We seem to have been longer in Croatia than anywhere else we have visited. Partly  because it is a big country shaped like a boomerang and we have been crossing the longest edges of it, partly because it is mountainous, but mainly because it is incredibly beautiful and we have been lucky with the weather. There has not been a flat day, most of the time we end up climbing between 500  and 1000 metres. This is slow on our laden bikes , the payoff however is  the stunning views.

From Cres we hopped across to Rab and then Pag before rejoining the mainland. Some of the islands we passed were completely barren, others green and inviting. We stayed in the beautiful walled cities of Zadar, Sibenik ,Split, Korcula , Ston and Dubrovnik. Most of the time we had amazing weather, mid 20’s and sunny. In some places we were the only tourists. All the campsites were closed so we stayed in small apartments, usually for less than 30 euros a night. People were all very friendly and the roads mainly empty.

We bumped into a couple of French cycle tourists on a round the world trip on their tandem for their honeymoon. Jean and Aurelie www.goutdumonde.fr also heading down to Dubrovnik. Good luck to them on their travels.

From Sibenik  a beautiful medieval city perched on the rocky coast, we visited the Krka national park with fantastic waterfalls. An oasis of green in the rocky landscape.

 

We booked an apartment in Split through airbnb.com and stayed in the middle of Diocletian’s Palace, sleeping a few yards away from  the  Temple of Jupiter. Diocletian’s palace was truly amazing, built 1700 years ago and still a living vibrant area, not a museum.

From Split we took the ferry to the island of Korcula, an island of vineyards, pine trees and olive groves. Then on to the coastal road to Dubrovnik passing a camp site every few hundred yards but all closed. The road was thankfully quiet, it must be hell in the main season.