Our 5 stops from Zadar to Split in Croatia

Here are the 5 stops between Zadar and Split that we chose during our family road trip in Croatia, along the Dalmatian coast. We had already taken other trips to Croatia, but we hadn’t yet explored this part of the coast – which is nonetheless probably the most famous!

It was in Zadar that our journey through Dalmatia began, along the Croatian coast, all the way to Split. On this 5-stop itinerary from Zadar to Split, our two favourites were Trogir and the island of Hvar. Yes, I’m giving away the suspense already :-).

Overall, what we enjoyed most on our trip to Croatia was the good balance between visiting beautiful towns with a rich cultural heritage and lovely swimming spots, on the coast or on the little islands. As for accommodation, we hadn’t booked anything in advance (except for Zadar). That’s quite a challenge in summer! But we always found something at the last minute.

Time of year: from mid-July to the very beginning of August 2021

Age of our children: 9 (Titpuce) and 11 (Ticoeur).

So here are the 5 stops on our Croatia itinerary…

1 – Zadar as a family

Zadar was the first stop on our Croatia itinerary.

We visited this town, which we found rather pleasant (mid-July). We spent our first night on land there after our week at sea. A stay of one day and one night seems to me the perfect length to visit the old town and walk along the sea at sunset, admiring the Adriatic. We liked the Bruschetta restaurant. The cuisine has certain similarities with Italian food, which Ticoeur and Titpuce certainly didn’t mind!

We climbed to the top of the cathedral bell tower, which you can see in the photo above. The views are pretty good:

In the evening, after wandering through the alleys of the old town, we walked along the seafront promenade like everyone else. At the end of the promenade is the Sea Organ, an installation that “sings” to the rhythm of the waves thanks to 35 pipes located under the water. We were lucky to visit Zadar in July when the town was still quite calm. Nonetheless, at sunset there were plenty of people listening to the Sea Organ and having fun with the lights of the installation! (So probably a spot to avoid in August.)

From Zadar, we hired a sailboat to discover the Kornati islands and other islets located off the coast of Zadar. After a week on the sailboat, we came back to Zadar.

Then we made a detour inland to visit the Plitvice Lakes. An absolute must! A wonder of nature! We spent a night there, then came back to sleep one more night in Zadar before starting our road trip south along the coast, all the way to Split.

For accommodation, I had booked an apartment for 6 because a friend and his son had joined us in Zadar to spend the week on the sailboat with us.

2 – Šibenik on the way:

A beautiful town where we stopped twice. One night on the outward leg of our north-south journey and one night on the way back. There are numerous alleys, squares, stairways and slopes in the old town. So it’s a great opportunity for a lovely walk (leaving the car in the car park). We wandered around St James’s Cathedral and then climbed up to the Kastel (which we didn’t visit). We also walked along the town’s seafront ramparts. The accommodation we found in Šibenik, in the old town, was our favourite of our road trip along the Dalmatian coast.

Note that Šibenik is the ideal base for those who want to visit Krka National Park. This time, we’d chosen to visit Plitvice Park, so we didn’t combine it with this second park, but Papa Voyage, who went there a few years ago, really liked it.

3 – Our favourite: Trogir

We think Trogir is the prettiest little town on the Dalmatian coast! The medieval part is pedestrianised and has a lot of charm, by day or by night. In the evening, we had a wonderful time on the terrace of the Kristan restaurant (excellent pizzas and calamari!).

We spent a night in Trogir, on the Otok Čiovo peninsula (easier for parking). You walk to the old town by crossing the bridge. Our apartment was okay, nothing more, but clean and practical, a 15-minute walk from the old town. I’ll put the link here, but I think you can find better.

For a swimming break, we drove along Otok Čiovo (the peninsula opposite Trogir) and swam at the last beach (Kava beach):

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The Kaštela Route:

Between Trogir and Split, we followed the “Kaštela Route” and made two very nice little stops:

The first stop in Kaštel Stari, where we swam and had a coffee:

A second stop in Kaštel Gomilica. It’s tiny but pretty, and apparently it’s one of the filming locations of Game of Thrones. Well, I didn’t watch that series (too violent for me!), so it didn’t mean much to me, but I really enjoyed the break!

4 – A few days in Split as a family:

We settled in Split for several days because Papa Voyage had to work remotely. So I visited the old town on my own with the kids. In Split, compared to the previous stops, there are more sites to visit because the town is bigger: it’s the capital of Dalmatia. In short, for us, who stayed longer, that worked out well. If you’re passing through, I’d recommend staying two nights. Beware, in August it’s crowded! Go for July or an even quieter month.

First of all, we visited the Roman part of Split (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The heart of the historic part is Diocletian’s Palace, surrounded by fortified walls.

With the kids, we climbed to the top of the bell tower for a lovely view over the town.

For swimming, I took Ticoeur and Titpuce to Firule beach in the morning, and I liked having a coffee at Dvor for the view.

Of our whole trip to Croatia, Split was where we were hottest. Yes, it’s further south, but there was also a heatwave of around 30 degrees. I know it could be worse, but for the “Brits” we’ve become, that’s already a lot. So we enjoyed visiting the cellars of Diocletian’s Palace for their coolness. There’s also part of the underground area with free access, with arts and crafts stalls. We bought some watercolours as a souvenir.

At the end of the day, it was nice to walk up into the Marjan district, through Park Vidilica, which you can see in the background in this photo:

In the park, we sat on a terrace at sunset, admiring the view towards the old town:

Our favourite spots in Split? The ice creams at Ela’s. And also the fish restaurant Duje, which was recommended by our hosts. It’s a restaurant frequented by locals and located outside the old town – not a great setting, but great food!

The view as we left Split by ferry:

5 – The magnificent island of Hvar!

From Split, we booked a ferry to the island of Hvar (to the port of Stari Grad). We bought tickets for the four of us + the car. Many tourists only spend a day on Hvar. In that case, foot-passenger tickets or organised tours are more suitable, but we really recommend staying several days on Hvar (3 nights, for example). The island has so much more to offer than its little main town, where all the day visitors disembark! Hvar has many small coves. It’s perfect for wonderful swims away from the crowds. Clearly a favourite for us! Given the size of the island, and to reach all the coves, you need a car, hence our choice.

The little town of Hvar on Hvar, in the morning, before the excursion boats arrive…

The kind of idyllic, peaceful little coves you’ll find on the island of Hvar:

There are also really cute villages:

The little town of Jelsa:

Right, I’ll give you a few cove names as examples, but just look at the map – they’re all lovely! Zukova Bay, Dubovica Beach (with a nice little beach bar), Piscena Beach, Brizenica Bay. Watch out for sea urchins! Remember to bring water shoes!

As for good places to eat, we had a favourite on Hvar: the restaurant Konoba Santa Marija (in Dol), where we had dinner several times. It’s a farm located inland (you need a car). The setting was super pleasant and we ate very well. As for accommodation, we were in the north-east, near Stari Grad, a pleasant town that’s less touristy than Hvar.

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For the return journey, we went back up the same route, from Split to Zadar, more quickly, sleeping one more night in Šibenik.

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Road trip in Croatia: practical information

Transport: we had our own vehicle, since we’d reached Croatia by driving through Germany and Austria. For such a long stay, it was clearly the most economical option. And to get from Split to Hvar, we took the ferry (a 2-hour crossing), booking the day before.

Season: since we travelled across July and August, we clearly saw the difference in visitor numbers between the two months! Suddenly, at the start of August, there were lots of tourists! Especially in Split! So we’d advise you to go in July. As for the weather, we had ideal conditions, around 30 degrees but no more. No heatwave. Of course, that’s a bit down to luck. We were lucky.

Travel guide: we had the French Guide Evasion Croatia.

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So? Tempted by a road trip in Croatia?

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