Summer 2015 - 4th Post (Croatia)

25th to 31st May 2015

Novalja (Pag Island)

Camping Stasko for a week. Some rain the first couple of days then dry, hot and sunny. Pottered around the local town, campsite and beaches. A touch of culture, spent an hour looking for a signposted Roman aqueduct - never found it - although, I did find some mosaics near the town church.

Cycle paths are interesting....one I followed went through the middle of a working quarry and concrete plant - looks like Croatia hasn't caught up with the rest of the EU's obsession with H&S. Encouragingly, there were signs for eye, head and foot protection. Spotted a couple of Bee-eaters, when I was out walking one evening, got a strong flash of light blue under bellies as they flew quickly past into some rocks and trees.

Pag Island and Mainland Mountains in the Background

Novalja Town - pinched from internet and horribly out of focus

 

Pag Town - from the (only) road


 

31st May to 3rd June 2015

Novalja (Pag Island) to Lozovac
Section 90 miles
Total 2907 miles

Headed south down the coast and inland a bit to stop at the Krka NP. Basically a deep wooded ria, with waterfalls, cut into a limestone plateau. Goodness, what a tourist trap! Passing through the main town, Skradin, on the way to the campsite where I planned to stay I was waved down and yelled at by people trying to divert me into roadside camping spots, car parks and offering 'trips'. Then having settled down at the campsite and walked back to Skradin, for some shopping, I found that it cost £9 to go into the NP and that only accessed a 4km track to a waterfall. Bugger that! I've got short arms. The town was interesting - big marina with loads of yachts and cruisers, Dalmatia is heaving with them, castle, church and so forth. Seemed very popular with the locals for a weekend visit. Just pottered around for a couple of days in the ongoing hot and sunny weather.

Skradin - Krka National Park
View cycling down from the Campsite

Krka National Park - River above Skradin

 

3rd June to 9th June 2015
Lozovac  to Trogir
Section 42 miles
Total 2949 miles

Back to the coast, actually hard to avoid as Croatia is long and thin. Localised developments along this part of the coast; but, all small, low rise and mainly apartments with the odd hotel.

Stopped of at Camping Belvedere, near Trogir for a week. Large terraced site eventually dropping down to a rocky beach. Sandy beaches are a novelty here - I have only seen one at  Nin. I guess it's because there are no large rivers throwing sand and silt into the sea on the Adriatic coast and that the coastline is all limestone which doesn't weather and erode to produce silica sand. Little bit of walking and a lot of just sitting around as it was extremely hot up to about 34C at lunchtimes, fortunately a few thunderstorms cooled things down to about 30C for the last couple of days. Walked along the coast to Trogir, early on the last day before it got too hot. A UNESCO heritgae site with lots of churches and Venetian style buildings (Dalamtia was purchased by Venice from the Ottamans, I presume, at the beginning of the fifteenth century) on a small island linked to the mainland on both sides by bridges.

Trogir - Cathedral

Trogir- Courtyard of one of many Churches

Trogir - Town Walls

Trogir - Town and Waterfront

Trogir - Street View

And another one

Trogir - Rocky beach just couth of the Campsite
Campsite is in the trees on the wooded headland in the centre - massive site about 900 pitches
but well hidden in the trees.

 

10th June 2015
Trogir to Trpanj
Section 92 miles
Total 3041 miles

Slow drive down the coast road (impossible to drive quickly) skirting Split - looked far to busy and congested (pop about 200,000) and therefore missed Diocleatian's Palace. After about twenty miles the coast is developed but all small scale and some gorgeous  mountain scenery along the coast - unfortunately the weather was so hazy it was impossible to take any decent photographs. Took the ferry from Ploce to Trpanj in the afternoon to get on to the peninsular that avoids going through Bosnia (no van insurance for Bosnia as it isn't in the EU) to get to Dubrokvnik (still about 100km further south). Staying at a small campsite a couple of kilometres south of Trpanj which is right on the beach in a wooded cove. Dead quite and peaceful.

Trogir to Trpanj - Coastal Mountains



Trogir to Trpanj - Coastal mountains and road south of Split (main road at the top of the cliffs)
Really heavy heat haze most of the last few days.

 

Approaching Trapnj - Staying in the cove just off the left hand side of the picture

 

Departing Ploce - from the ferry - weird apartment blocks!