Alright, so, let me tell you about my Croatia trip last summer. I love Croatia, right? Beautiful sea, those island things, cool old towns. But last time? Total zoo. Felt like swimming in a can of sardines. Didn’t wanna repeat that nightmare. Found some random forum posts claiming they knew “secrets”. Figured, what the heck, why not try it myself? Spoiler: some worked shockingly well. Some… not so much.
First Thing, Avoiding Dubrovnik Insanity
Landed in Dubrovnik. Everyone flocks there. Big mistake. Huge crowds walking the walls. It’s like they’re giving away free money or something.
My plan? Didn’t stay overnight. Seriously. Booked a room way outside the city. Small village nearby. Super quiet.
Woke up crazy early. Like, crack-of-dawn early. Ate some yogurt. Grabbed coffee. Drove down to the Old Town gates before even 7 am. Parking was still easy, imagine that!
- Walked the Walls Empty: Bought tickets online way before. Walked straight in. Hardly anyone up there for like an hour. Felt like I rented the whole place. Just me and the seagulls. Unreal. Sun coming up over the ocean… yeah, that was worth the 5 am alarm.
- Bailed Before Lunch: Finished the walls around 9:30 AM. Town starting to fill up. Saw the cruise ship crowds marching down from the docks like an army. Hopped in my car and left. Felt smug driving out while others drove in.
Ditched the Famous Islands
Everyone wants Hvar. Or Brač. Instagram overload. Instead, looked north to Kvarner Gulf islands. Some Croatian friend mentioned Cres once, ages ago. Sounded obscure enough.
Booked a ferry ticket to Cres, feeling adventurous. Smaller boat, not a floating city. Awesome.
Arrived in Cres town. First impressions?
- Quiet Beaches Found Easy: Seriously, walked maybe ten minutes along the coast, found a cute little cove. Pebbly beach, turquoise water, couple of old guys fishing. Zero fancy umbrellas. Zero techno music blaring. Just the sound of waves. Packed a picnic – best lunch ever.
- Ate Where Locals Ate: Checked little back streets for restaurants. Looked for menus only in Croatian. Found this tiny konoba. Rough wooden tables. Grilled fish that tasted amazing, simple salad. Nobody was dressed to the nines. Perfect. Cheap too.
The “Secret” Plitvice Lakes Hack
Heard Plitvice is stunning. Heard it’s a walking traffic jam. Really wanted to see it though.
Researched frantically. Found one super weird tip: Enter through Entrance 2, not Gate 1. Gate 1 is everyone’s default. Looks easy. Is a trap.
Skeptical, but tried it. Got there just before official opening. Little line at Entrance 2. Bought ticket, went in.
Instead of heading toward the big waterfalls immediately with everyone else? We took the bus UP first. Hopped off at the very top lake station. Hardly any people up there. Walked the boardwalks DOWNstream, backwards to the crowds climbing up.
- No Crowds Fighting Up: Met the bulk of people maybe halfway down. By then they looked tired, sweaty, trying to climb up the paths. We were walking down easily. They looked miserable; we felt fresh.
- Hit Main Falls Later: Got down to the famous waterfalls a bit later. Still busy, sure. But because we’d already enjoyed miles of quiet trails, didn’t feel so stressful. We’d seen them “alone” already on the upper levels!
Some Stuff Didn’t Work… At All
Found some “secret gems” online.Total bunk.
Chased down one “hidden waterfall spot”. Dirt road led to a locked gate and “No Trespassing” sign. Fantastic. Waste of petrol.
Also tried eating at a “local favorite” restaurant mentioned on some blog. Place was slammed, mostly with people clearly reading the same blog. Food was average. Waiter was stressed. Lesson learned? Truly local spots don’t get blogged. Look for places without English photos plastered everywhere.
Bottom Line
You can beat the crowds here. Mostly.
- Timing is EVERYTHING. Early mornings = golden hour (literally). Leave before the mob arrives.
- Get Off the Main Path. Famous islands? Overrun. Pick the less shiny ones. Cres rocked my world.
- Enter from the Back Door. Plitvice Entrance 2 strategy saved my sanity. Find those alternative routes.
- Manage Expectations. Not every “tip” pans out. Sometimes you end up at a locked gate. Part of the adventure, I guess?
Ended up feeling more relaxed this time. Actually saw the beauty without sweating on ten people. Definitely doing Croatia this way again. Totally worth the slightly crazy planning.
