After a few days in Dubrovnik it was time for us to "split" <---- See what I did there? The original plan was to rent a car and drive along the coast from Dubrovnik to Split. But it turns out that those two areas of the country are not connected, and you must drive through Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to get to Split. Gina was travelling on a Jamaican passport so crossing European borders can be an issue. To avoid any visa issues we decided to fly. Flights are only about $150 and although all Croatian Airlines flights connect through Zagreb it wasn't a long flight. We stayed at the Le Meridien Lav Split hotel paid for with 30,000 SPG points (pre-Marriott merger). That is the equivalent of 90,000 Marriott points post merger. American Express and Chase often have Marriott branded cards with bonuses of 75,000 to 100,000.
- Flight: Croatian Airlines - $150 each
- Hotel: Le Meridian Lav Split - 30,000 SPG Starpoints
Diocletian's Palace
The primary historical site in Split is Diocletian's Palace. This Palace is to Split as old town is to Dubrovnik. Diocletian was a Roman emperor who after 20 years in power decided to retire and grow vegetables in Croatia (Seriously, I can't make this stuff up). So he built this palace 1700 years ago. Like in Dubrovnik this place was a fusion of old and new. After the Roman empire fell, people just kinda moved into the palace and never left. There are shops, restaurants and banks built right into the ruins. At the center of the palace is Jupiter's Temple. You can probably give up on getting a great picture here as there will certainly be a bunch of tourists in the background of your shot. There are also 3 Egyptian Sphinxes in the palace that are over 3500 years old. The Romans stole them from Egypt and brought them here. Hard to imagine that these Sphinxes were as ancient to the Romans as the Romans are to us today (do the math).
Out on the Water
After a day of touring Diocletian's Palace, we decided to spend a day out on the water. Our hotel arranged a guide to take us out on a boat to swim in the sea, see some fish, eat some fish and explore some islands. One thing I was not expecting from Croatia was the crystal clear waters. I've traveled to many islands, from the Caribbean to French Polynesia but I don't think I have ever seen water so clear. We dropped anchor off of Brač Island and when you look over the side of the boat you can see straight to the bottom with a clear view of all the fish.
We snorkeled for awhile and hung out on the water for a little bit before heading to lunch on the island. Croatia is excellent for seafood. The menus are always full of fish and you can often find other seafood such as scallops and octopus as well. I think we ate fish twice a day for all six days we were in the country
After lunch we go back on the boat and headed to our next Island: Hvar. In the daytime Hvar has a few things to see and places to get food. There are shops and cafes near the port and town square. You can also go up to the old fortress on the hill to get great panoramic views of the city and the sea. At night Hvar turns into a party island. If you are looking to turn up in Croatia, this is where you'd go. There are dozens of nightclubs and bars and this is one of the stops during Yacht Week in Croatia.
As our time in Split came to a close we packed our bags and headed to the airport for our final stop on this European tour: Stockholm.
Credits:
Gregory Edwards