made from limestone and breccia from a nearby island has a small window to the side as its only light source.

On a bright day, the natural light fills the room with a warm glow, highlighting the exquisite detail of the ceiling and drawing focus to the baptistry – today, a light bulb does the same job.

It’s Sunday morning and a dark cloud looms over the town as our boat sails away from stormy weather to blue skies, bypassing a handful of Croatia’s islands, some inhabited and others privately owned, heading to deeper waters in search of dolphins.

Our captain doubles as our chef for the day and starts the morning by offering us a lavender-infused brandy shot, suggesting it is a necessary “medicine” for our journey.

The winds are strong as we sail, traversing open water for about an hour before noticing a couple of fins in the water. Two dolphins pop up and down in perfect unison, providing a magnificent afternoon show from the waves.

We moor at Vrgada, a quiet island with only a bar open this Sunday and us its only patrons. Suitably refreshed, we pilgrim uphill to a church at the top where we’re met with more marvellous views.

Below, our captain and crew are busy preparing our lunch: barbecued mackerel, chicken and salad. It’s simple but delicious – a dressing of olive oil, garlic and basil poured over the mackerel, perfecting the flavour and satisfying even the non-fish eaters.

The scenery is the perfect lunch setting: rich orange soil, green trees and turquoise water, boats bobbing, and the only sound that of our captain offering another medicinal shot before we head back to the mainland where the dark cloud has turned to rain very briefly – the only rain of the week.

Krka National Park is less than an hour from our hotel and home to what is considered to be Europe’s widest waterfalls. We opt to visit as an additional tour on one of our leisure days.

It’s the hottest day of the week and the trees provide welcome shade in the midday sun. These falls were not always a tourist attraction, our guide explains, as he shows us how hydropower was used to ful the flour mill and washing holes that are still present today.

From here, a wooden walkway meanders over the water, the sound of croaking frogs accompanies our trail, leading us to spectacular views of Skradinski waterfall.

The colours are dazzling – deep blues and vibrant greens. While it is crowded, people are considerate and there are viewing points ensuring you’re never short of a stunning vista.

Our leisure days are spent swimming in the sea, something we discover that locals rarely do, favouring sailing and fishing.

The crystal clear waters are not only ideal for swimming but helpful for detecting sea urchins underfoot, which are very common on the Croatian seabed.

Luckily the water is deep enough to swim in, sparing me any prickly encounters. Sandy beaches are a rarity here, so we happily perch at the hotel’s sea view infinity pool watching the world go by.

Zadar is our last stop – a city that has been bombed so many times that its old town is somewhat new with hints of ruins around.

Andreas tells us that Zadar has been ruled by so many countries, including Italy, Yugoslavia and Hungary, that there was a time when you could have lived in five countries over a period without having left your house.

The city’s Sea Organ provides the soundtrack to our arrival. Fashioned from 35 underwater pipes that swallow air from the waves, we aren’t expecting much from the architectural delight.

Happily, passing boats create enough motion to ensure the musical instrument creates a unique melody.

As we make the return journey to Split, meandering along the roads we’ve come to know over the week, I realise that Croatia is far more than the sum of its parts.

From islands to oysters, karts and cathedrals, sapphire waters and walled towns, its history, heritage and culture are mesmerising. One might go as far as saying that the Dalmatian Coast has more beauty spots than a… well, you get it!

• Melanie was a guest of the Travel Department.

Escape Notes 

• Travel Department’s fully guided Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast trip rom €979pp, including flights from Dublin and 7 nights 4-star half-board accommodation.
• Departures in September and October 2024, as well as April, May, June, September and October 2025.
• traveldepartment.com

Taste Notes

Seafood is a permanent fixture on all menus in this region, but calamari is a local favourite.

Not the sliced and deep-fried version that we are more familiar with, but whole calamari, grilled and served with potato and chard.

Croatians eat the whole calamari, wasting nothing, and we try it for lunch on our first day. It’s the perfect introduction to Croatian cuisine, requiring a simple annointing of local olive oil and sea salt to enhance its flavours.