A Croatian coastal journey through Split, Croatia, Hvar, Croatia, Mljet, and Dubrovnik. Croatia feels less like following a single itinerary and more like moving through a series of Mediterranean landscapes. Ancient stone villages give way to sparkling sea views, while tropical vegetation adds bursts of color at every turn. Bright bougainvillea spills over garden walls, prickly pear cacti cling to sunbaked terraces, palms sway along waterfront promenades, and resilient coastal pines anchor the hillsides above the Adriatic—all set against an endless blue horizon.

The scenery was a constant source of inspiration, and I found myself reaching for my paintbrush whenever I had the chance. If you’d like to see the landscapes, colors, and moments that captured my attention along the way, check out my Croatia Chronicles watercolor postcard series.

Prepare yourself for a lot of walking and steps, so many steps, so bring good footwear!

Split

Ferries

The Adriatic opens into a vast island network—roughly 1,300 islands scattered along the Croatian coast—connected by an efficient ferry system. Multiple operators run frequent routes to the larger islands and smaller coastal stops. A helpful tool for planning is the Ferryhopper app, which makes it easy to compare routes, timings, and connections in one place. Locals speak well of TP Line as a clean and air-conditioned option among the regional carriers, but the general advice holds true across the board: pick the ferry that goes where and when you need to go, and you should be just fine.

Island of Hvar

Dubrovnik

  • A friend and I stayed in an airbnb just outside of Old Town. It was very convenient, we could walk to much of what we wanted to explore. If you stay inside of Old Town, you get dropped off at one of the gates and have to carry your luggage to your accommodations.
  • So many great restaurants within Old Town, I can’t pick just one. They were all outstanding.
  • Walking the wall took us just less than 2 hours; we went in the morning. 6,000 people get dropped off from cruise ships daily. The mornings and evenings are the best times to enjoy Old Town.
    • Buy the Dubrovnik Pass (only available online) the day you walk to the walls, so you can hit the museums within Old Town.
  • We took a sailing tour to a couple of islands. Blue Cave has a lot of hype, not worth the swim IMHO.
  • We rented chairs at Banja Beach
  • We took a ferry to Mljet for a day trip and rented e-bikes to ride around the dead sea. The water was so beautiful. Wish I could have stayed there for a few days. It was quiet, not too many tourists.
  • Dubrovnik Cable Car is a lovely sunset activity. There is a restaurant and an amphitheater. You’ll need to make reservations if you want to have dinner there. To enjoy the sunset, you have to go out the back door and walk around the building to the left.

Transportation

  • Uber is there and cheaper than taxis.
  • We found it easier and quicker to just hail a taxi. Some are not allowed into the area around Old Town; a special license is required, so they drop you off on the edge, and you have to walk in.
  • I saw a special app for taxis on Hvar, but I never needed to use it. There is a taxi stand to the left of the church. My resort organized a taxi service when I needed a car to transport my luggage and self to the ferry.

Other Tips

  • Pack Light, so you can easily hop on ferries and carry your luggage upstairs or over cobblestone streets when needed.
  • Get an airbnb with washer/dryer.
  • If you are a swimmer, you may want two swimsuits.
  • No one wears yoga pants, it is all about the linen, sundresses and fun sun hats.
  • Sunblock was a must; I never needed bug spray.
  • Tipping is not like in the US, 10% is good for dinner. Taxi drivers are confused when you try to tip them.
  • My favorite foods were warm croissants, gelato, coffee, and seafood.
  • The out Islands seem to be less expensive than the major ports or islands.
  • Communications you may want to try:
    • Turn on international phone service (by turn on roaming), my service costs $12 per day, it auto senses where you are and charges you.
    • Buy an E-SIM. E-SIMs are limited; you cannot make calls, you only get text and data, so you’ll need to use WhatsApp to make calls. Also 2-factor text codes didn’t work.
    • Buy a VPN service, so you can mask your IP. It makes it look like you are in the U.S. to access your accounts and U.S. websites. Works on both computers and phones.

Happy Trails!