Croatia Travel Blog

Archive for November, 2007

Britain’s low-cost airline, Flybe, has just announced a new route from Exeter to Dubrovnikto begin in 2008! Every Sunday from 4 May, Exeterians (?) and their neighbours will have the opportunity to fly directly to the “Pearl of the Adriatic” and not pay a fortune for it. Although the fares haven’t yet been announced, Flybe is known for its cheap fares. The flight to Dubrovnikis part of the carrier’s expansion into a number of new destinations which is good news for budget travellers.

It’s also good news to hear of more flights to Croatia, particularly since rumour has it that British Airways (which has already cancelled winter service to Split) may pull direct flights to Split altogether. This is very bad news for UK residents accustomed to holidays in Croatia, not to mention those that bought property in the region counting on low cost flights to access it. Stay tuned.

See more on flights to Croatia.

It’s no joke. It’s Caulerpa Racemosa, an invasive subterranean menace that has already devastated parts of the Mediterranean seabed, and is now threatening havoc in the Adriatic, including the incomparable Croatian islands.  Picture a creeping green carpet of slime that replaces mollusks, coral, sea flora and everything else on the seabed.

“Who cares? I won’t see it!” If you were a fish, you’d care plenty. Some fish feed on the smaller marine life that will fade away under the algae; others require a sandy bottom to thrive, not a slimebed. So much for Croatia’s fishing business, not to mention Croatia’s scuba divers who prefer life and color underwater.

Croatia is not alone in facing this scourge. Italy, Montenegro and Italy have the same problem. That’s small comfort to the marine life around the Pakleni Islands, Mljet Island, Lokrum Island and, soon, other islands on the Dalmatian coast. Ecotourism anybody?

There are solutions. Posidonia seaweed acts as a natural barrier and there’s a variety of Australian snail that feasts on Caulerpa Racemosa. Bring ‘em on! More drastic methods include covering the algae with foil, which could have other undesirable consequences, or banning big cruiselines from anchoring in the Adriatic. The big anchors sink deep, disrupt the algae and let it spread further. A ban on cruise ships around Dubrovnik? Don’t hold your breath.

Source: Balkan Investigative Reporting Network

Croatia’s National Tourist Board director made it official. Quality, not quantity is the future of tourism in Croatia, explained Nico Bulic at the World Travel Market this week. “Tourists can come here and see how people live traditionally, how they produce food, fish, harvest olives and grapes. We want to put that in to the tourism offering.” Mr. Bulic noted that with 11 million tourists a year pouring into Croatia, the country is near a saturation point. ““We don’t want mass tourism. We want quality over quantity.””

Other interesting statistics are the following:

•  Germans make up the bulk of Croatia’s tourists to the tune of 1.55 million per year
• the UK is miniscule in comparison, sending only 270,000 visitors to Croatia
• Russia is up to a surprising 150,000
• 85% of Croatia’s tourists come by car

Source: Travel Weekly

This issue (November 2007) of Islands magazine features an enticing article on remote Vis Island, giving the island a well-deserved boost of publicity. Writer Jeff Greenwald started his Croatia island journey on better-known Korcula Island, staying in the Hotel Korcula. After listening to local tales of the Marco Polo-Korcula connection (islanders are convinced the legendary explorer was born in Korcula Town) the writer heads out to farther shores, that is, Vis Island.

“It is impossible to be bored on Vis” writes Greenwald. True enough. Just scuba diving through Vis’s fascinating underwater life, replete with ancient amphorae, shipwrecks, sponges and fish is an exploration of the island’s remarkable historical and natural heritage.

“No guidebook can account for the breathless, suspended feeling I get exploring Vis” writes Greenwald who made his way to both Vis Town and Komiza, the two main island villages. Staying in the Hotel Tamaris in Vis Town, Greenwald notes the difference in attitudes between the rival villages, finding Vis Town more artsy and Komiza with more of a fishermen’s feel.

Instead of doing the touristy thing and boating out to the Blue Cave of Bisevo, Greenwald visits Vis’s local celebrity, sculptor “Ico” Bulic whose whimsical wood and frond fish sculptures have already created a splash (sorry) in Zagreb. His description of the solitary, lighthouse-dwelling artist with “a resemblance to George Clooney” should do wonders both for Bulic’s social life and the Vis Island tourist business.

For those who want to sample more of Croatia, the article points out a number of interesting products: Vis Island wine, Brac Island marble, Hvar Island lavendar, and lobster from Mljet Island. There’s even a sidebar on the sponges from Krapanj Island.

Sadly, this article is not available online.

Read more about Croatia’s islands.

Now that visitors have returned home, it’s facelift time for Croatia’s hotels. Renovations, reconstructions, additions and improvements are underway in time for the 2008 season. Here’s the rundown:

Dubrovnik

Hotel More

More is more. After a six-million euro investment, the Hotel More has received its coveted fifth stary. The 34 rooms and 3 apartments are super-classy with what the tourist office calls “artistic paintings” on the walls. And the restaurant is set up in full theatre mode; watch the chef sweat over your supper while you enjoy your cocktails.

Hotel Lapad

One of Dubrovnik’s oldest hotels, the Hotel Lapad is finally getting some attention. Eleven million euros should bring about quite an improvement in everything from structure to amenities to services. And it should be ready by 2008.

See more about Dubrovnik hotels.

Krk Island

Hotel Koralj

It’s a nice hotel to begin with but what hotel couldn’t be improved by a pool? Next year, this three-star hotel will boast a 200 square metre outdoor pool which might even bump it up to a four-star category.

Hotel Marina

This one could really use an overhaul and I’m happy to see it will get one. The hotel is well-located in the centre of Krk Town but has been allowed to fall into major drabitude. It’s being kicked into shape as I write. The attractive facade will remain but the interior will be outfitted with newly enlarged rooms with crisp new features and services that should be thoroughly four-star.

Lovinac

Huh? Okay so maybe you didn’t come to Croatia to hurry over to Lovinac, somewhere between Zagreb and Split. But if you need a place to rest your head while driving the Zagreb-Split motorway, you can now avail yourself of the new Lovinac motel. Conveniently located near the Zir petrol station, this new motel has 35 rooms AND a restaurant. It may be the only restaurant on the motorway. Plus, it’s an easy drive to ever-popular Plitvice Lakes National Park. The regional tourist board should have more info..