Travel to: Hvar, Croatia

I know what you are thinking and you are right, my heart is still in Croatia. We have so many amazing photos and stories and advice to give from our trip that we can transform this blog to just being about that amazing country. Twist my arm! I can not wait to go back again and we are planning our return as I am typing this post for you. Currently we are a little dependant on being home because of our cat Maui, the poor thing is on a battery of medication and has to have fluid injections for his kidneys every two days so the most time we have a heart to be away is ten to fourteen days at a time. It’s very bitter sweet but I am happy that we can be there for him to help him through his old years. Sweet little munchkin.

So we are thinking we have two weeks in Europe. How to best utilize it? Eastern Europe is THE SHIT! I am telling you and I can not stress this enough and it’s not even that I am biased. There aren’t many places in the western world that feel very different anymore really. You go to London or even Paris and it’s kind of the things you’ve seen on Instagram a million times, there is the same shopping, more or less the same dining, the same hip, designed and aesthetically pleasing spots to see and take photos of, the same concerts to watch etc. It has it’s pros for sure, and don’t get me wrong, I love London and Paris BUT I want to experience something different once in a while. I want to feel like I am on an adventure.  Croatia has the best of everything AND it feels warm, welcoming, NOT overly expensive and the people are HAPPY to see you. I can’t help comparing it to it’s neighbouring Italy, where people seem to be rather tired of seeing tourists all together, and sadly you can tell. The water in Croatia is TOP TOP TOP quality, the clearest I have ever seen. Instead of spending your days shopping you are able to focus on taking in the culture, explore the town and take everything in at your own pace. You actually FEEL like you are on vacation. HALLELUJAH!!!

First stop on our Croatia adventure is Hvar, and I will forever have a special place in my heart for this place, this is the first island I saw and it took my breath away! You can get here by ferry from Split on one of two lines for around $50 each way (though you won’t want to leave), it’s only a one hour ride so you can easily come for a day if that’s what you prefer. You can come into Hvar by way of either Hvar (the town) or Stari Grad. The two are about a 20 min drive from each other and both just as picturesque. We were mostly in Hvar. I honestly felt like I was at the south of France, minus all the crowds but with all the benefits. Hvar has a reputation for being a party island, but if so, we were solid party poopers. We had to be up at sunrise everyday to catch the best light so we skipped the nightlife scene all together. Instead we walked around, across and through every little street Hvar has to offer, we laid out by the water, rented a cabana at a local Beach Club, took a boat out to see the Blue and Green Caves, found ourselves a private little piece of paradise, ate a lot of seafood, pasta and pizza, and got really really tanned! There are both Italian and Greek influences everywhere and, SO MUCH history, dating all the way back to ancient times. A great place to take it all in is at the top of the hill at Fortica fortress overlooking the port and surrounding islands, the views alone are worth this trek up. We were here during yacht week, coincidentally happening in Croatia right now and dream to return to take part in it one day soon.

Curious about the accommodations we stayed at? Catch the full review of the Pharos hotel RIGHT HERE. xoxo