Why Split is the perfect base for an extended stay in Croatia
Our 2 month stay in Split has been the highlight of our first year of travel. For slow travellers like us, it has been a perfect base.
We arrived in Split on Easter weekend. The 1st thing that hits you as a first-time visitor to this region is the rugged topography. A bare, impenetrable mountain range skirts the coast, ranging from Northern Dalmatia down to Dubrovnik and across the border into Montenegro. It is some of the most dramatic scenery you will see anywhere.
Above: It was actually pretty cold when we arrived in Split on April 3rd. Look at the snow on the mountains!
The 2nd thing we noticed were the laid-back people. After the constant hustling and scamming of taxis in the Czech Republic and Thailand, I was a bit aggressive with the taxi driver when asking him how much it would cost to get to the city from the airport. The middle-aged man just kind of shrugged and said “meter, maybe about 40 Euro”. Oh, ok, a meter.
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I’ll write more later about our fabulous Airbnb host. For now I just want to recount the story of our arrival. Vedran met us at our meeting point. He looks a bit rough and we weren’t sure at first if he was friendly. He brought us to the apartment where ‘Mama’ was waiting for us. A beautiful, warm lady, she had cooked us an Easter meal of fish and potatoes. She had also bought us an Easter cake. In the fridge was a large bottle of beer. We talked with them for 15 minutes, sitting at their kitchen table. After a year of staying in various Airbnb apartments, it was the warmest reception anyone had given us. The food and beer ended up being a blessing – because nothing was open Good Friday. Absolutely nothing. We found out that Croatians take their religious holidays seriously.
Atmosphere and Highlights
What makes Split special is that it is a real, functioning city within the boundaries of what was a palace. I’ve covered Diocletian’s Palace in great detail here. While there are other Unesco World Heritage sites in Croatia, Split’s has the largest urban center and is the only one that doesn’t feel like a ‘tourist’ town. You can sit at a square and have a beer along with locals, find grocery stores within the palace walls, and still encounter cafes and restaurants where the majority of the clientele are locals and not tourists. I got a haircut at a small place within the palace that only cost me $8. Things are changing, Split has become more touristy in recent years. But for the most part you can still wander around town and find everyday stuff you need. It’s not Dubrovnik where every establishment is either a souvenir shop, brand name designer store, restaurant or gelato stand….
NOTE: I’ve edited the rest of the post.
I wrote the above in 2015. We came back in 2016, loved Split again, and then came back in 2017 and stayed for a whole year (we left in March 2018). So there’s tons of updated material on Split (and Croatia in general) on this blog.
Some posts that may interest you:
Our Guide to Split. It doesn’t matter if you’re staying a few days or a few months, you’ll find lots of tips and inspiration here.
Our Guide to Croatia. Broader in scope than our guide to Split, it covers places to discover in Croatia.
Car Rental in Croatia. The best way to see the country and you’ll find some tips here.
Many more posts on different Croatian islands and cities/towns HERE.
Some posts for people who might be interested in staying here long-term as we did:
Getting a 1 year “Temporary Stay” in Croatia Part 1. Part 2 here.
On Shipping your belongings to Croatia
On working towards Permanent Residency in Croatia
The Cost of Living in Split (and how it compares to Spain and Portugal)
So why did we love Split? After 4+ years of full-time travel it is still one of the most beautiful places we’ve seen (the only comparable place is the Cape region of South Africa). The landscapes are stunning (I’ve done more hiking here than anywhere else), the people charming. Split has a special vibe and is much more than a summer tourist destination.
Have you been to Split?
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We stayed in Split for three days before visiting Vis and Hvar. We rode bikes around Marjan Hill and swam off the Peninsula, went to Split film festival (heard about that from our Airbnb host) and ate icecream. Loved the place.
Great! It’s terrible – but we missed the islands on our last visit. Planning to go back this year though and exploring all of them.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
I was wondering what could be a good base in Croatia. Thank you for recommending Split. Seems like a beautiful place. The perfect location to begin the exploration of the country.
Yes, we still miss it Laura. You can’t go wrong with Split.
Frank, We only have spent one day in Split and felt it was really overrun with tourists, mostly off of the cruise boats. Even though we thought the city was pretty, it was not a place we wished to spend more time, so it’s great that you’ve really delved into all things great and good about the city.
Hi Corinne. What a shame – yes, it can happen in the summer and especially on weekends it gets busy. When we arrived in April we really had the city to ourselves, it was great. We noticed that first week of May the tourists started arriving and the old town could get quite busy. I can only imagine July and August – I’ve been told that its really packed. Honestly, they’re the worst months because on top of all the tourists you have intense heat. And then there’s the cruise ships…
Europe in the summer months can be a bummer. We don’t like crowds at all and going forward we’ll be visiting Europe in the shoulder seasons. Best time to go.
Great post! We considered Split during our RTW trip (we just got back from the 9 month trip) but, ultimately, went with Sicily, particularly Cefalu. Cefalu in March was so lovely – it was a wonderful place to be. Split is top of our list now of places to go next! Thanks for your post!
Great comment – Cefalu in Sicily? I was wondering how comfortable southern Italy would be in March. Good to know, Sicily a place we’ve been curious about. I’ll make sure to check out your blog.
Happy I could help out with Split 🙂
Wonderful. I particularly enjoyed reading about the people. Maybe I’m somewhat like Lissette in the way you say she is affected by the locals and the vibe.
Are you going to get sick of responding to all this feedback you are getting Frank?
I’m never sick of responding to feedback- I’d get discouraged if nobody was reading! I enjoy the dialogue, hearing other people’s stories, even opposing views. We’ve even had some really good recommendations from readers that we would never have known about otherwise. So always appreciate feedback.
I dont know how I stumbled upon your articles/blog/whatever this is called, lol, but I am loving it. We are heading to Croatia in the Fall for the first time, and I am very curious about the airbnb you stayed at. We have never stayed at one, and are unfamiliar with the experience.
Can you give me the contact information for the one you stayed at, and pleaseeeeeeeeeee keep posting!!!
Thank you,
Chance
Hi Chance!
Actually we’re in Split now and leaving tomorrow – we’re been in the same apartment now (for the last 2 months) that we were in last year. Here it is: https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/3452139
Great location and nice people.
You’ll be coming at the right time – too many people here right now, I don’t recommend July and August.
I’ll be posting more stuff on Split and Croatia over the next months and have some great photos. One of our favorite countries.
If there is anything, don’t hesitate to ask.
Frank
thanks for the always interesting travel articles! re yr article switzerland/lauterbrunnen, just one small remark: you write about the bernese oberland to be situated in central switzerland. in switzerland, however, central switzerland are the counties uri/schwyz/unter/obwalden/lucerne. and as to yr comment on yr geneva dining experience etc: i’d be surprised if yr host was swiss. because in switzerland rich people, meaning old money, don’t show off. this is considered very low class! the newly rich do that!
wish you lots more of good moments abroad
ps have you ever visited porto portugal. that’s one of europe’s gems!
Thanks for the thoughtful comment Evina.
Berner Oberland – looking at the map it is right, smack in the middle of the country! I’m sure you’re technically right about the cantons, but I’ll still stick to my assertion that it is geographically located in central Switzerland 🙂
Geneva – Interesting what you say about old money vs new money. You are right – he is rich but it is new money. And having known him in further detail after having written that post, I would say you are 100% correct about him being low class. Interesting, you are the first person to comment on that post. Appreciate the feedback.
Would love to see Portugal. Went over 20 years ago to Lisbon and the Algarve. But have never been to Porto. I’m sure we’ll make it there in the next year or two, thanks for the recommendation.
What a nice way to wind down before heading to Canada! Your host sounds wonderful, and the views look amazing! What’s not to like indeed. I look forward to visiting this place at some point, probably right down to the airbnb apartment . Nice post. Do you think you guys would come back to Eastern Europe?
Hi Kemkem. We will definitely be back in the region. We want to explore more of Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro. And we want to see Bulgaria, Romania, and Albania as well.
Maybe we can meet up sometime in the future!