The Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Game of Thrones tour!
Plus** Off-the-beaten-track Med Style Travel Tips
I had heard so many wonderful things about Croatia over the years, but had never been. So when an invite came from a dear friend with a house there, I jumped at the chance to explore another part of the Med!
Croatia, as a Mediterranean travel destination, has been a well kept secret. A member state in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1945-1991), Croatia’s tourism growth spirt only began in the late 1990s - and has really taken off since joining the European Union in 2013 (The Euro is now Croatia’s official currency since 2023).
Since then travellers have compared Croatia to Med Travel icon, Greece, with an abundance of beautiful islands and charming sea-side towns. Also, just across the clear blue Mediterranean-Adriatic Sea from Italy, Croatia shares a similar and glorious Mediterranean climate. Croatia has been voted a favourite for sailing and swimming with some of the Med’s cleanest water.
"Croatia has unpolluted marine areas with nature reserves and 116 Blue Flag beaches. Croatia was ranked first in Europe for swimming water quality in 2022 by European Environmental Agency." -- Wikipedia
I landed in the Medieval sea-side city of Split, and took a ferry to the island of Vis. We swam, biked and ate our way around this idyllic island.
Fun fact: In 2017 the movie Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was filmed on location on Vis - and season 4 of HBO series Game of Thrones was filmed on location in Split.
In this blog I share what I found in Split, and our off the beaten track adventure on the laid back island of Vis - with Med Style recommendations for hotels, great food, and one-of-a-kind places to explore.
GETTING THERE
SPLIT
My friend recommended a meander around Split on arrival. I was intrigued to visit the old city - the site of the Palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian.
Strait off the plane I found a walking tour - for just €20 - with a lovely local guide, as I waited for friends to arrive from across Europe. If you are a history geek like I am, (or for those of you who are fans of the HBO series Game of Thrones), a walking tour of Diocletian’s palace is a must! Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979 - you can also visit the site without a tour for free.
The palace, now Split’s vielle ville, was founded as the Greek colony of Aspálathos in the 3rd or 2nd century BCE, and in 305 CE, it became the site of the Palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian.
I learned on my walking tour that Roman emperor Diocletian had built the palace for his retirement.
"It is perhaps Diocletian's greatest achievement that he reigned twenty-one years and then abdicated voluntarily, and spent the remaining years of his life in peaceful retirement." Diocletian was one of the few emperors of the third and fourth centuries to die naturally, and the first in the history of the empire to retire voluntarily." -- Historian A.H.M. Jones via Wikipedia
You enter Split’s old town through one of four gates - The golden, silver, bronze and iron gates - where you can instantly imagine the opulent and heavily fortified sea-side palace of its former glory.
Entering from the gardens outside the north gate, the golden gate - originally the Main gate from which the Emperor entered the complex - you are greeted by medieval costumed “guards” - staged for tourists, but effective to bring you back in time and readying you for what you are about to see inside…
My tour guide explained that the Emperor loved Egypt and brought to the decorative style of his palace Egyptian granite columns, fine marble and 3500-year-old granite sphinxes. The granite columns and some sphinx have been well preserved and you can see them en vivo on the Peristyle, the monumental court of the palace.
Above the Peristyle, you enter the site of the Emperor’s private residence. There is an impressive vestibule, a rotunda, where the Emperor is said to have greeted his private guests. On my tour there was a quartet of singers, who gave a traditional a cappella impromptu concert for us, to showcase the fantastic acoustics of the vestibule.
Following a fascinating 2-hr tour I greeted my friends at a stylish rooftop bar & restaurant overlooking the sea - ROOF 68 - as we waited to take the ferry to the Island of Vis.
THE ISLAND OF VIS
Following a leisurely 2.5hr ferry ride with spectacular views of Croatia’s islands, we arrived to the island of Vis - It is the farthest, and most remote, inhabited island off the Croatian mainland.
The ferry arrives to the main port - where you see a sea of fishing boats and yachts - and a lovely palm tree clad promenade, surrounded by an idyllic picture-scape of the island village of Vis. The town wraps around the inlet of the cove, with shops and restaurants along the seafront’s main road.
Vis was used as a naval base for the Yugoslav People's Army until 1989.
After Croatia became independent in 1991, the many abandoned buildings are being used for civilian purposes and tourism, including tunnels, bunkers and a secret submarine base.
WHAT TO SEE/DO
5-Day ISLAND ADVENTURE TOUR on Vis
This was our blissful Island schedule for 5 days:
Wake up, coffee, light breakfast
Bike to a beautiful beach (different beach each day)
Swim
Lovely sea-side lunch
Swim, explore
Bike back to home base
Shower and get ready for dinner
Terrace pre-dinner cocktails
Dinner
Terrace after dinner drinks
Sleep
REPEAT!
BIKING TOUR
The best way get around Vis is by bike! Our friend and host had bikes on hand, but you can also rent bikes and e-bikes inexpensively at many bike shops in the village centre.
MAMA MIA MOVIE & BOAT TOUR
In 2017 the movie Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was filmed on location on Vis. If you are a lover of ABBA's music and he Mama Mia films (as I am), you can see the film any given Wednesday at Vis' open-air movie theatre right on the sea! It is a beautiful and fun experience.
The next day, inspired by the movie, we took a private boat hire to visit the sea-access only location of the movie.
LOLA
In Vis village centre there is a lovely garden restaurant with amazing food. A perfect spot to enjoy the delightful evenings in Vis.
KARIJOLA
For the best Pizza in Vis village, while you enjoy the cool breeze and views of the sea, Karijola was a favourite!
POJODA
For incredible seafood, we dined at the famous Pojoda restaurant in Vis - simply glorious!
JASTOZERA
You may recognize this historical seafood restaurant from the Mama Mia II movie. It is so unique, completely hovering over the water with the daily catch of lobsters in full view in the water below... Find Jastozera in the village of Komiza on the island of Vis.
WHERE TO STAY
As we were lovingly hosted at our friend's gorgeous Med Home on Vis, we were not in need of a hotel. However, I found these two hotels on booking.com, where I would venture to stay on Vis...
MED ISLAND ESSENTIALS
Water Shoes - the Med's beaches are stone beaches as opposed to sand, which can be hard on the feet! To optimize your enjoyment of Med beaches I fully recommend getting a pair of water shoes - inexpensive and well worth it!
Mini Portable Fan - to brave the heat of Med Summer, a personal fan will keep you cool while on the go!
Hats! Get your hat style on to maximize your time under the Med sun :)
Visiting Croatia expanded my view of all that the Med has to offer. This first introduction left me wanting to see and experience more!
A special shout out to our good frined and tour guide extraordinaire, the lovely Monica, for opening up her beautiful Med Home to us, and for introducing us to the blissful island of Vis!
Final word from the great Emperor...
People begged Diocletian to return to the throne in order to resolve the conflicts that had arisen through Constantine's rise to power and Maxentius' usurpation. Diocletian famously replied:
If you could (see) the cabbage that I planted with my own hands (you) definitely wouldn't dare suggest that I replace the peace and happiness of this place with the storms of a never-satisfied greed.
Well said! The Dalmatian region of Croatia is a place to slow down, relax, and escape any troubles of your world.
Share your favourite spots in Croatia in the comments!
Jade
Lewon
Med
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