I just got back from truly, a trip of a lifetime.
My husband and best friend decided to celebrate the last week of Summer biking through Croatia.
We cycled about 20-40 miles per day along the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia,
from Split to Dubrovnik.
Here is a recap, mostly of photos to give you a taste. We went through a company called Backroads. We highly recommend – they offer trips all over the world.
Day 1
On the first day of the trip, we met our Backroads trip leaders, Dustin and Vran, in Split.
It was cute little town, with not-so-good gelato, but delicious Dalmation swiss chard
and cute healthy spots, like this smoothie stand outside of our hotel.
As you can imagine, my trip started off on a really good note!
From there, we took a an 1.5 hour boat ride to Bobovisca, Brac Island, where we headed off into the hills of Croatia.
I was very nervous to start riding (I’m primarily a yoga and barre class kind of girl) and literally within the first 3 minutes on my bike, there was a HUGE, steep hill! It was a good warm-up for a beautiful ride through the stone villages and thank goodness, the entire trip was not that hard.
Then, we stopped for lunch at a traditional tavern and tasted our first sardines, which we soon fell in love with.
We kept on riding until we reached or hotel, Deskovic Palace. We spent the afternoon resting our quads and swimming with the locals.
How gorgeous is this water?!
A few hours later, we gathered for a festive welcome dinner of slow-cooked regional dishes, including, fresh white fish, tomato and mozzarella on crostini, octopus, and anchovies over a black olive tapenade. Fresh, delicious and so yummy!
Day 2
On the second day, we packed up our bags and headed off to Skrip, the oldest village on the island.
And then we headed toward Vidova Gora – a gorgeous mountain top with incredible views.
Then, we continued to Bol. On the way, we stopped at family’s house for some home-made olive oil.
The father picked these fresh figs that morning. They were beyond delicious.
How cute is the father? He waved at everyone as they rode off into the hills.
We refueled with a delicious pizza lunch overlooking the water and then got back on the boat to head to Hvar, where we jumped off the yacht! (It was a BLAST! But, my ears are still clogged!!)
That night we ate under the olive trees near town. It was such a gorgeous setting – very Mediterranean-esque.
Day 3
We woke up early, had a quick breakfast at the Adriana Hvar Marina hotel and Spa. This breakfast was beyond impressive — chia seeds, flax seeds, even home-made coconut butter, sauerkraut juice, jams, ginger juice and beet juices! my husband and I were in heaven.
We ate breakfast overlooking the water as the sun rose…
Then, we got on our bikes on a nearby backroad and cycled about 28 miles that day! On the way, we stopped off at this cute little lavender stand to stretch, refuel and shop. They picked the lavender on their lavender fields in June so it was so fresh and smelled delightful.
We refueled with some fresh Croatian oranges and then headed to lunch at a locals home.
It was such a special experience — Vinko and Darinka Lupi made us home-made pastas and served home-made cherry juice, grappa and the most delicious rose from the fruit in their garden!
On the way back, we stopped at the cutest town, Jelsa and had the most delicious gelato I’ve ever tasted, from Els Caffe Jelsa.
When we returned, look what I stumbled upon — a farmers market! I was in heaven all over again.
That evening, we enjoyed dinner on our own, with our friends, Ali and Zach at the most spectacular restaurant overlooking the water. Hvar is quite the happening town – full of energy and nightlife. We were quite tired from biking that day but enjoyed our meal to the fullest — the food and service was so impressive.
Here’s a photo that Ali (@bedfordandhyde) took at sunset.
Day 4
Following breakfast, we boarded to Korcula, a cute little island with vineyards, olive trees and forests of pine, oak and cypress. It smelled so delicious, I felt as if I kept on smelling someones perfume! The highlight of Korcula, for me, was the cute little fruit stand outside of our hotel. I asked if she used pesticides and she laughed!
I ate the peach on the spot.
That night, we went to a very special family owned restaurant that has been around for 300 years! The owners and their friends are in an acapella group and serenaded us. Again, an incredibly memorable night.
Day 5
Our last day of biking. This was our last view before heading to lunch.
This is the fish I got during lunch. It was beyond delicious — so fresh, it was just seasoned with a little olive oil and herbs.
After refueling with lunch, we boarded on a small boat and then enjoyed a scenic bus-ride to Dubrovnik.
My husband was obsessed because it’s where Game of Thrones is shot!
Our hotel, The Hilton Imprerial Dibrovnik, looked right out onto the old town’s gates. We had drinks at the most incredible bar overlooking the water and then headed out for our evening farewell rooftop dinner in town.
The day after, my husband, Lee and I, headed at sunrise to the airport for Milan!
We spent two nights in a cute lake town, called Iseo. Our legs were so tired after 5 days of cycling, that we just took it easy, ate pizza, indulged in gelato, deep tissue massages and took a day trip to Monte Iseo.
And now… we’re back home!
As you can see, it was a spectacular trip indeed.
Lee’s birthday is Sunday, so I’m going to host 12 of his friends at our apartment tomorrow night and I still have yet to see my nephews, so this weekend is jam packed with festivities.
Hope you enjoyed following me through out my travels! Can’t wait for the next one — Israel in a few weeks to celebrate my good friend, Maya’s wedding! Pinch me. So damn grateful.
P.S. Hosting a Fall wellness event on Thursday, September 24th at Coco-Mat in Soho, NYC. Come! It’s going to be super fun and delicious. Light dinner (and healthy spiked cocktails) will be served. Info here.
be adventurous. be in awe. be well.
xo
be well
arielle
