If you follow me on Instagram, then you already know all about my love for Croatia. It is an absolutely stunning country full of natural beauty, delicious food, and some of the kindest people you will ever meet.Ā Croatia is the perfect destinationĀ for a family-friendly vacation and I definitely recommend you add it to your bucket list. InĀ the past three years, weĀ have traveled throughout almost the entire country, so I'm going to write about each area inĀ separate blog posts. Today, I'm featuring Å ibenik.
History
Å ibenik was first mentioned in history in the 11th century, but evidence shows that humans had been there since the Neolithic period. The city has been ruled by Hungarian-Croatians, Byzantines, and Venetians. It is the oldest city along the Dalmatian coast and one of the only cities in the world with two World Heritage UNESCO sites (fortress of St. Nicholas and St James Cathedral). It was also one of the first Dalmatian towns to have electricity (from the Krka waterfalls).Ā
We loved wandering throughout the old town while we learned about the city's historyĀ with our guide, Sandra.Ā AĀ walking tour is the perfect way to learn about Å ibenik-- we got all the tips on where to eat and how to spend our week. The tour ended with a wine and charcuterie tasting withĀ yummy locally made wines and food + a view of the sunset.
If you want to learn more about the history of Å ibenik, the interpretation center of St. James Cathedral is a fun place to explore- full of artifacts, paintings, a short film that made me cry, and even video games.Ā
Sea
The sea surrounding Å ibenik is crystal clear and perfect for swimming. We took a half day tour to three islands-- Zlarin, Privic and Tijat. Zlarin is known for it's beautiful red coral-- you can visit the museum on the island. Privic has one of the prettiest beaches we have seen in Croatia. And Tijat was theĀ best place to end the tour-- an uninhabited island where we swam and enjoyed the views while treating ourselves to afternoon ice cream and coffee.Ā
If you are a seafood lover,Ā you can't miss theĀ panoramic boat tourĀ in St. Anthony's canal, complete with champagne and oyster/mussels tasting. Croatia is known for it's fresh and delicious seafood and it doesn't get any fresher than this! We enjoyed tasting these delicacies straight out of the Adriatic Sea and then cruising past St. Nicholas fortress.
Krka
You cannot visit Å ibenik without a trip to Krka national park. As it can get quite crowded, we suggest booking a private van to take you straight to the entrance without having to park a car and wait in line for the shuttle buses. Krka is full of natural beauty and waterfalls- the biggest being Skradinski Buk. It's a fairly easy hike and the kids had fun spotting all of the birds, insects, and frogs along the way.
We ordered lunch here and then found a quiet spot to picnic near the waterfall and away from the restaurant crowds.Ā
If you're looking for a place to stay, Visit Å ibenik has the perfect apartment rental across the street from the old town-- it was away from the hustle and bustle and we only had to cross the street to explore. Bonus: there is a coffee shop right outside the front door, so you don't have to go far for your morning caffeine fix.Ā
We've now visited Å ibenik twice and will certainly be back on another trip. It's a great home base to see Krka, Plitvice, Kornati, and even Split is only one hour away. Buon viaggio!
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