Eight Day Road Trip in Croatia during COVID

This Semana Santa/spring break, four of my friends and I decided to do an eight day road trip in Croatia. We chose this location as we were all coming from Madrid therefore able to travel to Croatia and all we needed was a PCR test 48 hours before arriving to Croatia and 72 hours prior to arriving back in Spain. This was the best decision I’ve taken all year as there were almost no tourists and we were completely isolated the whole time. Here was our agenda. If you are interested in “How To” guides, please skip to the bottom for their links. (4/11/2021 – Links to be rolled out later this week.)

Day 1 – Arrive into Dubrovnik at 8PM on Sunday
We got our Avis rental car at the airport location, loaded up the car and headed 22 minutes north to get to the Old City of Dubrovnik. In hindsight, perhaps we should have looked at the COVID restrictions but we didn’t and it turns out the city was still relatively closed. This means that during our stay (late March/early April) we were not able to eat at a restaurant – only take out and the majority of stores and restaurants were still closed. Luckily there was no curfew nor was there a mask restriction outside as there is here in Madrid. One of the few places that was opened still past 10PM was Pizzeria Tabasco which was right outside the Old City’s gates and was a lifesaver for us as we haven’t eaten since 4PM. As it was take out only we ate on the steps of the Saint Blaise Church where we were virtually alone.

Day 2 – Split
We got up relatively early to try and enjoy Dubrovnik during the day time and had breakfast at an ‘abandoned’ bar looking out toward the sea. There is just a wooden sign that says ‘cold drinks’ but the views were absolutely gorgeous and as we could not eat breakfast inside we decided to grab some groceries and eat our breakfast there before heading off to Split. Before completely leaving Dubrovnik we visited a viewpoint which we highly recommend called Dubrava Observation Point.

Three hours later we arrive to Split. The roads were beautiful and windy so be careful for those who get motion sick. When we arrived around 4PM we were quick to run to whatever place was open which happened to be a restaurant in People’s Plaza. From there we walked around the city including Diocletian’s Palace and had drinks around the harbor. Around 20 minutes before sunset we went to Marjan Hill which is also a famous view point. Finally having dinner at Bokeria which was an amazing restaurant and wine bar.

Day 3 – Hvar
An early wake up call at 7:30AM in order to get in the ferry lines by 8AM. After an hour and 40 minute ferry ride we arrive to the small island of Hvar and went straight to the AirBnB. Our place was 15 minutes walking from the Hvar city center. Without much to do, taking into consideration COVID and the nature of a small island, we were able to manage to rent a small boat last minute from a local for the afternoon. We ate at Grande Luna in the city center and took off to the nearby islands to investigate. Unfortunately I get boat sick quite easy but we all caught up to have homemade carbonara on the terrace watching the sunset at the end of the day.

Day 4 – Zadar
Luckily enough the ferry back to mainland was at 11:30AM so we had enough time to get up and properly have breakfast once again enjoying the view of our AirBnB. Our friend Tom even took the opportunity to make lemonade off of some lemons he found on the lemon tree. After another two hour ferry ride back we head straight to Zadar. A city perhaps less known than Dubrovnik and Split but a great place to check out with a good mix of old and new. Old being the Venetian gates when you enter the city, the Pillar or Shame and the Roman ruins but the new being the modern city that has sprouted out of the ruins and the contemporary marinas. A must that we had to do was go to the Sea Organ and watch the sunset. Zadar is known to have one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world.

Day 5 – Plitvice National Park
This was by far my favorite part of the trip. We woke up around 9:30 and were at the national park by around 12PM. We brought snacks and sandwiches knowing that this was going to be a full day event. The info lady had informed us that the park would take around five to six hours including a ferry ride to the last quarter of the trip and a bus ride back to take us back to the parking. (In the end it only took three and a half hours.) It was my favorite part of the trip because typically national parks are packed especially I would have imagined this one as it is one of the main attractions of Croatia. But due to COVID, etc, there was absolutely no one. No one! We essentially had the park to ourselves and took some amazing photos that you normally would not be able to get unless you go at 7AM in the morning. There were a few places where you can purchase food and snacks but definitely a must to visit if you go to Croatia. Afterward we headed back to Zadar, had some ice cream at the sea organ right around sunset and drank at a local bar Deja Brew until they closed at 11PM,

Day 6 – Split & PCR Test
In order to board the plane to go back to Madrid we had to get a PCR test in Croatia up to 72 hours before we arrived to Madrid. The cheapest we were able to find where we could also reserve in advance was in Split for 55 euros (I believe it was an additional 5 euros to get the results in English so the total was 60 euros.) In order to get same day results (just in case) we had to take the test between 8AM and 10AM. After we were done taking the test, we decided to stay and check out Split a little more now that we had some free time before heading back to Dubrovnik where all restaurants were closed. We bought a 9.50 euro ticket to the City Museum of Split, Saint Domnius Cathedral and the Bell Tower. In total, that took us a little less than an hour and we walked toward a beach that was around the harbor and had drinks at Bacvice Beach Bili As and settled to have lunch at Chop & Grill. Finally, around 3:30PM we left to Dubrovnik.

Day 7 & 8 – Dubrovnik
The forecast was rain for the last two days of our trip but to luckily it only rained at the night time when we were already in bed and during the day just sprinkled a little on the first day back to Dubrovnik. The last two days were spent doing the Dubrovnik Old City Walls tour, Lovrijenac Fortress, ice cream breaks here and there and wrapped up the trip by visiting two small fisherman towns Mlini and Cavtat.

Links to the individual, full “How To” guides of Croatia. (4/11/2021 – will be uploaded later this week!)
Dubrovnik
Split
Zadar
Plitvice National Park


Have you been to Croatia? Have you travelled during COVID? What was your experience?