Finding Paradise in Croatia

When I first came to Europe, Croatia was not on my list of places I wanted to necessarily see. I really didn't know anything about the country, and I wasn't necessarily interested. However, as the semester has progressed, I've heard more about the area and how beautiful and unique Croatia is. So, when I realized I had a free weekend, I decided to book a trip there. Now, after having the opportunity to spend two and a half days in different parts of country, I can say that it is one of my favorite places I've been so far! Also, fun fact, some of the stones used to build the White House are from Croatia since they're so naturally white.

We departed Thursday night on a 12 hour bus ride to the city of Split, Croatia. We arrived at 9:00 a.m., walked to our hostel, ate breakfast, and got ready for our first adventure: white water rafting! Around 11:00, we loaded a bus that took us about an hour away to a river where we were met with guides, rafts, wet suits, water shoes, and helmets. Each raft held about 5-6 people, plus a guide. The rapids were categorized as about about a class 2 or 3, so it was exciting at times, but never seemed dangerous. The scenery was GORGEOUS, and the water was crystal-clear turquoise. As we floated down the river, we were able to have a great view of mountains, cliffs, woods and wildlife. When we reached the deepest point of the river, we were able to climb out of rafts to the top of a cliff. We took turns jumping off the top, and it was such a thrill! For a couple seconds, I felt like I was canyon jumping in Interlaken again. When I landed in the water, it was icy cold but invigorating. The rest of the ride was absolutely freezing, but I'm glad I did it. After we were on land, we changed into dry clothes and had lunch provided by the rafting company at a nearby restaurant before heading back to the hostel. That night, there was a bar crawl around Split, which was fun for a while.

Sunset over the city of Split

Split, Croatia

Pre-whitewater rafting

The next morning, we had a quick breakfast before boarded to boat for a day trip to the island of Brac. It was beautiful! The water there was the clearest I've ever seen, and it was a great day. The boat ride was about an hour and a half to get there. Our first stop was about 45 minutes, and we hung out at the beach for most of the time. Our next stop was on a different part of the island, and we were there for almost 2 hours. We relaxed on the beach and also explored the area before loading the boats. When we arrived back in Split, we had dinner at a cafe to try Croatia's famous Black Risotto. Black Risotto is a Croatian speciality that uses squid ink in the sauce. Surprisingly, it was very good! The risotto was mixed with other seafood, and was very savory.

Our first stop on the island of Brac

Brac

Second beach in Brac

Black Risotto

The next morning, we packed up and left the hostel around 8:30 a.m.. During the bus ride home, we stopped at Krka National Park to see waterfalls. The walk to the huge waterfalls was incredible. As we strolled along, we saw smaller waterfalls, small pools, a running stream, and lush vegetation. I felt like I was in a story book! Surrounding me was the peacefulness, beauty, and lushness that Aveda tries to imitate. We finally reached the waterfalls after about 15 minutes of walking. The sight took my breath away, and it didn't take long for us to jump in the incredibly clear, icy water. Swimming in the lake near the falls felt unreal and dreamlike. I didn't even notice how cold the water was because the view was so amazing. After we got out and dried off, we grabbed a quick dinner before heading back to the busses fir the rest of our ride! Visiting the park was a great end to the trip, and I was so happy we made the detour.