Croatia: Islands & Mountains

Fly to Dubrovnik; transfer to hotel.
*Comfortable Hotel*

Day 2

After breakfast we take a short transfer (about 25 minutes) to the village of
Gornji Obod. From here we follow a path that zig-zags its way up to the
village of Velji Do. After a break, the walk continues up to Strazisce Peak,
and at the top we are rewarded with spectacular views back over Dubrovnik and
can see the commemorative cross in memory of the US aircraft which crashed
delivering aid in 1996. We return to Velji Do and then transfer back to
Dubrovnik where we have the afternoon to enjoy the city. The shelling of
Dubrovnik by Serb troops in 1991 and 1992 outraged the world. Fortunately
over the last 10 years great care has been taken to re-build the damaged
parts of Dubrovnik and the city has now returned to its former glory. The
cobblestoned streets of the old town, or Stari Grad, features fountains,
churches, palaces and museums – all built from the same light coloured
stone. There are no motor vehicles in the city but at night the streets come
alive as locals and visitors take an early evening stroll along the Stradun
– this is the main street and is covered in smooth shiny marble.

Day 3

After breakfast, we will transfer by bus to Tucepi. This transfer takes about
3.5 hours including a coffee break en route. Once in Tucepi we begin our walk
to Makarska, through the Biokovo mountains. The Biokovo massif rises up
steeply above the Makarska Riviera in three spectacular shelves, providing
hiking at all levels and fabulous views. Our destination of Makarska is a
small but lively town, tastefully restored in stone after a devastating
earthquake in 1962. It has a fantastic 2km stretch of beach, so if we have a
bit of time we can take a refreshing dip before we head for the island of
Brac. We will catch the ferry from Makarska and transfer to Bol, by far the
biggest draw on the island of Brac.

Day 4

We start today with a 20 minute transfer to the small village of Gazul, and
from here we begin our walk to the peak of Vidova Gora (780m). The first part
of our walk will take us through woodland for around 1.5hrs as we gradually
ascend 230m to the summit of the highest point on Brac Island. The views from
the top of Vidova Gora are spectacular as we can see all the way to the
island of Hvar in the distance and the famous 500m long spit of Zlatni Rat
jutting out to sea in the foreground – this view is one that features on
many postcards in Croatia so make sure to bring your camera! From here, our
walk is downhill for around 2hrs towards the town of Bol. In the afternoon
you can make the most of the glorious beach of Zlatni Rat. It is south
facing, so ideal for an afternoon of rest and relaxation.   

 

Day 5

We begin with a morning ferry transfer to Split, Croatia’s second biggest
city. The old centre is compact and easily explored on foot, with the main
draw is Diocletian’s Roman Palace. The town as a whole is a lively and
friendly place with a bustling café culture, so it is simply a nice place to
stop, have a coffee and soak up the atmosphere. We then have a transfer
(approx. 84km) by bus to Krka National Park. Here we begin our walk to the
Skradinski Buk waterfalls, made up of a series of waterfalls dropping down in
17 dramatic steps. The area is accessed by wooden walkways and forest paths.
The area is also fantastic for wildlife – it is now an important wildlife
sanctuary with several species endemic to the region or now extinct elsewhere
in Europe. The walk will take around 2.5 hours and is all on easy paths. In
the late afternoon, we transfer to Starigrad Paklenica.

Day 6

Today we have a walking tour of the National Park Paklenica. Paklenica is
home to the two impressive canyons of Velika and Mala Paklenica, vertically
cut into the mountain where climbers from all across Europe come to test
their skills and conquer these vertical assents. In a relatively small area
of the national park, there are several unusual karst forms and caves, and
the area is extremely rich in flora and fauna. Our 7.5 hour walk starts with
a short jeep ride up to Veliko Rujno (850m), and from here we climb 300m for
fantastic views over the park. Our walk is then mostly downhill as we have
1150m of descent through the quietest areas of the park, the village of
Ramici and finishing in the main canyon itself. In the afternoon we return to
Starigrad Paklenica.

Day 7

Today we have another opportunity to explore the wonderful wilderness of
National Park Paklenica and complete the most challenging walk of the trip.
We walk to the saddle of 'Pod Jaginim Kukom' which has a great view up to
Bojin Kuk. The Bojinac group is made up of a vast area of limestone, with the
karst scenery forming towers of rock, furrowed limestone cliffs, caves and
soft green meadows creating a contrast against the severe rock. It is an area
of outstanding natural beauty and a walkers paradise. Today's walk takes
about 5-6 hours, the terrain is quite challenging and rocky and requires our
concertation, steady footing and good balance. En route, we pass the unusual
Mirila graves. This afternoon we return to Starigrad Paklenica in time for a
swim and relaxation before leaving Croatia tomorrow.

Day 8

After breakfast we have a bus transfer to Zadar airport; fly to London.