Good weather, a beautiful coastline embedded with historical gems, a culinary adventure and one of the top scenic drives in the world- the idea of going on a Croatia road trip has been fuelling my daydreaming sessions lately. While I hope to make a Croatia trip happen this year, I’m excited to share with you this detailed account of fellow blogger Shweta from Zest in a tote taking a road trip from Split to Dubrovnik with her family last summer! Did you know about the Ston Wall in Croatia – apparently the second largest wall in the word after the ‘Great Wall of China’? Read on to know all about exploring Ston on the way from Split to Dubrovnik, trying out local delicacies and having a stopover in Bosnia in this post below. Do share this post with your friends and save it on Pinterest for easy reference later on! Let’s dive into the story:
One of the best road trips in the world
I was opposed to the husband booking a convertible for the initial part of the road trip in Croatia – Zagreb to Ljubljana, and further from Zagreb to Plitvice National park.
“How would we fit in the 3 suitcases and the kiddo?”, I asked.
But he got his wish for the trip from Split to Dubrovnik.
I had initially planned to take a ferry from Split. However, as the itinerary got shaped, we ended up taking an early morning ferry from Vis to Split (no direct connect from Vis to Dubrovnik unfortunately). And then the next ferry from Split to Dubrovnik was a few hours away. It looked unappealing to spend those hours roaming around in Split with our luggage.
The husband suggested, “Do you not want to go along one of world’s top 10 drives?”
How do you say no to that?
So we dragged all the luggage and our 6-year-old from the ferry port to Last Minute Rentals shop on the Riva – the seaside promenade of Split.
Fancy convertible for a family trip from Split to Dubrovnik
Who is up for a road trip? Take me please! This was the fancy ride rented by Zest in a Tote !
The husband had booked a low-slung, good-looking beamer for the day trip. It was ready and waiting for us. All we had to do was sign a few papers at Last Minute Rentals shop, and we were good to go.
Or, so I thought.
The rental shop attendant and my husband tried various combinations to shove all the 3 suitcases in the car boot. It wasn’t going to happen.
Finally, they managed, with some difficulty, to shove 2 suitcases in the boot and the third suitcase and the kid in the back seat.
We were off!
The husband had decided to take the scenic route, hugging cliffs and charming villages on one side and the Adriatic sea on the other. This is longer than the straight-forward highway, but, hey the whole point of the day was to enjoy the panoramic views. We drive through Makarska Riviera, a popular location with visitors on the Dalmatian coast.
Makarska Riviera – about 60 km long – is home to some of Croatia’s loveliest beaches and coastal towns. Doesn’t this look dreamy? Picture: Zest in a Tote
A short stopover in Bosnia
Croatia’s coastline is interrupted by a 9-km stretch of Bosnia-Herzegovina territory. We have our passports ready as we approach the border for a brief visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the border guards don’t even check as we enter the Neum Corridor. No entry or exit stamp on our passports, and without a Bosnia-selfie, no real proof that we have been to this country!
The next checkpoint for re-entry into Croatia, does have passport checking and stamping.
Trying oysters for lunch: Croatian Delicacies
The Southern Dalmatian Coast is home to some pretty seaside towns. We didn’t stop at any of them and headed straight to Ston. Mali Ston – a small town situated right on the water and famous for its oysters – was to be our pit stop for the day.
Once we got to Mali Ston, we chose to park right away and explore on foot. There’s a small road that took us around to the remnants of a castle and right after that, were two restaurants at the waterfront. We then realised we could have driven right up to the restaurant and not walked in the hot sun.
The locals insist that their locally cultivated oysters are the best in the world.
We had been recommended to eat at Kapetanova Kuca, and that’s what we did. They have a nice patio and we got a table there. This was the first time that my daughter and I were trying oysters, so we ordered them grilled and not raw. The taste was chewy and unexpected for my largely vegetarian-Indian-palette. We had ordered grilled fresh fish, which was super.
Croatian delicacy: Oysters in Mali Ston . Picture: Zest in a Tote
Climbing the Ston walls
The day was turning even warmer, and my husband was keen to continue driving to Dubrovnik. I however, had different ideas and convinced him to take a detour to Ston.
Ston, in my opinion, is quite underrated. On the afternoon we visited, there were hardly any visitors around. Even hardcore Game of Thrones fans visit Split and Dubrovnik and not this town in between, where the fortifications around King’s Landing were filmed.
Again, we parked right at the beginning of the town and walked our way around asking for the ticket counter. It is not built close to the Wall’s entrance and took some time to figure out. Plus having a hat on this sunny day would have been useful.
The Walls of Ston are a series of defensive stone walls, originally more than 7 kilometres long (today 5.5-kilometre long wall links Ston to Mali Ston). They surrounded and protected the city of Ston, part of the erstwhile Republic of Ragusa. Throughout the era of the Republic, the walls were maintained to protect the precious salt pans that contributed to Dubrovnik’s wealth. These salt pans are still in use today.
Ston Salt Pans – Picture: Zest in a Tote
The walls of Ston were built in 1333 when Ston became a part of the Republic of Dubrovnik. Their purpose was to defend the Republic and the peninsula.
Originally 7000-meters long, they consist of several parts; the Ston city walls, the Mali Ston city walls and the Big wall with its three forts. Its forts and towers are strengthened by 10 round and 31 square flanking towers and 6 semi-circular bastions.
How can you NOT climb the longest wall in Europe? The walls are second only to Great Wall of China in length.Picture: Zest in a Tote
Climbing the Ston Wall in Croatia : Family travel. Picture: Zest in a Tote
It took a lot of convincing and urging, for the husband to agree to climbing the Ston walls. The daughter was happy to climb.
Ston is one of the most under-visited places in Europe considering its historic legacy. We met exactly 2 people during the walk that hot afternoon.
Last mile from Split to Dubrovnik
The climb, while exhilarating was exhausting because of the heat. It was good to sit back in the car, turn the air-conditioning on full blast and continue to Dubrovnik. Upon entering Dubrovnik, we googled for the Last Minute Rental shop in Lapad where we needed to drop off the rental car.
I admitted to my husband that this road drive, with the convertible top up – the sun in my eyes and wind in my hair – was amongst the most beautiful memories of our Croatian holiday. He couldn’t wipe the grin off his face for the rest of the trip!
Want to know more about Croatia? Check out this two-week itinerary for Croatia
Planning a trip to Europe? Check out these practical tips to keep in mind while doing so!
Thanks to Shweta for taking us on this virtual journey.
Author Bio:
Shweta runs her own travel blog at zestinatote.com. Her focus is on Family & Luxury Travel – destinations, luxury stays, tips on family travel. You can follow her on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram Share this post on Pinterest using the pin-friendly image below:Share on Pinterest: Road trip in Croatia
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