Croatia Travel Blog

I always enjoy visiting Split, the Adriatic’s most vibrant city. The town is all hustle and bustle even as the seaside Promenade makes for a relaxing stroll.

Split is becoming highly sought after by property hunters with the result that real estate values have skyrocketed. Few bargains are to be had anymore and the town has become a more expensive place in which to live.

Meals are still reasonably priced though. I made my usual stop at Galija which still serves up the best pizza in town. Sperun is also good despite appearing in nearly every single guidebook.

Parking remains a problem in the town centre. The promenade is closed to traffic which means that if you’re staying in the Old Town, you must park in the lot near the bus and train stations which might not be so convenient. As always, it’s best to travel light!

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• Split
• Jeanne’s Croatia 2008

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Technically it’s the Croatia Boat Show but this annual event is so linked with Split, it’s impossible to separate the two. Anyway, the boat show opened on April 5 and will run through April 13. Continue Reading »

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From 2001 to 2006, Split saw an annual increase in tourism of 17% which makes it the European holiday destination enjoying the highest growth of visitors for that period. The European Cities Marketing Association reported that Split topped their survey of 93 locations across Europe. Continue Reading »

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Croatia seems to be moving in two directions at once. Ecotourism is the new direction, said National Tourist Board director, Nico Bulic. Tell that to the ever-expanding girth (and price) of Croatia hotels, many of which are adding vast spas and wellness centres. Spa resort hotels are all the rage now as Croatia aims to expand the tourist season into and through the winter. The Grand Hotel Adriatic in Opatija is the most recent addition to an impressive line-up of wellness centres that includes the Dubrovnik Palace and Le Meridien Lav near Split. 

And there’s more to come. As I’ve reported previously, work is in progress on a 460,000sqm wellness centre near Zadar that will one day be the largest in Croatia. Unless someone comes along with an even grander scheme, which someone surely will.

Business conference centres are also porking up. The Valamar hotel company is in the process of constructing the 400-room Valamar Lacroma Resort which will be the largest congress hotel in Dubrovnik when it opens in  2009.

Oh, and let’s not forget about marinas for the mega-yachts making their way down the Adriatic. Croatia’s first mega-yacht marina is slated to replace Sibenik’s current little Mandalina Marina. That way, the mega-rich are well located to cruise to the Kornati Islands National Park, among other tempting Dalmatian islands.

Somehow, none of this sounds eco-touristy to me.

See more on Croatia’s Spa Resort Hotels 

Croatia Hotels

Croatia Islands

Croatia Yacht Charter

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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.

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