23/05/2024
Hello
Local here
I will try to put some trick and tips that might help you to move this summer in Hrvatska.
First lets start with some kind reminders:
🔆Dont leave trash behind you
-cigarette left overs are No1 beach destroyer
-Bottle caps -they are glued with reason
🔆SPF -choose it wisely
-many spf gets “melted” ones you enter the sea and can polute the water big time. Read labels and educate yourself about sustainable SPFs (usualy local ones)
🔆Beach space
-whenever is it a wild beach or public beach, everyone has a right to use it. Some unwritten rule is •one towel per person• which means to not built private fortress on the beach so no one can join the beach beside you. (Child tents are ok)
-respect other peoples space -which means not to put your towel over edge of someone elses
-Dont “reserve” your spot on the beach night before. Your things will be removed by locals.
🔆Loud music is for party beaches
🔆Nudism is for nudist and wild beaches
🔆Soap -if you must wash yourself, pot, box, boat or whatever in the sea use BIODEGRADABLE SOAP. This is very important.
Read the lable carefuly cose ECO-means that bottle is made from reusable plastic. Nothing else.
🔆what you found on the island, leave it on the island, please. Im talking sea shells, sea urging, seastars, sea horse… specialy it theyre alive. 🙏🏼
SAFETY
🔆 dont hike in flip flops
🔆 dont hike if youre not really good at it and never go alone. Our mountains like to play tricks.
🔆 Bring A LOT of water
🔆 If there is wind on the sea. DONT put your children on floathing things.
🔆never swim next to the boats
🔆 if youre snorkeling ALWALYS have a red buoy or something that floats so boats can see you
🔆 if youre driving a boat-ALWAYS look where you are going. Every year we have dead poeple by speeding boats close to shore.
🔆sea urgins- we have them, so just be aware. Wearing swiming shoes might protect you but they will destroy urgins and corals if youre not careful
Moving around
🔆Car, you need a car
🔆Bla Bla Car -app that locals use to share transport between cities. Very useful.
🔆Bus -very poor organisation, but exists. Ask local to type in the relation you search for. Usualy PDF in croatian language (small towns)
🔆TAXI- allways bargain. Ask price upfront and make a deal. Use Bolt or Uber if possible
🔆Ferrys- most of them doesnt need booking upfront but lines can be veery long so have some drinks in the car allways. Dont stress, dont panic, if you dont fit, there comes another one soon.
🔆Katamaran- passenger only boats. Book upront.
🔆Driving- if you see that there is many cars behind you, move over to first stop, you are probably too slow. Roads are very tricky so dont push yourself.
Accomodation
🔆Private ones are better than hotels. You feel the vibe and support small business
🔆Be polite and dont destroy interior. People are really strugling to make everything nice.
🔆In high season, in islands there is NO free rooms. Book upfront.
Dining
🔆Dont go to restaurants that have hosts tyring to lure you in from the street
🔆let your nose to lead you
🔆What to eat?
Sea side- swiss chard, fish, sqids on grill, octopus salad, anything “under peka”
Instate- štrukli, bear, deer goulash, čevapčići (dont order them on the sea side unless recomended by local), beans stu, lamb “sa ražnja”
🔆 everything is much more expensive right next to the sea. If you take a walk 5 minutes inside of the town, you will find cheaper food. More hidden and smaller, the better.
Oranised tours
🔆Avoid big tourist boats
-unless they are old wooden ones
🔆 try to find small boats (upto 12 people) for daily boat tours. The older the skipper is, the better. The older the boat looks the better.
🔆kayak tours-dont underestimate sun. Be careful. Take hats, water and sunscreen
🔆Book local tour guides. Avoid big tourist organisations.
Shops
🔆small shops with fake merch- bargain. Big time.
🔆 buy souvenirs from children on the docks
🔆dont bargain with older ladies trying to sell jewery
🔆in very turistical places-small food shops are usualy more expensive.
Hope this helps you
Have fun
