“We can also go to Croatia,” were the words my husband said in the summer of 2023, when we discussed our next holiday destination. He told me that friends and colleagues of his had been there and he always heard enthusiastic stories about this holiday destination, something that made him curious. I had my doubts and decided to do some research into this European country and what I found pleasantly surprised me. As a result, we opted for a holiday to Croatia with our children.
Destination: Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split, Croatia
Travel period: July 25 to August 10, 2024
Travel group: Husband and children (girl aged 7 and boy aged 4)
Transport: plane, KLM, rental car in Croatia
Hotel: Sun Gardens Dubrovnik, Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort
An overview:
- We went on a luxury holiday to Croatia and visited Dubrovnik, Hvar and Split for sixteen days. These are also some of the most popular destinations in Croatia.
- Dubrovnik, also known as the Pearl of the Adriatic, has historical sights and a large city wall that you can walk on. It can be very busy with tourists.
- In Hvar we enjoyed the local atmosphere, let the children play in a playground and admired the view from Tvrdava Fortica. Our visit only had to last less than six days.
- Croatia is highly recommended for both couples and families, owing to its scenic beauty and rich historical heritage.
Croatia is a popular holiday destination located in southeastern Europe. The country has miles of coastline, beautiful islands and lots of sun in the summer months. No wonder that more than 21 million holidaymakers want to visit this country every year.
After seeing the many images, reading the Lonely Planet and a number of online sources, I was convinced; “We are going to Croatia on holiday next year,” I said. But where exactly are we going and what is fun for our children? These were questions that still needed to be answered.
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Popular destinations in Croatia
In my search for the best destination, I consulted the aforementioned on- and offline sources and looked at the places that were mentioned the most. Based on my research, I came up with the following top 5 destinations in Croatia.
Top 5 Croatia
1. Dubrovnik
2. Plitvice Lakes National Park
3. Split
4. Zagreb
5. Hvar
It is a diverse list, with cities, an island and a national park. Based on this list, I decided that our trip had to go to Dalmatia. Dalmatia is a region in the southwest of Croatia and is located on the Adriatic Sea. We chose Dubrovnik and Hvar. It became Dubrovnik because it is the number 1 destination of Croatia and the choice fell on Hvar, because it is a popular island with a glamorous atmosphere. And I am not averse to a luxury holiday.
The trip to Croatia
In total we were in Croatia for sixteen days. We flew with KLM from Amsterdam Schiphol to Dubrovnik and back. The first five days were in Dubrovnik, then we went to Hvar for six days, then spontaneously a day to Split and the last four days we were back in Dubrovnik.
In Dubrovnik we rented a car with which we drove to all the different places ourselves. Once at our destination, we made little use of the rental car. In Dubrovnik we always took a taxi to the city, because it is too busy to park there and in Hvar everything was within walking distance, so we didn’t have to drive.
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is called the Pearl of the Adriatic, because according to experts it is breathtakingly beautiful. Dubrovnik’s old centre is encircled by a thick city wall, which was built in the ninth century for protection against enemy invasions. You reach the city centre through a gate and then you enter a world that is built of limestone, which breathes history. No wonder that this city was once the setting for the popular television series Game of Thrones.
The fact that Dubrovnik looks like this is actually quite special. In 1667 there was a devastating earthquake that cost many lives and more recently in 1991, the historic centre was severely damaged when the Yugoslav army shelled the city from the mountains. Something that has now been completely restored. Today, when you walk inside the walls, you see none of that. You find a centre full of restaurants, shops and museums to serve visitors.
Tips for your visit to Dubrovnik
1. Walk the Dubrovnik city walls
“I want to walk there,” my son said, when he saw tourists walking on the city walls from the restaurant. So, at his request, we decided to take a walk on the city walls on one of our last days. It is the number 1, ‘must do’ in Dubrovnik, perhaps because you can see the city in a way that you can’t see walking through it.
A walk on the wall is not free. There are a few places where you can go up the wall, after you have bought a ticket. Once on the wall, everyone walks in the same direction. It is a walk that takes more than an hour, maybe even an hour and a half. The duration depends on your own pace and the crowds on the wall. I advise you not to take this walk in the hottest part of the day. Shadows are scarce in some places, which can make you feel like you are melting away.
2. View Dubrovnik from a great height
There is a cable car, which goes outside the thick walls of the old centre to a great height. From there you can view Dubrovnik from a mountain. You see how the wall clamps around the old city, while the picturesque town is bordered by vibrant blue water. It makes for beautiful pictures like this one:
If you like, you can also take a walk or have a drink with your group. We didn’t do all that and, after admiring Dubrovnik, went back down with the gondola.
3. Experience Game of Thrones
My visit to Dubrovnik was before I decided to write this blog, so I didn’t research what you can do there on the spot. But I did see several ads for Game Of Thrones tours, that include game elements and show where the series was filmed.
A visit to the Kravice waterfalls and the city of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a trip that many people make from Dubrovnik. Ideal if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the old city centre.
Our luxury resort in Dubrovnik
We stayed at Sun Gardens Dubrovnik, a 5 star resort about twenty minutes’ drive from Dubrovnik. You can best describe this resort as a tiny village because it is so incredibly big. Everything you need for
for an unforgettable holiday is here.
The resort includes multiple restaurants, shops, a gym, sports facilities, and several kids’ clubs for various age groups. There are three swimming pools, one for children, children and adults and one for adults only. There is a spa where they offer various treatments and an adjacent secluded beach.
Accommodation
The resort offers a variety of accommodation options, including standard rooms, suites, and multi-bedroom units. In addition to all this, there is even a villa with a private pool. We stayed in a two-bedroom accommodation. This can be described as a small apartment, there was even a kitchen.
Every morning a breakfast buffet is ready in the main building (where the entrance and standard rooms are), with a wide range of bread rolls, fruit, and hot dishes, which are prepared for you on the spot while you wait.
If you are not interested in the area, you can easily stay a week at Sun Gardens Dubrovnik, without leaving the resort. The only thing I found disadvantageous, is that everything is a long walk because of the spacious layout. A walk from our accommodation to the pool was a few minutes and then it is very annoying if you have forgotten your sunscreen upon arrival.
Crowds in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik draws many visitors. Especially on days when one or more cruise ships are visible at the harbour, the city centre is packed with people. The hustle and bustle may put you off and convince you to go on holiday elsewhere, which would be a shame. If this sounds familiar to you, then it is best to visit the city in the low season.
However, if you are tied to school holidays, then you can choose to stay in the Dubrovnik area, just like me. Subsequently, you may immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere of the historic city for several hours, and thereafter, retreat to the tranquility and serenity provided by your resort.
Dubrovnik with children
Dubrovnik is less entertaining than Turkey or Spain, which have many water and amusement parks. Nevertheless, I think Dubrovnik is a great family holiday destination. The entertainment is more in the quiet places, such as on the beach and playing in a playground.
Many restaurants have an accessible menu and some even offer children’s meals. In the old centre you can find an ice cream stand every few hundred metres and there are plenty of excursions that you can take that are suitable for children. If your kids are anything like mine, I would choose a hotel or resort with a pool. That way they don’t have to walk through the hustle and bustle of Dubrovnik all day long.
Hvar
Hvar is known as a party island, popular with young and wealthy people. As a former partygoer and someone who does not mind a bit of luxury, I was very curious about this island and added it to my list of destinations.
Like most visitors to the island, we stayed in Hvar Town. A beautiful harbour town made of the same limestone that we saw in Dubrovnik, with many restaurants and nightlife (which I did not see). Everything was within walking distance for us, and we hardly used our rental car during the days we were there.
What can you do in Hvar Town with children?
When we weren’t in the hotel pool, we were in Hvar Town. There we walked through the streets, ate ice cream, and did some shopping. There was also a large playground near our hotel, where we often stopped on our way to and from the city.
We also went to Tvrdava Fortica. That is a castle at a great height, from where you can look out over Hvar Town and enjoy the view. It may not be something that children will cheer about when you suggest doing, but they will also appreciate the view.
Other activities
In the hotel and in the area, they advertise a lot for visiting the Pakleni islands. You can see these islands from Tvrdava Fortica. These are islands where you can relax on the beach or chill in a beach club.
The harbour of Hvar town is frequented by numerous yachts and smaller vessels belonging to tourists who explore the surrounding islands. If this is something for you, then you can choose to visit the different islands in Dalmatia on your yacht. I don’t have a yacht and therefore didn’t do that, but I can imagine that this is a lot of fun for enthusiasts.
How did we get to Hvar?
We travelled from Dubrovnik to Hvar by car. We followed the Croatian route to the town of Drvenik, from where we took the car ferry to Sućuraj on the island of Hvar.
You can’t reserve a place for this ferry (which can accommodate a car). In the harbour you must stand in a line of cars and whoever is at the front is the first to get on the ferry and full is full. If you can’t fit in anymore, you have to wait for the next one, which will not be here for a few hours. Fortunately, Many cars fit on the ferry, so you are likely to get on board. But it is still advisable to arrive well in advance. You can ask your hotel about the current departure times.
When we arrived on the island of Hvar, we had to drive for an hour from the east to the west, where Hvar town is located. It is a route with many bends, so not ideal if you get carsick easily.
Via Split
Most people travel from Split to Hvar. During the high season, numerous ferries travel between the town of Stari Grad on Hvar and Split. But of all those ferries, relatively few also take cars.
Although we wanted to go to Split after our visit to Hvar, we decided to drive back to Sućuraj, to take a ferry to Drvenik from there. We chose this because on the day of our departure there were no ferries (that can take a car) to Split between 11am and 3pm. We did not dare to risk missing the boat. So, we played it safe and drove the long way back to Sućuraj, to drive from the port of Drvenik to Split.
Our luxury resort in Hvar
We stayed at the Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort, a 4-star hotel within walking distance of the centre of Hvar town. It is a large hotel, with a buffet restaurant on the top floor and an a la carte restaurant by the pool. It has a disappointing gym and a beautiful large swimming pool with a bar and a slide, which my children went down endlessly.
The hotel also has a kids club, but it was less entertaining than the kids clubs we have seen in other resorts. I think the Amfora Resort is perhaps the nicest accommodation on the island, as it was quite busy when we were there. But it could do with a makeover soon. It was fine, but especially the furniture in the rooms looked far from new and therefore lacked the luxury you would expect from such a resort.
A few days in Hvar is sufficient
In total we stayed six days in Hvar town, something that the door attendant said was quite unusual. When we left he told us that most people visit Hvar for two or three nights, before continuing to Split or Dubrovnik. Although it is a beautiful island, on closer inspection I thought our stay was too long. Within days, we considered leaving earlier to visit Split. But hey, we had already paid for the hotel and decided to stay.
TIP: Three or four days in Hvar is enough when you are travelling with children. If you are only with your partner or friends, you can even stay shorter. For example, visit this island on your journey from Dubrovnik to Split.
Split
During our stay in Hvar, we decided that we wanted to visit Split after all. A topic that had been discussed earlier during the planning of the trip, but we thought that Dubrovnik, Hvar and then also Split, would be too many destinations (for the children) and therefore we decided against it.
After the many stories and reading the Lonely Planet during the trip, we regretted it and looked for a hotel with a family room in Split at the last minute. Fortunately, we were able to cancel a night in the Dubrovnik resort free of charge, so it didn’t cost us any extra. We found a room in the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa and, before we went back to Dubrovnik, first travelled from Hvar to Split.
About Split
What makes Split so special is that the old town is located within the walls of an old palace called Diocletian’s Palace. It has the same limestone look that we saw in Dubrovnik and the city of Hvar and the palace has a long history.
It was August 5th when we were there, a national holiday in Croatia. On this day, the Croatians commemorate Operation Storm and as a result, almost all shops were closed. So shopping was out of the question for us, but we were able to walk along the promenade that was full of all kinds of stalls.
We only had one day in Split and so we did not really get any further than the palace and what is directly behind the walls. There are also tours of the Palace if you like to learn more about the history of the city. If you like more action, there are plenty of excursions on land and at sea.
Conclusion
Croatia is a beautiful country to visit and different from the Western European countries I have been to before. Despite the beauty and the history that is in the walls, I found all those cities very similar. Which gave me the feeling that if I had seen one city, I had seen them all.
Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend this country as a holiday destination, whether you are going on holiday with your partner or visiting Croatia with children.
