Holiday Homes in Croatia

Croatian cuisine is sometimes referred to as the 'cuisine of the regions', as the food has its own character depending on where you are in the country. In general, Croatian food has strong influences from Italian, Austrian and Hungarian cuisine. Some of the delicacies include prsut, which is an air-dried ham, and paski sir, a cheese from the island of Pag, which is aged for a whole year.

The country's location on the Mediterranean Sea means that seafood is widely used, and if you want to eat the best fish, visit the Nostromo restaurant in Split, where the food comes straight from the fish market. Restaurant Nautika in Dubrovnik is considered one of the best in Croatia. Situated on a terrace with an unbeatable view of the city's ring wall, and with world-class food, a visit to Nautika is a memory for life.

Summer is the best time to rent a holiday villa in Croatia. You can expect plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the high twenties. Coastal locations stay pleasantly cool, even in the hot weather due to the breeze from the Adriatic Sea. There are plenty of villas with pools on offer and most popular tourist spots are near the coast, so you'll always be able to go for a swim to cool off!

July is the driest month and has little rainfall, followed by August and June. From April to September Croatia enjoys a minimum of ten hours of sunshine and even in the winter months, sea temperature remains at a very agreeable 14°C.

The ancient city of Dubrovnik's cobblestone streets beckon cultural explorers. Walk around the defensive ramparts of the medieval section, a 1.2-mile circuit that takes you past some of Dubrovnik's highlights, including cannons, fortresses, and ancient towers. The views of the Adriatic Sea along the way are spectacular.

The city of Split was first built within a Roman Palace in AD302 by Emperor Diocletian. The Old Town, only open to pedestrians, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spend a day walking through the narrow streets and visiting the magnificent Cathedral of St. Dominus. The many holiday villas with pools around Split make a good base for your Croatian holiday.

Escape the crowds and head to Plitvice National Park, an area of natural beauty on Croatia's less popular mainland. The park is made up of 16 lakes joined by waterfalls that cascade down steep cliffs. You can walk through the park on a series of bridges and footpaths, or take boat tours of some of the larger lakes.

Catch a ferry to one of the smaller islands and head out on a bike trail to explore. There are plenty of places that hire bikes on the larger islands. You can take a guided tour as well.

Taking a family vacation to Croatia is a great experience and it is a child-friendly country. For starters, it's a relatively short travel time, and the time zone is the same, so there's no adjustment. Some of Europe's most beautiful beaches are in Croatia, many of which are shallow, so kids can move around freely. Punta Rata in the town of Brel is one such beach, and the beach has also been named one of the ten most beautiful in the world.

Dubrovnik Aquarium is a great place to visit.

The warm climate means that nightlife in Croatia is very much an outdoor affair. While there are a few high-end clubs, you'll find more locals in casual bars. Oliver Twist bar, D’Vino wine bar and Nonenia are all popular haunts in Dubrovnik, and Capitano and Factory have low prices and music late into the night.

If you rent a holiday villa in Split, St-Riva, Shook and Gaga Bar are all notable drinking establishments. In the summertime, many people spend the evening relaxing in the many street-side restaurants. Seafood is especially popular given Croatia's extensive coastline.

Many of Croatia's beaches aren't sandy, though there are some along the coastline that are great for kids. Sakarun Beach on Dugi Otok is one of the best for young children. There's plenty of sand for building sandcastles, and the small waves make swimming safe. Many of Croatia's beaches are covered in smooth pebbles and are fun to visit as long as you take shoes to protect your feet.

Go truffle hunting in Istria's Motovun region. Take a guided trip with truffle hunters – kids love walking through the forest with the hunters' friendly dogs and looking for buried treasure. At the end of the hunt, stop in at a local shop and buy some truffle-based delicacies.

Biserujka Caves, on the island of Krk, are perfectly safe for young children. Explore the caves with your family on a guided tour and learn about the cave system's various stalagmites and stalactites. You can also take an extended tour that includes a short educational walk to a second nearby cave system.

Visit Aquarium Split to see over 130 species of fish found in the Adriatic. The well-designed aquarium has plenty of interactive exhibits to keep children happy.

In northwest Croatia, charming Pula is the largest city on the Istrian peninsula. Every year, the city is bathed in starlight as the annual Pula Film Festival takes place. Held in mid-July, the film festival is the oldest in the country and is now in its 64th edition. The venue for the film screenings is not just any venue, but one of Croatia's most powerful buildings, the Roman amphitheater Pula Arena. Not only is it one of the best-preserved ancient arenas in the world, it is also the sixth largest.

The Plitvice Lakes National Park

"Plitvice in my heart, the park of lakes, that's you". Located between Croatia's largest cities, Split and Zagreb, the Plitvice Lakes National Park consists of 16 different lakes linked by waterfalls. The national park is a magical experience with lush nature, rich in bird species and the roaring sounds of the rippling water. Between the kilometer-long lakes you can cross rope bridges, or rent a boat to float along.

Dubrovnik Ring Wall

In beautiful Dubrovnik, you'll find one of Europe's wonders: the nearly 2200-yards-long ring wall that surrounds the city. Construction of the wall began in the 12th century but was not completed until the 17th century. In some places, the wall extends 80 feet in height, giving you a great view of the Croatian Riviera. On the outside, down on a cliff right by the water, you'll find the popular Café Buza, where you can cool off with a cold drink.

Mljet

From the Dubrovnik Ring Wall, you can also see the 'Green Island', as Mljet is called because of its flowering vegetation. Not only does the island have great beaches and a Mediterranean climate, but it also has an outstanding national park where you can explore caves, snorkel in freshwater lakes and water ravines. If you're up to it, you can climb the 820-feet-high Montokuc peak for the best view of the national park on the island.

Istria

Istria is a peninsula known for its beautiful beaches. One of the most popular is near the town of Rovinj and is called Lone Bay. It is especially designed to suit families with children, as there are plenty of activities such as pedal boats, bike rentals and a small water park. In the town of Purec, you'll find one of Croatia's most notable buildings, the 5th-century Basilica of Euphrasia, which is decorated with stunning mosaics.

Zadar

Zadar is one of Europe's oldest cities, dating back some 3000 years. Old monuments and buildings from Roman times mixed with newly built neighborhoods after the bombing of the Balkan War, make the city an exciting place to discover. It is highly recommended to take a city walk along Forum Square, which was built by the Romans in 100 BC. The square features some of the most ancient buildings in the city, such as the church of St. Danube from the 10th century.