Seeing and Doing
Alfred Hitchock once said Zadar had one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. It’s filled with pebbly beaches and quirky attractions such as the solar-powered Monument to the Sun that comes alight at sunset. The Sea Organ is another installation by the same architect which makes music using sea waves and tubes under the marble steps. The Full Moon Festival takes place annually in July on the night of the full moon. The waterfronts become filled with music and stalls selling fresh produce, lit up by the pulsating candles flames and the hues of coloured lights.
If you can, drive up to the Waterfalls of Plitvice the night before and stay around Rastovaca so that you can visit Plitvice first thing the next day at 7am to avoid crowds
The Gligora dairy on the island of Pag (about an hour’s drive from Zadar) is blessed with warm waters in the winter and secluded bays that make for wonderful sundowners. Alien spotters might also like to tick the Pag Triangle off their list. The curious land formation in the shape of a perfect isosceles triangle is believed to have been the site of a UFO landing. Others claim that it’s a sign of the Holy Trinity.
20 minutes drive from Zadar is Nin. The tiny medieval islet which spans just 500 metres is surrounded by the deep-blue Adriatic and is home to the world’s smallest cathedral, The Church of Holy Cross.
Charter a boat to the Kornati Islands which are great for wild swimming. At the Kornati National Park on the off-radar archipelago, you’ll find a real Mediterranean wilderness, and limestone rock formations riddled with caves once navigated by ancient mariners. Beneath the white sea cliffs of Dugi Otok are otherworldly subaquatic views of coral reefs and bottlenose dolphins. Take a boat to the heart-shaped island of Galesnjak. A ferry ride away from Zadar, you can find the white-sand beach of Sakarun.
Just over an hour’s drive south from Zadar is the historic town of Šibenik, with its picturesque narrow stone streets used for numerous Game of Thrones exterior scenes. The peaceful Medieval Mediterranean Garden in the St Lawrence Monastery is well worth the trip.
Hidden away in the little inland village of Cetina is the source of the Cetina river which runs 101 kilometres long all the way to the Adriatic Sea. The water at the source is as clear as what you’d find bottled up on the supermarket shelves, and the ominous deep hole is over 150 meters deep.
Eating and Drinking
In Zadar, Bistro Kalelarga is good for tasty spider crab and pasta. If you decide to go to any of the waterfront tavernas for food, make sure to order the catch of the day.
At Zadar’s markets, farmers sell artisan products that would cost three times the price in the UK. Try some maraschino, the moreish Dalmatian drink made from marasca cherries that grow just outside of the city.
Where to Stay
Almayer Art & Heritage Hotel is a homely and stylish hotel located in the old town of Zadar
Hotel Boškinac is quintessentially Mediterranean with a cosy candle-lit garden surrounded by vineyards on the island of Pag.
Live like a retired fisherman on the Kornati Islands. We found this secluded and rustic home on its own private cove and this idyllic renovated fisherman’s hut right on the water.
Settle yourself on a private island resort next to Sibenik where you can glamp under the stars or stay in a boutique lodge. At the adults-exclusive oasis you can do morning yoga in the pine forest or on the beach, go kayaking, and visit workshops throughout the week.