The mere mention of Croatia conjures up photographs of crystalline blue waters, orange-roofed historic towns, and languid times put in island hopping. But traversing the country’s shoreline by automobile, specifically throughout shoulder time, can be just as breathtaking. A travel together the southern Dalmatian Coastline will bring you to delights normally disregarded by the masses: loved ones-run wineries on extraordinary sloping hills, oyster farms nestled in silent turquoise bays, generations-aged villages, and guarded lakes and rivers that are fantastic for paddleboarding, windsurfing, and kayaking.
Now, with a new bridge uniting northern and southern Croatia, it truly is achievable to see these highlights in just one seamless street journey from Dubrovnik to Split. The Pelješac Bridge, which opened in July 2022 as just one of the most significant European Union-funded projects in record, makes it possible for drivers to finally bypass a slim strip of Bosnian shoreline that beforehand necessary inconvenient (and from time to time prolonged) border checks. For Croatians, the opening of this new composition marks a historic milestone. And for tourists, it suggests simpler street accessibility to Croatia’s unsung—and often much less crowded—rural highlights.
“It’s opening up regions that have been previously unknown and variety of concealed from the map,” says Zrinka Marinovic, community relations manager for Adriatic Luxury Accommodations, a selection of independent luxurious lodges in and in close proximity to Dubrovnik, in which she grew up. “In the earlier, Neretva Valley was not really accessible mainly because we didn’t have the bridge. You had to cross the Bosnian border to get to it and the relaxation of Croatia.”
Whilst a straight-shot generate between the two legendary towns will only take you about 3 hours, you would be remiss not to stop alongside the way. Down below, we share our favorite way to invest 4 days checking out Croatia’s most recent road excursion route.
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When to go
Croatia’s streets and beach locations are at their busiest in July and August, so it’s very best to stop by for the duration of the shoulder months (September, October, May possibly, and June) when the heat and crowds are fewer intense but it is continue to heat enough to swim and love the outdoor.