Travel Guide: Split, Croatia

Length of Stay: 2 nights

I am so excited to start this series of four posts recapping each city/island we visited while in Croatia. I have to start off by saying you guys ROCK with all your recommendations while we were away. Croatia is such a beautiful place and it is almost hard to find words to describe what an incredible time we had. From the breath taking views to the amazing people and culture, it was a trip we will never forget and highly recommend.

On our trip, we traveled to four cities: Split, Hvar, Korcula and Dubrovnik. To make it easy for everyone I am going to focus on one city per blog post. If you have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to e-mail me! I swear my husband was a travel agent in his past life because he knows how to plan the most amazing, flawless and practical trips where you get to see a lot, but not feel run down or missing out. So here it is, my travel guide to Spilt, Croatia…enjoy!

If you read yesterday’s post (48 Hours in London) you know that we flew from London directly to Split which was only a two hour plane ride. We landed into Spilt and were welcomed with one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. I kept turning to Matt and saying “is this real life”? We withdraw some cash (Kuna’s) to get us to our hotel and were on our way. If curious, the exchange rate while we were there was 1 Kuna to 0.15 USD.

WHERE WE STAYED:

Our first night we used hotel points and stayed at the Le Meridien Lav, Split. While this property is beautiful (nestled right on the harbor), it is a ways removed from the town itself and with one road to get in and out of town the traffic was pretty heavy at all hours. The nice part is the hotel offered a shuttle service which made getting to and from much more affordable. On average it took us about 20-30 minutes to get into the heart of Split. Le Meridien had a strip of restaurants that lined the harbor, which made grabbing a bite to eat simple and easy when we first arrived. The property also has an infinity pool and large strip of beach, which seemed to be one of the only beaches in Split that we came across.

The second night in Split we stayed at Hotel Slavija right in the smack dab middle of town. We ended up booking this hotel while walking around our first day (and stopping in the information center) because the Le Meridien was fully booked and we never got off the waiting list for the second night. While I dragged my feet a bit and was not super excited to leave the resort and everything Le Meridien offered, I am so glad we made the switch and enjoyed our last night in the hustle and bustle of the city. The room was MUCH smaller, but we had a gorgeous balcony that overlooked all the terra-cotta roofs. Just by walking down a set of steps we were in the heart of Split and the night life is one you don’t want to miss!

< Le Meridien >

< Hotel Slavija (balcony looking out) >

WHAT TO KNOW:

• The beaches in Croatia are pebble and rock beaches, which if you are like me I struggled a bit getting to and from the water. People recommend wearing water shoes which looking back I sort of wish I had. Instead I spent some time moving slow and limping a bit when walking to and from the water! But once you are in it is worth it! The water is so refreshing and a gorgeous shade of blue.
• Not being a smoker myself, I struggled a bit with the overwhelming about of cigarette smoke that filled the air. It was hard to escape it, but we found ourselves helping the situation by finding tables or spots that had a breeze or were located on the outer rim of restaurants and bars. You do get “used to it” while there, but I personally had a hard time with this at first.
• Reservations are helpful, but not necessary. It would make things a bit easier because every place asks if you have one. Sometimes you get lucky, other times you strike out or have to wait a bit. If you like to plan as you go or on a whim just note that you may have to be flexible!

WHAT TO DO:

• Cathedral of St. Duje Bell Tower – For a small entrance fee you can take the stairs all the way up to the top to a 380 degree view of Split. When at the top it is such a surreal moment to look out and take in all the beauty the surrounds it.
• Walk around the Ghetto – Ghetto is referred to as the whole part of the Old Town, which is where the palace and church are located. It is full of cobble stone streets, bars, restaurants and little shops. The perfect place to walk around and get “lost”.
• Try a Aperol Spritz – When you take a look around you will see everyone ordering this local cocktail of choice. Bokeria (where we grabbed lunch) is known to have the best one in Split.

< Top of the Bell Tower + the View >

< Walking Around Old Town >

 

 

WHAT TO EAT:

• Conlemani (below the Le Meridien – can’t find online) – The night we arrived it was already pretty late and we were exhausted so we walked around the property and grabbed a bit to eat at Conlemani. We split a pizza and pasta dish and indulged in delicious wine. We heard that Croatia was known for their wine and this lived up to the reputation. I always tried to pick a local wine and I did not have one bad glass while there – and most were truly some of the best wine I’ve ever had.
• Bokeria – This gem of a lunch spot (and all meals) was recommended to us from a friend of a friend who grew up in Split. It has a wonderful atmosphere and is tucked back off a side street a little away from the main crowd. My order was fairly boring being a salad, but Matt ordered the pistachio risotto and I couldn’t stop stealing bites!
• Paradigma – A romantic rooftop spot perfect for dinner and out of the way of the hustle and bustle of Old Town. The atmosphere was great and the food was very unique, but honestly, next time I would probably skip the “hot” restaurant in town and opt for a slightly more casual place serving traditional Dalmatian dishes.

< Bokeria >

< Split, Croatia + All It’s Beauty >

OUTFIT DETAILS

Pullover Poncho c/o // Distressed Denim Shorts (more sizes here + here) // Lace-up Sandals c/o // Aviators // Everyday Earrings