Split, Croatia | Travel Guide

In May this year I had the pleasure of going to Split in Croatia with my uni pals. Split is the second largest city in Croatia and is known for its fantastic Roman and modern sights as well as great food, nightlife and options for exciting day trips!

In this post I will be offering my opinion on the best things to do in Split, where to go, what to see, where to eat and where to stay…

THINGS TO DO IN SPLIT:

Diocletian’s Palace:

Diocletian’s Palace is an absolute must see, and is in fact pretty hard not to see when in Split. The ‘palace’ is made up of a labyrinthine of streets filled with shops, restaurants and bars. In the heart of it, there is a stunning open square which is beautiful at night filled with music creating a calm, happy atmosphere. 

Stalls beneath Diocletian’s Palace:

Beneath the streets of Diocletian’s Palace there is a whole underground street of stalls. We stumbled upon this on one of our last days and I wish we’d found it sooner, not only for the beautiful products being sold, but also due to the fact it was lovely and cool, so great to get out of the sun for a bit.

The market:

Who doesn’t love a good market? The market here is great to get lost in and find plenty of souvenirs, jewellery, postcards and fruit!

The beach:

Going to the beach is pretty much an essential part of any summer holiday, so venturing out to find a beach was something high on our priority list. However, if you’re looking for stunning sandy beaches, this may be difficult as the beach we visited was shingle, but was still ideal for relaxing on. It was a walk out of town, but not too far, just following along the waterfront.

Bar crawl:

If you fancy a night out, there is plenty of choice in Split as everywhere you go there a promoters luring you into their bar crawl nights. We went on the ‘Tower Bar crawl’. It was only 20 Croatian Kuna which included all-inclusive drinks at the first bar which you were at for two hours, and then you’re moved onto another bar and then a club. There was also free pizza! I recommend going on a Friday night if you are in Split in May like we were, as this appeared to be the busiest night to go, compared to other nights in the week where we saw only a handful of people ready to go on it. I’m sure it would be a lot busier in the height of summer however!

Strolling along the Riva:

The waterfront, known as the Riva, boasts beautiful views of the clear sea water and is the perfect spot for an ice cream or crepe! There are plenty of restaurants and bars along the Riva and lots of benches to perch on to watch the world go by. 

PLACES TO VISIT FOR THE DAY:

Krka National Park Waterfalls:

I can’t recommend visiting the Krka National Park enough! It was the best day of our holiday and such a fun experience. Wandering under the trees through the winding paths to see the various waterfalls, wildlife and winding streams was a calm way to spend the day. To finish off, the spectacular views of the gushing waterfall are amazing, and so worth the visit! Sometimes you are allowed to swim in the water, however unfortunately when we went we weren’t allowed to sadly!

There are lots of companies within Split that offer trips to the National park, so have a look around to see what prices/days are best for you.

*Top tip: If you’re a student, make sure to take your student card with you to Split as we managed to get student discount at the waterfalls! The company we went with we only paid for the bus and had to then pay to get into the park once we got there, so be sure to use your student card to make it cheaper.

Trogir:

Trogir is a beautiful little town an hour’s bus ride away from Split. It’s a lovely place to go for the morning or afternoon for a stroll around the quaint streets and little shops. You can get buses from the main bus station in Split for very little money!

Island trips – Brac, Hvar:

Split is on the coast and is so close to many little islands, so it’s great to head to one or two for a day trip out! We were desperate to go to Hvar as we’d heard so many great things about how gorgeous it is, but we unfortunately didn’t plan it well enough so on the day we wanted to go, there weren’t any more ships going. But if you do get the chance, definitely go as it is meant to be beautiful!

Instead, we went to the island of Brac, because the boats going there were more frequent. The island was pretty and it was nice to walk along the waterfront. However we ended up not spending much time there as there didn’t appear to be a lot to do sadly. If you have more time though, we did see a blow up assault course on the water further in the distance, so that might be worth trying if you get the opportunity!

Omis and rafting:

There are numerous activity companies in Split that offer water activities, so if this is your kind of thing, I can recommend going rafting down the Cetina River! Some of my friends did this and loved the experience. 

In the meantime, my friend and I decided to do something a bit calmer and take a boat trip down the river. This was nice and relaxing and super cheap, so definitely something to consider doing if you’re not one for water activities.

For both activities we went with a company called ‘Lestrigon’ who were based in Split and Omis and were really friendly and helpful.

The town of Omis is also nice to stroll around and sit on the waterfront to admire the views of the mountains and the Cetina River. It is however difficult to spend a whole day here, so definitely make sure you have an activity to do rather than just going to Omis for a day out to walk around the town. We got the bus to Omis from Split which was cheap and easy to get.

WHERE TO EAT:

Restaurants –

We found in Split that the menus for many of the restaurants were very, very similar. So if you’re looking for something slightly different to the usual menus, here are some other options that we visited:

- ‘Maslina’ – This was a little hidden away Italian style restaurant. We knew it would be good because it was very popular and we just about managed to get a table. There was quite a long wait for our food to arrive, however it was delicious. I had the lasagne and would definitely recommend it!

- ‘Bepa!’ – This restaurant was definitely our favourite! It is situated in the Palace and is in one of the main squares full of restaurants, so it had a great atmosphere in the evenings. The food was amazing, with there being a wide variety of burgers, pasta dishes and a great choice for vegetarians too. This restaurant was different from all of the others in Split, and definitely stood out due to its unique menu, so if you fancy something different – this is the place to go! I tried both of the pasta dishes and absolutely loved them.

Takeaways and desserts/snacks –

- ‘Riva’ – Situated along the Riva (waterfront), this was our go-to ice-cream parlour. With a huge variety of flavours, it’s not one to miss!

- ‘Luka’ – Luka was situated on our walk back to our apartment so one night we were very tempted by the array of amazing cakes and cheesecakes on display. We gave in and took away various slices of cakes! In all honesty, they looked better than they tasted, but if you have a sweet tooth, it’s hard to resist when you’re passing by so often!

- ‘Wok Bar’ – This little place was along the Riva and was ideal for a quick takeaway. We sat and ate our food along the Riva on the benches facing the sea to watch the sunset, it was so nice! They offer different ‘wok’ specialities including various rice and noodles dishes. I opted instead for a savoury crepe instead which was really nice. This again is a great place that is different to the many restaurants with similar menus!

- ‘Pizza cut’ – This was our favourite takeaway and one we ended up visiting several times… The pizzas were great and super cheap. The takeaway was also right near where we were staying so it was ideal and I’d highly recommend it for a cheap meal!

- Doughnuts and crepes – Mini doughnuts appeared to be a Croatian speciality, which I thought was pretty great! At one end of the waterfront there were a few stalls selling doughnuts in a pot drizzled in your choice of sauce, as well as a huge variety of crepe fillings too! Yummyyyy.

- Bakeries – There are many, many bakeries in the city centre which we made sure to pass on our way out every morning to get our hands on some fresh bread and some of the most amazing Nutella filled pastries I have ever laid my eyes on. They were to die for and a must have every morning!

WHERE TO STAY:

We stayed in the most perfect apartment located just outside of the city centre, with a short walking distance of approximately five minutes to the water front and Diocletian’s Palace! The apartment slept 5 people and included wifi, a TV and kitchen facilities. It was also amazing value for money! The owners were really accommodating and helpful and gave us lifts to and from the airport for free which was incredibly handy! They even had dessert wine, homemade doughnuts and strawberries set out for us when we arrived. Below is a link to the apartment on Air BnB if you’re interested!

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/8258575?location=Split%2C%20Croatia&s=CBRk8BIl

TOP TIPS:

-            Croatian currency is Croatian Kuna, so it is more difficult to get hold of than Euros for example. Therefore make sure you get your money sorted in advance to ensure you can get the amount you want and a good rate!

-          I highly recommend going to Croatia due to how cheap it is! A meal out for example would cost approximately £8-£10, and the transportation such as buses and boats were also very cheap.

-          If you’re looking for a cheap holiday with lots to do, I think Split is the place to go. We went mid-May and booked it in early February. Our accommodation and flights altogether came to approximately £200 each for the five of us, which I think is amazing!

Overall, Croatia is a beautiful country and I’m so glad I visited Split on my first trip there! I hope this helps anyone thinking of going to Split, or even persuades anyone who hasn’t been to go! Thank you for reading :-)