Getting to know Split + Hvar Island, Croatia

Split - located along the coast in the Dalmatian region of Croatia. The historic core is covered in narrow pedestrian streets with many hidden alleys, leading you to various coffee shops, restaurants and boutique stores.

The Diocletian’s Palace + Cathedral of St. Domnius - taking up a large part of the town the palace dates back to 300 AD. After climbing 180 stairs the top of the cathedral's bell tower offers a nice view over the city. The inside of the cathedral is quite small, but its high ceilings provide great acoustics.

Riva promenade - stretching out across the shore of Split, the promenade is filled with many bars and restaurants.

People's square - the main square in Split, with the Old City Hall, shops and restaurants. The square was vibrant during the day and night. Around the corner of the square was the Game of Thrones museum. I haven't seen the show but part of it was filmed in Split and there are various tributes to it.

Marjan Hill - on the west side of Split, with many paths + trails. The top of the hill has a nice lookout over Split, a cafe, zoo and is home to many street cats.

Villa Spiza - restaurant with a new menu each day, based on what is in season and sold at the market. Serving delicious Dalmatian region classics, it is located in a narrow alley.

*Pasta with shrimp + asparagus

Fritule - similar to donuts, they are served with powdered sugar, fruit compote or white + milk chocolate like I had. I got them from a food vendor who was set up along the promenade for the St. Domnius Feast Day celebrations.

Night Life - located along the waterfront, playing live music on some nights Antique bar is a great place to grab a drink and look out at the water. Fabrique, a restaurant and pub serving tasty bbq platters and a variety of beers. On the other hand Charlie’s bar is the place to be at night, with good music and lots of fun drinks.

St Domnius Feast Day - the patron saint of Split is St. Domnius. Each year on May 7th the town comes together and celebrates with a variety of activities during the day and concerts in the evenings for a week. Coincidently, I happened to be in Split during the weekend and walked past the procession, while also stopping by some vendors.

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Hvar Island - although I spent almost a week on the island, it was still too short. One of my most treasured places throughout my journey has been Hvar island. An hour ferry ride from Split, is a luscious island, surrounded by crystal blue water, covered in mountains, breathtaking views and lots of friendly stray cats.

Old Town - the main city on the island is Hvar, where boats, ferries and yachts pull in and drop off around 1.6 million tourists per year, with the most busy months being July + August. My favourite activity included getting "lost" while roaming the old town streets and then making my way back to the main square. In the square sits the St. Stephen's Cathedral, the first cathedral on the whole island.

Pokonji dol - the best beach in the city, with white stones and clear blue water. A short walk away from the old town, secluded from the overcrowded streets.

Spanish fortress - the best time to see the fortress and look over the city is when the sun is setting. Built in the beginning of the 16th century, the view is worth the hike through the old town steps and up the hill.

Meraki Concept Store - owned by a woman from Argentina, this boutique carries a variety of colourful clothing, sunglasses, jewelry, swimsuits and accessories for men + women. So many nice and comfortable pieces from different European and Latin American brands.

Central Park Club - one of my favourite bars in Hvar. Serving delicious espresso martinis and keeping guests entertained with live music.

Coastal hike to Milna - I hiked along the coast, starting in Pokonji Dol and made my way past Robinson Beach, Mekicevica beach and some vineyards. Eventually I made it to Milna, spent some time on the beach, enjoyed a drink and then made my way back. It’s about 2 hours one way along a pretty well marked trail. On the way back I was lucky to catch a ride with a local who was heading into Hvar. I must mention that all the locals I met were very friendly and kind.

Fig - a restaurant which first opened its doors in Hvar in 2015 and then expanded, opening a location in Split. Serving some tasty international dishes using locally grown products. Both Fig in Hvar and Split did not disappoint.

*Mexican Pulled Pork

*Chimichurri Potatoes

*Chicken Korma

La Bocca - an Italian restaurant with amazing staff, service and tasty food. We became friends with the owner + staff and ended up hanging out on their patio quite often.

Zooming around the island - a few friends and I rented some mopeds and went around the island checking out some small towns and beaches - Malo Grablje, Velo Grablje, Stari Grad, Jelsa, Dubovica. We also found a sandy beach, which is unheard of in Hvar - Grebišće beach. This was the best way to explore the island and the views were magnificent!

Night life - since it was still the pre-season many spots were just getting ready for the summer. Kiva Bar and Lola Bar were both open and filled with locals + tourists. Two other popular bars - Carpe Diem and Hula Hula Bar unfortunately were still getting set up for the summer.

Boat trip - I joined a group boat trip with Hvar Boats and explored some islands around Hvar. Starting with the Blue Lagoon and continuing to the Green Cave - which gets its name from a shimmer of green in the water. During the war top of the cave was blown up so they knew if planes were flying over. Now sun shines through, creating a green spotlight. Next we stopped in the Blue Cave which was discovered in 1884 by an Austrian painter. Swimming in the cave has been banned for the last 15 years and the site is protected under UNESCO. The third stop was to the smallest beach on the island Vis - Pritišćina bay. After we headed to Stiniva bay, which was awarded "most beautiful beach" in 2016-17. Fun fact, Stiniva is where a portion of Mamma Mia was filmed. Our final stop was to Palmižana Bay on St. Clement island, which is part of Paklinski islands, where we stopped for some lunch.

#StandWithUkraine - although the support may not be flashy, the locals I met stated their support for Ukraine and many related the current war in Ukraine to the one Croatians lived through 31 years ago, 1991-95. I spotted a few flags and a tryzub (trident) on one of the products being sold at the market in Split. During the Feast day of St. Domnius on May 7, I saw Ukrainian flags being carried together with Croatian flags throughout the procession by little kids.

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Grateful for the new friends I made and for the ones I reunited with after meeting in other parts of Croatia! See you soon ;)

Off to explore a little bit more of southern Croatia.