Croatia Without Tourists: Trogir - Plitviče - Zagreb
Before we get to our one way ticket to Croatia, let’s go back a few months earlier…
We left for Barcelona that last Friday in February 2020, when COVID-19 was starting to feel more serious. But surely it wasn't going to be a major issue and, truthfully, all I could think about was escaping the incessant Amsterdam rain and wind contributing to the wettest February on record. I needed sunshine to cure my despair, so I convinced Luke that, even though he just broke his ankle a week prior, we HAD to get out of there. "The flight is so cheap!" I pleaded. "Sangria!" "Tapas!" He caved. We had the best Saturday, high on Vitamin D, limping past cathedrals, and drinking sangria on rooftops. And I thought, "See? Aren't you glad we flew to Spain for the weekend?"
And then we were in the Barcelona ER, a damp, dark, haunted basement. Luke was ushered to the x-ray room, while I sat in the lobby, surrounded by screams and moans coming from the hallway. No drama, it felt like a horror film (Ok, maybe a little drama). Luke's collar bone was separated from his shoulder, an AC separation. Broken ankle, broken shoulder, bloodshot eyes, we wheeled through the Barcelona airport a few hours later, worried about him not being able to drive to the office, not realizing this wasn't what we should be worried about.
Italy went on lockdown one week later. Other EU countries started following suit, including the Netherlands on March 15.
I remember covering back to back spin classes that Sunday, the 14th, for a coworker who was stuck in South Africa, unable to return. We were all discussing the severity of the situation, all downplaying what was to come. "Can't be as bad as they're saying, right?" "I'm sure this just lasts a few weeks." The gyms were closed the following day. 5 of our trips cancelled. In addition, 5 family members who were booked to visit cancelled. People we missed dearly. Another family member nearly dies. Clients and coworkers from Northern Italy experiencing a deep sense of helplessness and fear, feeling isolated and far from home. Calling home every 20 minutes to make sure everyone was well. Money lost. Lives lost. Jobs on shaky ground.
Fast forward to June 1. Restaurants reopen. A stark contrast to February, the Netherlands experienced the sunniest Spring on record. So, starved of patio drinks in the sunshine, all of us rushed to make reservations. Most pretending COVID was a thing of the past. And sure, we were excited to see friends in groups again, to delete Zoom from our phones (can I get an amen?!), but in typical, nomadic expat fashion, we were especially obsessed with news of the borders.
"Germany is opening up!"…”Did you see how cheap that flight is?”…"Wait, can we go to Croatia?"
Our friends booked a house in Trogir, Croatia June 24, not expecting all of us in the group to jump on board. But we all did. 7 of us, each splitting off at various times to create our own trip, but all of us coming together for a few days, wreaking havoc on this unwitting, coastal town.
We decided we'd start in Croatia and see what opened up. We would book travel on the road and go from there. Our logic: Luke hadn't been to the office since February and most of my clients were willing to try out virtual training. Why not a change of scenery? So, Croatia was the beginning of our month away. The kickoff to our "work from home on the road" experiment.
It all started in Split
Our flight was out of Rotterdam on June 23 with our Aussie friend, Elly. We waited in line, masks on, outside the airport as someone checked to make sure everyone had a ticket and a COVID-free health questionnaire. We got through the airport, boarded the plane, and arrived in Split 2 hours later. They checked our Croatia-specific health forms, recorded where we were going in order to track us in case of another outbreak, and off we went! God, it felt good to be in an airport again.
The 3 amigos walked down a dirt road toward the Airbnb for the night. We were greeted by the hosts parents…grandparents? Honestly, I don't remember. What I do remember is they were precious, spoke zero English, and set up our friend's futon bed in a way that tipped over if she didn’t lay completely still. We dropped our bags, mimed to the parents/grandparents, and set off for a Croatian dinner.
We ended up at Manufaktura and posted up on the patio. The first thing we ordered was a bottle of wine to celebrate traveling again. When our server returned, she was accompanied by her manager and another server. "We only opened 3 days ago, and they have never opened a bottle of wine before." Explained the manager.
They were all so wonderful though, it didn't matter. And we were at a restaurant again! Who cares. We drank the bottle quickly, ate our cheese on cheese on cheese on cheese meals, then ordered another bottle and forced our server to open it this time. She took approximately 90 years. We all clapped and cheered as loud Americans (and 1 honorary American) do then ordered the "traditional Croatian pancake", which turned out to be a crepe covered in nutella and white chocolate. We left 10 kilos heavier and rolled down the side of the road back to our apartment. Our Croatian grandparents were not waiting up.
Trogir
Our friends weren't picking us up until around 11 to head to Trogir, so we walked down to the beach bar (1 of the 3 "restaurants" near by) to spend the morning. We ordered iced coffees, she brought hot lattes, and we chilled with the locals, waves crashing beside us.
First action point on the agenda was the grocery store. Yes, food was important, but we spent most of our time either in search of a blender or wandering the booze isles. Successfully, we returned to our private oasis, posted up at the pool, and sent Luke to the kitchen with the rum and the blender. Our first taste of Trogir was all sunshine, cocktails, games of dice, and BBQ.
Trogir Old Town
Trogir is a historic, coastal town about a 35 minute drive from Split. The old town, A UNESCO Heritage Site, is well preserved from the 13th - 15th centuries and situated on a small island, connected to the mainland by bridges. The streets grow busy with day trippers and cruise ships, taking in the beauty of the mix of Romanesque and Renaissance structures. We got to see why, but without anyone else around.
The town is small, but it's easy to get lost in the winding maze of marbled alleys within the medieval walls. Main attractions include the Kamerlango Castle and the Cathedral of St Lawrence. We were mostly concerned with the craft brew store and where to eat all the seafood. This was our first experience with the impact of the lack of tourism. Closed down shops and empty restaurants - we were the only table at Calebotta Wine Bar, a well-reviewed restaurant with a large patio in a beautiful square.
Shortly after the last of our crew arrived, we all celebrated together at Frankie's for dinner. We took sunset photos, drank too much wine, and ate too much seafood. Nothing but joy at the harbor that night.
Boat Day
The 7 of us hauled our endless cases of beer to the marina just in time for our 8am departure. Our captain, Mario, greeted us with a warm smile. We slowly got toasty as the boat sped to our 1st swimming spot. We relaxed there for just a bit because a large boat pulled up next to us to pump gas or something annoying, so off we went to the next, and it was even more beautiful than the first. We swam in the salty Adriatic, drank more beers and relaxed on the bow in the sunshine.
Mario sped us to his favorite beach bar on the island of Solta called the Captain's Club. Next was a much needed lunch on a different part of the island called Restoran Turanj. Our view of the boats in the bay was beautiful and our server was excellent. The wine continued to flow, and we gorged on delicious Dalmatian cuisine. It was our first meal of the day after all….if you don’t count the beer. Which, now that I think of it, breakfast beer totally counts.
Once we were overfull, we set off to my favorite part of the day - a swimming hole where we posted up for some epic boat dives and a little mojito man named Mateo.
At 18:00, we arrived back at the marina and stumbled home nice and crispy from a day in the sun. If you’re looking for the BEST boat tour out of Trogir, here is the link.
Road Trip to Plitviče Lakes National Park
First stop - Zadar
Plitviče is about a 2 hour drive from Trogir, so we stopped halfway at Zadar for lunch. Another beautiful, Dalmatian coastal town, littered with Roman and Venetian ruins dating back to the 8th Century. We dined at Restoran Bruschetta, enjoying the garlicky clams, steak and monkfish stew. Luke normally hates monkfish, but this was so fresh and perfectly cooked that even he had to admit it was delicious!
We walked along the boardwalk in the sunshine, while locals took advantage of the lack of tourists by swimming and lounging at the edge of the water.
Plitviče
Just a little over an hour left to the national park, so we chatted with family, rambling about our adventures thus far. Until we had to stop for honey and cheese at these adorable little stands scattered along the sides of the road.
We finally pulled up to Hotel Jezero, dropped our bags, then walked downstairs for a late dinner of an array of salads…necessary after our strict consumption of beer the day prior.
Plitviče Lakes National Park
We started with a hearty breakfast, then strolled down to the entrance at 8:30. We planned to take a boat out on the water to start the day, but they didn't open until 10, so we hopped on the bus to begin our journey along path H.
The hike through a small part of the 16 lakes and 295 sq. km forest to the boat took a little over an hour. The path was surrounded by waterfalls, whimsical trees, and greenish-blue water that was as clear as glass.
The boat took us closer to the large waterfall, but 1st was a large clearing filled with picnic tables and a couple of food and beverage carts. After our lunch break, we set off toward Veliki Slap waterfall, the largest one in Plitvice Lakes National Park. The scenery just got more and more beautiful along the way.
I know that normally the park is so full of tourists that you have to push your way through just to get a photo, but there were maybe 10 others. By the time we set up the go pro, we were the only ones left.
My FAVORITE view was at the top, gazing down over the turquoise blue water.
The free bus brought us back to the hotel around 1400 and we headed straight to the gym! The hike itself is pretty flat and easy, plus this was our first time allowed in a gym and we were too stoked to pass up the opportunity.
Before dinner, we capitalized on our free boat rental through the hotel booking, and we were so happy we had to wait until evening. It was only us on the lake, so we took in the view and called family to share the moment with people we miss and love.
Dinner was at Lička Kuća, traditional Croatian fare inside a beautiful barn-like building with wooden beams and a large outdoor terrace. We ordered their most popular home-cooked dishes, including lamb on the spit (excellent) and local white wine.
"Work Day 1"
Luke started the morning in the gym, while I had back to back virtual clients in the forest. Unfortunately, I forgot bug spray and was EATEN ALIVE by mosquitoes, acting like a crazy person clapping at them every 2 minutes. We checked out of the room and made the hotel bar our office. Luke took endless meetings, while I worked on travel bookings and had a proper leg day at an actual squat rack. #blessed. We bought out all of their coffee, ate multiple lunches, then left for Zagreb around 17:30.
Zagreb
We dropped off the rental car at the Zagreb Airport, the busiest airport in Croatia, and it was a ghost town. The rental agent told us COVID cases were on the rise after opening up their borders. (4 weeks later, Croatia was closed again to the Netherlands…Guess he wasn't lying.) Facemasks on, we shrugged our shoulders, hoped for the best, and jumped in our Uber.
Hotel Capital
This was really our first experience with the generous discount byproduct of COVID. The hotel was SWANKY. As soon as we walked in, my jaw dropped, and a bell boy poured me a glass of champagne. The bell boy's name is Tomi, and he promptly became our best friend. He told us there were only 2 other guests in the hotel with us, and our feeling of gratefulness was eclipsed by sadness for people like Tomi. Servers, hosts, tour guides, bell boys. It was a tough card dealt to the hospitality industry.
All throughout our week in Croatia, we experienced the kindest welcome, and the employees at Hotel Capital were no exception. We were overwhelmed by their thoughtfulness and outstanding service.
Breakfast play-by-play at the hotel every morning
1st: The server brings coffee and OJ
2nd: A basket of bread for a family of 4
3rd: A tall tower of meats and cheeses
4th: A 20 egg omelet
5th: I pass out in my chair
Capital Private Club
On our last night in Croatia, we watched the sunset from our balcony then celebrated with cigars and scotch in the Capital Private Club. I accidentally chose the 36 euro glass of scotch, while Luke's was about 25% of that….oops. The hotel is in an old bank, and the club is tucked into the vault room, which had some serious old timey vibes in a very good way.
Food Scene
Gyoza Sake Bar
Our first dinner in Zagreb was a circus. And I mean this in the best "Woa that was awesome but what the hell just happened" kind of way. Let's begin with the self-proclaimed "Most Handsome Chef in Croatia". I still do not know his name, but we listened to endless stories of his life while he focused intently on his wok, oil sizzling and spitting over his dramatic tales. The only other guest in the matchbox restaurant was a lawyer from Argentina, who was volunteering with the local gypsies. Obviously.
Now for the food. IT WAS MIND BLOWING. We ordered everything. And I am not exaggerating. We even ordered the gyoza twice. The Most Handsome Chef in Croatia might just be our favorite chef in Croatia.
El Toro Restaurant & Bar
We actually ate here twice…kind of. The first time was at El Toro Burgers&Ribs for lunch in the heart of downtown - A glass of white wine, smokey and spicy BBQ wings, sweet potato fries, and possibly the best quinoa salad I’ve ever had.
The following night we walked to the main restaurant, El Toro Restaurant & Bar, for dinner. The food and ambience at each restaurant is night and day, but both equally as delicious and delightful. This menu focuses on Latin cuisine and since we’re starved for decent tacos and margaritas in Amsterdam, we did not hold back. They absolutely nailed it.
Pod Zidom
Bedrag greeted us at our table and we let him take charge of our order. He began by pouring sparkling wine, followed by strawberry smash cocktails - salads tossed in sea salt and Croatian olive oil - the best babaganoush I've ever had (smoky, earthy and delicious) - Duck breast with charred peaches and pork medallions - Peaches drizzled in white chocolate and chocolate souffle - local dessert wine that was surprisingly on the drier side. We loved the utensils placed in the babaganoush and asked if we would be able to buy 2. He said the owner bought them on his honeymoon in Thailand and was not able to sell them. As we were walking away, he chased us with 2 glasses of local schnapps and the Thai utensils we loved as gifts from him and the restaurant. Easily one of my favorite dining experiences in Europe thus far.
Sri Lankan Curry Bowl
I picked up Sri Lankan Curry Bowl for dinner to eat at the hotel while Luke wrapped up a busy deadline at work. It was our last night in Croatia and I stumbled upon this gem while wandering down the ultra bohemian and delightful Tkalčićeva Street. We have a thing for curry, and I realized Sri Lankan cuisine was completely new to us. The owner helped me order based on our spice preferences then sat me down at a table outside to wait with a glass of wine. This place is highly rated on both TripAdvisor and Google for a reason. The food was outstanding!! Although, I don’t think we had a negative word to say about any of the food we ate in Zagreb.
Zagreb Upper Town
Upper Town (Gornji Grad) is the oldest part of Zagreb. The network of narrow, winding streets is lined with colorful patio umbrellas outside the many cafes, bars, restaurants, and boutiques. (I can highly recommend picking up desserts from Cremme / The Cookie Factory.) It’s the perfect place to get lost with your camera and exactly how I hoped to end our week in Croatia.
Our summer of 2020 was full of traveling to some of Europe's most popular destinations. We will continue to share what it was like to experience them without tourists. Have you been to Croatia? If so, we would love to hear your favorite memory in the comments below!
Next stop: Greece Without Tourists
See Also: How to Spend a Week in Croatia: Part 1
