Last days in Croatia...for now!

As we watched the Pelješac peninsula draw further away from our vantage point on the ferry, we got to thinking how we might spin out a few more days in Croatia, rather than make the great leap north just yet. We worked out that if we planned to do the transit from northern Italy to the French coast near Dieppe in 3/4 days rather than the leisurely pace we’d taken on the way down, we could stay a few more days under the Croatian sun.

And so, after a peaceful night at a much busier Zaostrog, where we’d stayed on the way down, we found ourselves heading to Trogir, near Split – somewhere we had missed on our loose itinerary on our way south. 

We opted to stay at Camping Belvedere right on the coast and a few kilometres west of Trogir, as they also ran a water taxi to and from the old town of Trogir, described by some as a ‘mini Dubrovnik’. Belvedere was the first of the big ACSI sites we’d stopped at where there was no restriction on pitches for ACSI card users (usually the pitches right on the sea/with best views etc are off limits). And so, we were able to pick a spot on a steep terrace that was close to the sea, had plenty of shade and gave us a lovely view through the trees to the islands off shore.

Apart from soaking up more sun and swimming in the ridiculously clear sea, we’d come to Trogir to see its famous mediaeval ‘walled city’, set on its own mini island, accessible by bridge. Opting to get the water taxi late in the afternoon so we could stay in Trogir for supper (for once there was a plentiful supply of boats returning late enough to allow this) we set off with great expectations.

Unfortunately, the only comparison with Dubrovnik that was bang on, was in terms of crowd density, delivered in successive waves by tour boats. Being so much smaller as well as less dramatic than Dubrovnik (or even Korćula old town where we’d been just days before) we quickly realised that this was somewhere much better visited off season. Interesting enough for an afternoon mooch, our plans to eat here were scuppered by a combination of uninspiring menus and large boat-borne groups jostling for tables.

So, having given Trogir town our best shot in the circumstances (and avoiding the temptation to ask the Gondolier how much it would cost to get to Venice), we took the ferry back and ate in the campsite restaurant instead – where we enjoyed peace and quiet and decent seafood with a bottle of Pošip, and a lovely view over the bay as the daylight faded. Campsite restaurants have been quite a revelation in Croatia, often with fabulous views and menu offerings on a par with local eateries, and all of them have delivered a pleasurable experience.

We left Camping Belvedere for our exit from Croatia via a final stop in Istria, knowing that we were tempting fate, as our exit coincided with many of the campsites we might have chosen no longer being available on ACSI – and so likely to cost twice as much. Luckily for us, our chosen site near Novigrad had three ACSI places left when we arrived, and all of which had gone by the time we’d set up camp. 

We’d wanted to stop in Istria on our way home, not just because we’d loved it so much on the way down, but as we’d have a chance to track down one of the Croatian culinary specialities we’d yet to savour – barbecued lamb or pig on a spit.

And so, having enjoyed a peaceful night, under the auditory version of a ‘watchful gaze’ of a noise pollution monitor who had a microphone and decibel meter trained on a festival 6km away across the bay to make sure that campers were not disturbed (they do take tourism seriously here!), we set off the next day to scout out possible spit roasted delights.

Novigrad is an interesting little town – described in our Rough Guide as having an authentic charm – which indeed it did. Having wandered around enjoying its physical charms however, we were a little vexed to discover that the meaty treat we thought we might enjoy for dinner was much more a lunch event – and although we could have sampled a serving of left over pig that could still be found in one of the eateries, we decided to add it back to the list of things we would return to Croatia to enjoy, maybe in the cooler weather!

Our last morning in Croatia for this trip saw yet another brilliant blue sky greet us as we packed up and headed off for the Slovenian border, stopping first to stock up on some Hrvatski favourites at the nearby supermarket – but leaving enough space for re-stocking at our next destination – northern Italy!

S&J.