Prior to me arriving in the coastal city of Split, I had had opportunity to check out not only the capital of Croatia, Zagreb but also very beautiful and world famous Plitvice Lakes national park . What started off with a steady adventure was really starting to ramp up and I had a good feeling about everything that I had lined up at my next location. Even though the sun was setting, things were only just starting.
Split is probably the city that I had heard the most about in terms of the partying element and things to do, being one of the more common locations for the people that I knew that had already been to Croatia, along with plenty to keep you busy in the day with national parks, a deep and rich history, and some amazing nature spots in and around it. I knew this was going to be good and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
Of course, if you want to know why then you best read on!
Why I Headed To Split
I feel that when you search for places to visit in Croatia, behind Dubrovnik, Split is always going to be a close second for popular places to check out. Alongside that, I had heard many things about Split and what it had to offer from one of my work colleagues, who gave some great reviews about their time there and the nightlife on offer so I though, why not? When you additionally in the close distance to Krka National Park, you have a recipe for success for this historic and beautiful coastal city, with its history and landmarks dating way back to the Roman times.
The second reason for me to head to Split was to board my Busabout boat trip that was the anchor in the middle of my trip and what everything was planned around so I kind of had to come here.
Oh and one thing that I nearly missed on reason to come to Split is it’s easy access to Krka National Park. If you thought Plitvice Lakes national park was great from my blog, this place is terrific! You could argue that it is the more picturesque location for a start and then you add in the ability to dive into the water here to cool off after a day out, it’s a no brainer for me.
What I Thought of Split
And as to what I thought about my time here? It was brilliant! From my brief time here, I feel that I managed to fit a lot into and I was truly wowed by Split. There is a great variety here that I personally enjoyed and I feel plenty more for others to dive into if they were to head here.
Centred around Diocletian’s Palace, you have a hub for the history of this place, stretching back thousands of years to those of the Roman era up to the modern day, which has seen this place have several cultures influence it from the Italians to the Austrians as well the original culture coming from the south Slavic region and neighbouring countries as this region shaped and moulded itself in various ways.
One of the main attractions, the nightlife, was a really good aspect for me, coming with a varied aspect of different ways to go about it. You could head on a bar crawl which gave you a house party vibe followed by the big tune nightclubs on the sea front, there were the evening restaurants bars for you frequent or go with the conventional way of pre drinks and hitting the town after.
Another aspect that surprised me somewhat was the varied outdoor aspect. As you’d expect from a coastal city, there are beaches for you to enjoy, whether these be in the centre of the city such as Bacvice beach or out to the west such as Kasjuni beach, giving you amazing views of the setting sun in the evening. Add in Park Šuma Marjan, giving you hillside walks through the forests and some spectacular lookout points, and you have yourself an amazing city to spend at least a few days.
Should You Cover It
Should you cover Split? I feel the description of what I thought about the city is enough for you to go off as to why I think you should cover this location. It was a fulfilling couple of days that went maybe a little too quickly (coming from someone who didn’t really sleep that much during too!), that I entirely loved! I would love to return here. With the additional location of Krka National Park, should you cover there? Without a doubt! This place is brilliant and in some aspects, better than Plitvice Lakes but you’ll have to read on to find out!
Day 3 – Wednesday, 9 Aug
If you read my blog on Plitvice Lakes and following the story as I go along, (if you missed it, you may want to head back now or else spoilers!), you’ll know that I finished off on the coach, heading south to Split as the sunset and that’s where I’ll pick up this blog.
What ended up happening that evening was completely unexpected but it was a brilliant way to start my time in Split. After checking into the hostel, I threw my bags down into the room, got myself sorted and headed to the common room to speak to the new set of travellers. It was here that I really clicked with one of them, and though they were due to get up early in the morning for their bus, we spent until the early hours of the morning talking so many things, often getting told off by the receptionist for being too loud! Travel, life ambitions, spirituality and everything in-between came up.
I’d always planned to get up early to see the sunrise at a place that I’d scoped out using my trusty friend Google Maps and finding somewhere east facing. This sudden late night had initially put a stop to that but after being told off for the umpteenth time for being too loud and the fact that my new companion had an early coach to catch, we decided that we’ll just stay up until sunrise! Though we would vacate the hostel so we didn’t get kicked out…
From here, we took a wander down to the water front of Bacvice beach, where the main nightclubs are and one of the city’s beaches, right pretty much in the main hub of the city. This was the location for us to just sat and chat the early hours of the morning away, watching and laughing at the drunken revellers deciding to take on a slightly deflated inflatable obstacle course in the sea, with very mixed results. Don’t worry, as you’ll find out later, it’s not just the drunken ones that do it…
Before we knew it, the morning hours flew by and with the first signs of the sunrising, we slowly wandered across to the point I’d picked out, which was a lookout point on the side of the Marjan hill out to the west, taking in the night sights of Splits waterfront and some of the huge yachts that were moored here. Be warned, the location that I’d picked out did have a few steps for you to tackle. We found the spot I wanted and then sat back and enjoyed the sunrise in each other’s company, a perfect way to transition into the next day…
Day 4 – Thursday, 10 Aug
What a spectacular view to start the day with! It is truly amazing up there especially on a clear day and I’m so thankful for this completely spontaneous moment and being able to do it with someone who I’ve since stayed friends with. Sometimes these are the best moments when travelling and one of the memories I’ll cherish from the trip.
The wander back was even better than the one out here as we were able to see Split’s architecture emphasised by the orange hue given by the sunrise. It was upon return to the hostel that we said our goodbyes, traded contact details to keep in touch and as they headed off to their coach, I headed to bed! Not for too long though, there’s no rest for the wicked! Only a few hours of sleep could be afforded today as I had things to do and a city to venture around. The method of exploring Split was to rely upon my tried and tested method of a free walking tour, which I’d scoped out prior.
The basis of this tour was mainly focused around the historic hub of Diocletian’s Palace standing tall and proud, though partially ruined, which dates back thousands of years to the Roman times. Once being the location of the emperor that once lived here, this has changed and morphed over the years to now feature an underground marketplace, several places of worship such as Jupiter’s Temple and St. Domnius Cathedral and a place for the arts to flourish with a large Peristil square used for plays and shows and several areas like the Vestibul with great acoustics for groups to sing a cappella. And for you Game of Thrones fans, this has been the location of several scenes from the famous book turned TV series.
I found this walking tour really informative and one I’d recommend. Not only did it encompass the various different things that Split was known for, its long history and some cool facts for TV fans, it really went into detail about how the city came about, how the wars of the ages affected the city and how the different cultures that once resided here affected the varied architecture, which was noticeable from the varying styles of the buildings on show.
After I was done with the walking tour, I must admit, the heat of the day, the lack of sleep from the night before and potential of some evening plans meant that there was only thing on my agenda for that afternoon: back to bed for a disco nap! Though this “nap” was definitely more of a sleep when I woke up and the sun was setting…
Now that I’ve actually stayed at the hostel a bit, I think it’s time for me to review it. My hostel of choice this time was aptly named En Route Hostel, costing me 750 kn (roughly £90, €100, $117.50) for 3 nights, which was definitely a reasonable price. Even if I didn’t spend one night here… For this price though, it’s a definitely recommended stay and this shall all become clear as your read on.
All based on one floor, this hostel has a wide open common room area that sits just behind the reception and provides a perfect location for you to socialise with those you’re sharing this fine space with. The kitchen facilities on offer for the size of the hostel are reasonable however at the peak times of the day, things can get a little tight on the space front. The bathrooms are well constructed, have great facilities to them and are always sparkling clean!
The rooms were nice and spacious, with plenty of room to lock away your personal items in big lockers as well as a nice, comfy bed that were definitely priceless for my tired mind and body, all with the usual bedside outlets and effective privacy curtain. Two things to note with this hostel compared to some of the other ones that I’ve covered, there aren’t any female only dorms if that’s a necessity for you and the dorms here don’t come in an ensuite configuration. These dorms come in the following sizes, all mixed gender:
- 10 bed
- 14 bed
- 20 bed
- 22 bed
Though I had kind of planned to go out in the evening, eager to experience the nightlife I’d heard so much about, it wasn’t set in stone and just when it seemed like I would being having a quiet evening, a spontaneous night came out of nowhere! What started as a chilled evening of sitting with my fellow travellers, chatting and sharing stories of all kinds, it was here that we all suddenly decided a night out was what was needed one of the guys came out his room, already pumped up and ready to go. Obviously, the only thing to do was get changed, have a session of predrinks in the hostel and then head out!
As I mentioned before, most of the main nightclubs in Split are located in next to Bacvice Beach and with the relatively small size of the city, it was an easy walk from the hostel. It’s here that what are mainly cafes, bars and restaurants turn in to nightclubs for you to drink and party the night away. With plenty of variety of hip hop clubs to house to your usual chart toppers, there’s something for everyone here. Add in plenty of travellers to mingle with, this is a recipe for a great night! For those travellers on a tight budget too, you’ll be glad to know that the drinks are cheap here and the clubs don’t tend to charge entrance fees, or if they do, they are low.
As I hinted at before, this evening ended up in a damp way… The obvious thing to do after dancing the night away with my new found friends, it was time to strip off to my boxers and jump into the sea to tackle the obstacle course that I’d seen so many fail at the night before. Yes, this was a great idea sober. No, I don’t regret it at all. Yes, it was great fun and I would do it again.
Travel Tip: Noting that I’m sober doing this, which doesn’t bring about too many issues, I realised that many around me were intoxicated. Mixing playing around in the sea and alcohol can be very dangerous. It may seem a great idea at the time but something to be very wary of if something goes wrong. I do realise though that as sound as your thinking is sober, once intoxicated, it’s slightly different.
After my adventurous night of trying to complete this obstacle course, it was a very wet trudge back to the hostel to dry off and head to bed!
Day 5 – Friday, 11 Aug Krka
The day ahead was going to be another busy day with an early start, which wasn’t ideal after the night’s activities and the fact I’d only slept for a few hours. However, I’m going be awful and say that this national park needs a blog of its own which you’re going to have to wait for when it is released next week!
To finish off a picturesque day, it was time for a beautiful sunset and some cliff jumping in an amazing spot, located at Kasjuni beach. How did I find this? Well, to find a beach for the sunset, I just used the rule of anywhere that was west facing to witness it, as I’ve indicated in other blogs. As for the cliff jumping, this came about from researching what’s on offer in Split and finding out that a local paid guide tends to use this spot for a day excursion. That and finding others doing it too told me it was a decent spot.
Travel Tip/Disclaimer: Cliff jumping, no matter how high is a dangerous thing to do. Before you do it, make sure that it’s safe to do so, either from asking local guides or those in area taking part. The other key thing is only do it if you feel comfortable and don’t let any push you into it, both literally or metaphorically.
Of course, another evening on holiday for me meant another night out lay ahead but this time, it was an organised one. This evening I was heading out on a bar crawl with . After our spell of sunset watching and cliff jumping, it was quite a rush to head back to hostel, get some food and then be at the meeting spot at the Perstil Square, ready to rock and roll for the evening’s entertainment.
One thing I didn’t really appreciate whilst I was here but looking back now is the beauty of the city during the evening when it’s lit up. As we were rushing through the palace, we didn’t really get a chance to take it all in. It was only one in the square that we really got to see the beauty at night, with the best features emphasised by being lit up. This is just the start of the things on offer here, with plenty of bars and restaurants giving you a picturesque location to enjoy the evening if you’re not wanting to go all out with a bar crawl.
Now, back to that bar crawl. Costing 150 kuna (or £18, €20, $23.50), this firstly includes being taken over to a start bar that has an open bar for you to enjoy for a couple of hours whilst you get to know your other bar crawl members, enjoy some free pizza (if you can get in there quick enough) and play one of the many games they have on offer, with firm favourites like beer pong.
Happy hour over and everyone was rounded up and taken back down into the centre of Split to head off to the beach clubs (yes, the same set of beach clubs) to continue the party and put on your dancing shoes to show people how it’s done on the dance floor. It’s here that you will enjoy the atmosphere of a couple of the bars and clubs before being left to your own devices in the last one.
Personally, I would definitely recommend this bar crawl. It’s great value for money, and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t drink! For that price, I think I made the most of it so God only knows how much you can get out of it if you do drink with that happy hour. Sorry to disappoint but there wasn’t any obstacle courses this evening as I made sure to be sensible and head back to the hostel, knowing it was another early start.
Day 6 – Saturday, 12 Aug
Another late night meant another scrambled morning to get myself together ready or my next appointment, which was to board my Busabout boat experience. It’s times like these that make me so glad that I don’t drink. Tiredness can be dealt with but caffeine and you’re good but a hangover isn’t that easy to shake.
Checking out of the hostel, I took a wander down to the harbour to seek out my boat that I will be calling home for the next 7 nights of my trip, taking me along the Croatian coast, ducking in and out of some of the islands and port towns. However, sorry to disappoint you but it is here that I end this blog and will pick up in the next one as I talk through my Busabout experience in full, which was certainly an adventure and one I won’t be forgetting!
Things I Missed
As always, since leaving Split, I’ve had time to reflect on my trip here and have a little look around at other things that are on offer in Split that I missed out on, so I’ll add them here to allow you possibly consider them if and when you head to Split:
- Cafe and restaurant scene – Seeing as I took this city at quite a fast and frantic pace, often eating whilst on the move or needing something quick, I didn’t really get to appreciate the cafe and restaurant on offer here, especially in some great location such as the Riva or those next to Bacvice Beach, offering seafront views whilst you can sit relax in the sunshine.
- Marjan Park – Though I saw a few things around the park, I didn’t get chance to fully explore this location, getting away from the hot city and into the shade of the Mediterranean pine trees.
- Campanile and the cathedral – I saw plenty of these buildings from outside however I didn’t take the opportunity to check out inside the cathedral nor head up to the top of the tower to see the view as it towers above the rest of the palace.
- Split at night – As I mentioned before, I didn’t go out and enjoy the scenery and the ambience of Split at night. It was something that I’ve only noticed since looking back on my travels, maybe even some maturity too in the last 3 years, realising that I should have spent at least one evening exploring the palace and the harbour at night. There are plenty of lovely places to sit back, relax and enjoy a drink or food with someone else.
That rounds off this blog for now but if you enjoyed this one, be sure to check out the suggested posts or the plenty of other articles available to read about at the tabs at the top of the page. As a reminder, if you didn’t see it already, I wrote about my time in Zagreb and Plitvice Lakes National Park before I got to Split so you can get a flavour of another amazing national park or a city with a very different feel to it. Of course, if you were fortunate enough to find this page through Google and aren’t already following my social media pages, click your preferred one below, follow me and you’ll be one of the first to hear about my posts without having to rely upon the luck of Google again.
