From Trogir we drove up the coast to Zadar and took a ferry to the island of Dugi OTOK. We choose this island because it appeared to be less touristy and because we found a little apartment with stellar reviews. We got there in the beginning of September and were told by all the locals how much the season slows down then, and were very grateful for the peace. Our host, I’m blanking on her name, an older local woman probably in her 60s or 70s met us at the bus station and hoped in our car to direct us down the narrow streets of the primarily pedestrian only town of Bozava. We unloaded and she brought us fresh figs, fig jam, and tomatoes from her garden, poured us each a large beer and shots of homemade rakjia - the local fruit brandy. The apartment was fine, with a kitchen we could cook in. It was her hospitality and the crystal clear coast minutes from our door that made the place exceptional. Not knowing what the grocery stores would be like (they were small bodega types) we stocked up before getting on the ferry and were able to cook in most nights. This of course helps out with the budget, but is also so nice when the only food available is overpriced pizza, pasta, and civapcici.

We spent 3 nights here. We arrived in the afternoon and after settling we did a quick stroll of the town, went on a run down the coast and discovered an old Uboat tunnel and enjoyed the view. On day two we “ran” across the island to a small beach, Shkarun. There was a very nice path, but it was rocky and basically straight uphill on the way over so it turned into more of a hike than a run. The beach was one of my favorites so far in Croatia. The water was shallow, and of course crystal clean and it was sandy for probably a half-mile out aside from a few scattered rocks along the shore. Most beaches here are pebbly and rocky, so the sand was an awesome surprise. After a few hours in the sun we “ran” back, on the road this time which proved to be just as challenging since we were going over the same hill, this time in the heat of day with absolutely no shade.

We started the following day with a run along a dirt path lining the coast. It has been so great to get out and exercise, and it has also been a great way to see more of an area with a different perspective. I’m lucky to have Dan on board, pushing us to get out there most days! The rest of the day was spent on the rocky coast of Bozava, where we basked in the sun on the hot rocks and swam in the crisp Adriatic Sea along side the nude sunbathing elders of the town. The water was like a lake, totally still and glistening in the sun.

Spending time island hopping is the way to see Croatia, if we were on a different budget and didn’t have a rental car, we’d likely do a several day boat trip between some of the islands.

The view steps from our Airbnb on Dugi Otok.

Dugi Otok, Croatia | September, 2017