Jet Lagged Gianna

My bus took me 5 hours south to a coastal Croatian town called Zadar. It’s one of the few beach-side cities in the country that isn’t completely overrun by tourists looking for a good Game of Thrones tour. I also visited those cities, but we’ll talk about that later.

While researching Croatia, I’d come across one of the most beautiful National Parks I’d ever seen – Krka National Park. I was drawn in by the winding, turquoise rivers that descended into waterfalls. I chose to stay in Zadar because it was an hour and a half away from the park and only a few hours from my next destination (Split).

I stayed in a hostel called Hostel Kolovare which I do not recommend. It’s very far outside of center city and there are literally no windows in the whole building. Actually, the building does have windows, but they were painted black. There was no common space to hang out and be social either. The entire experience was rather depressing. But I didn’t mind too much, because it just meant I had to spend more time in the city or at the beach.

I arrived around 8 pm in Zadar, and all of the grocery stores near my hostel were closed. I had paprika Pringles for dinner that night. I was living my childhood dream of eating chips for dinner.

The next morning, I took a free walking tour around Zadar. It was so informative, and my tour guide was the sweetest. After the tour, I stopped at a traditional looking restaurant that had seating outside. Croatian food is heavily inspired by Italian cuisine. Pasta and fish comprise much of the menu. I ordered my usual – pasta pomodoro.

After lunch, I walked to Zadar’s famous sea organ – a piece of architectural sound art build by Nikola Bašić. The organ is a fascinating work of art. It’s build right on the edge of the water, and as the tide goes in and out, air is pushed up through holes in the ground to make sound. On windy days, you can hear it from all the way down the coast.

I was drenched in sweat from the day, and I needed to swim. I walked out to a stone dock and shed my sundress, then hopped in the cool, deep blue Adriatic. The water felt amazing. It wasn’t too cold, and you could see all the way to the bottom. It reminded me of the water in Cinque Terre, but saltier. The high salt content made floating much easier.

Croatia had my favorite spots to swim on the entire trip.

I climbed out of the water and lay on my sarong. I read or napped until I couldn’t stand the heat any longer and then I would jump in the water for a swim. I was truly living my best life.

I waited until it was dark to head back to my hostel. My dinner was hummus toast with tomato and more Pringles. I swear I eat healthy when I’m not backpacking.

The next morning, a shuttle bus to Krka National Park picked me up at the hostel. I’d arranged the transportation through my hostel the day before.

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Krka National Park is still one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I was floored by the natural beauty. I can’t even describe how amazing this place is, so I will let the photos do it for me. All I can say is wow.

If I could redo this trip, I would have chosen to stay closer to the park. We arrived in the afternoon, so the park was packed with tourists. It was difficult to enjoy the trails because of the sheer amount of people trying to take pictures. If you ever visit this park, stay in a hostel or hotel as close-by as you can and get there when it opens. I would love to see this place during the low season.

I stayed in the park for about 4 hours. I’d met two young Australians on the trails, and we stuck together for the day. We stopped at the tourist station for some lunch (fries for me) and then continued on our journey, stopping to take pictures when we escaped the pockets of tourists.

When I got back to Zadar, I decided I was in desperate need of fresh vegetables. I wandered the streets until I found a fast food stand that had a simple salad on the menu. I paired that with another piece of my hummus toast. I went to bed feeling much healthier that night.

Up Next –> Two Days in Split, Croatia – beach bums and history buffs

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