Slow sailing on the Croatian coast
Forget country-hopping – an immersive experience along the Croatian coast is the best way to tackle a cruise.
From the narrow hiking path in the Kamacnik Canyon, I look down into a pool of water the colour of lapis lazuli. One of Croatia’s deepest natural springs, Kamacnik Canyon’s water source is an underground karst cave system far below our feet.
The blue is startling against the limestone, clear turquoise river and deep green of the forest. More than 80km from Opatija – where our small luxury cruise ship, Azamara Pursuit, is docked – this excursion to the forest is a world away from the pretty beaches and bobbing yachts of the coast.
Heading back through the canyon, crossing the rustic timber bridges that criss-cross the river, we lean over the thick, moss-covered railings to look at the schools of fish below. It would be easy to stare into the water for hours, but lunch is calling.
Returning to the start of the trail where a former sawmill – now a rustic restaurant – serves typical Croatian fare, we sit down to bread, cheeses, cured meats and red wine made by local producers. As we eat, the smell of meat and fish grilling over an open-air barbecue wafts on the breeze.
From the river view to the Italian and Slovenian culinary influences and strong sense of pride in simple, local food, it’s an intoxicating sensory and cultural experience. We finish our meal with strudel stained indigo from local blueberries – a taste of Croatia’s Austrian past in every bite.
More than just coastline
Many visitors come to Croatia for its coastline, which has the cleanest waters in coastal Europe and more than 1200 postcard-perfect islands. Its culture, landscape and history present just as compelling a reason to visit.
From the Greeks to the Romans, Venetians, Ottomans, Austrians and more, Croatia’s Adriatic location has made it a crucial trade and military location for millennia. Empires have battled for the small coastal country, conquered it, protected it, and built holiday palaces to enjoy the spoils of victory. The Roman Emperor Diocletian even retired here, building a palace in the 4th century AD that’s now the heart of the city of Split, and its major attraction.
“My grandmother was born here under the Austro-Hungarian empire, my father when this part of Croatia was under Italian rule,” explains our local guide, Smilja Zeba-Strika to illustrate some of the momentous changes experienced by Croatians in the past century alone. “I was born in Yugoslavia and my children are Croatian,” she continues.
Recent and ancient history is never far from our minds on this trip, and we’re intent on learning as much about Croatia as possible throughout our stay.
Making the most of every stop
The ship’s schedule is designed to help us maximise every moment. Our last stop before we disembark in Athens, Kotor in Montenegro, is 700km by car from Opatija. It would be easier to cover this territory by ship in just a few days, but we decide to take it slow.
Our nine-day cruise is designed to give passengers as much time as possible in every port, often docking before dawn and leaving long after the sun has set. It’s why we’ve been able to confidently head inland for the day. We know we have plenty of time to explore before the ship leaves port.
If you’re the kind of traveller that likes to dive in, this immersive cruise can feel more like a stay in a luxury hotel – albeit one with ever changing views and a ship’s horn. While it’s lovely to kick off your shoes and relax on the deck with a drink after a day’s sightseeing, long port days make it too tempting not to head back into town for dinner at a local restaurant or a sunset drink at a bar. We don’t feel limited by the need to get back on deck early.
Exploring ancient cities
In the ancient city of Split, a presentation on Diocletian guides our exploration of the palace. We spend an hour studying its underground chambers before heading up to the walled city, where residents live side by side with ancient and medieval churches and palaces.
Split is the gateway to some of Croatia’s most popular holiday islands, and there’s enough time to catch a ferry to summer hotspot Hvar or to tiny Bisevo. In Bisevo there’s ruins of a 11th-century Benedictine monastery and the legendary Blue Cave, where reflected light creates an ethereal silvery blue glow.
Split needs more than a few hours – whether it’s wandering the maze of stone-paved streets, browsing the markets, eating ice-cream, heading to the beach for a swim, or lingering to drink a glass of chilled white wine as the sun sets over the sea. But we feel the same desire to explore in tiny Sibenik, magnificent Dubrovnik (main picture), or indeed every port we stop in.
Discovering at your pace
There are a range of off-ship excursions, from a short city walk to a full day hiking or exploring beyond the coast. We alternate between organised trips and exploring on our own.
On Korcula, an island off the Dalmatian coast with Venetian-influenced architecture, we walk the narrow streets of the old town before taking a local bus to the beach. In the cool, clear water, women stand up to their waists and chat, children throw balls in the shallows and others seek shade and sustenance under cafe umbrellas. It’s a family-friendly, laid-back beach far from the Instagram crowd.
We could stay all day, but after cooling off we’re determined to find a local winery. Korcula is the only place in the world that grows a grape called Grk, and the quantities of wine it produces are so small there are no bottles available for export. When we finally find Popic Wines – a small family-run winery that grows several local grape varieties including Grk, we chat with the owners, drink a glass of their dry white wine and admire the view to the coast. It’s easy to imagine the generations of people who have done the same.
More than 2000 years of visitors would approve.