While it’s true I leave a part of my heart with nearly every country I visit, Croatia and her endlessly diverse beauty has left me more enchanted than I’ve ever experienced abroad. The summit of her beauty (if it’s even possible to reach that summit) was experienced at Krka National Park, one of Croatia’s UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Backtrack: When I stepped onto the scorching tarmac of the Split airport, I had a lofty itinerary in my notebook and in true type-A personality style, a firm plan – one of those notches on my to-do list was to visit Plitivice Lakes. Then travel happened. I became so entranced with the Dalmatian Coast and all her neighboring islands that I decided it was more worthwhile to spend all 13 days of my trip in this region – so Plitivice took the backburner for next year and I decided to visit Croatia’s lesser known display of spectacular nature: the waterfalls at Krka National Park.
But trust me, there was nothing “less” about this experience.
Walking through this densly stunning park was like existing in another world, a jungle-esque paradise of nature and an untouched haven of Croatia’s raw beauty. Despite the herds of tourists during high-season, there isn’t one leaf or stone out of place – it’s as if nature smiled upon this pocket of earth and decided it will maintain it’s stunning atomosphere for eternity. The cascading waterfalls pour into the turquoise river, creating a current of clarity and a glistening lense to the schools of fish and water life dancing harmoniously at the bottom.
Visiting the waterfalls at Krka National Park was easily one of the most beautiful memories I’ve created abroad and one I’ll undoubtedly treasure for the rest of my life. I recommend that every modern jetsetter passing through Croatia makes it a priority to either rent a car to drive to these surreal waterfalls (only 30 minutes from Split) or embark on this tour through a local agency (Krka Tours is great and gives you plenty of time at the falls). Here are five things to know to make your visit to Krka National Park the most magical of your Croatian experience.
Prepare for Arrival
When coming to the park with a car, you’ll enter a rather “normal” looking recreational area with a huge parking lot and a few buildings for snacks, souvenirs and the ticket shop. Park your car here and buy your ticket. You’ll then have the option of taking a 10-minute bus ride down the Naples-level curvy road to the unwordly gorgeous waterfall area or you can walk down for incredibly spectacular views. You’ll have the same option when returning to your car. For food, there are snack options near the waterfalls or you can always bring you’re own treats if you wish for healthier options – Croatia has AMAZING fruit so I stocked up on watermelon and nectarines at the local farmer’s market before our trip.
Bring a Bathing Suit, Hiking Shoes and Walking Shoes
These are the three pieces of attire that you absolutely need to bring to Krka. There is nothing worse than being one of the many travelers who can’t jump into the glowing gorgeous turqouise dream water because they didn’t think of bringing a swimsuit – which I promise you’ll want to do immediately upon arrival! The water shoes are a must for swimming and avoiding sharp stones – lakes, rivers and beaches in Croatia tend to be stone-heavy. Lastly, in order to take in the full view of the park, skip the bus ride down! Bring shoes you’re comfortable hiking in for the way down and up. The photo opps make it all worth it.
Arrive Early for Boat Excursions
Krka is more than just the waterfalls – the park is VAST and dripping in Croatian history at every turn. Krka offers several excursions of the park and its unique ancient fortresses and monastaries. Arrive early, especially during high-season. These excursions sell out fast.
Make a Day of It
This is why I tell every reader of mine to rent a car for Croatia (I used Sixt for this trip) – you can create your own schedule. The tours during high-sesason tend to have a tight schedule and prevent you from exploring and enjoying this incredible park at your own pace. In a place so insanely gorgeous, you’ll want to take your time. We spent around six hours at the park and that’s excluding an excursion.
Visit Neighboring City Šibenik
Visiting Krka is a prime opportuinty to combine the trip with exploring the stunning Dalmatian city of Šibenik: Croatia’s oldest seaside city.
To give you an idea of the perfect day I recommend arriving at Krka National Park early in the morning (so you beat the crowds and snag an excursion) and stay until 3PM. After that, head to Šibenik. During summer you’ll still have around five more hours of daylight) and grab a pie at Pizzeria Kike and spend the rest of the time exploring.
In the end, I moved around my original itinerary and pushed Plitvice Lakes for the next Croatia trip with no regrets – as I know it won’t be my last time here. This experience reminded me of the power nature can have on the mind, body and soul. It reconnected me the the geographical beauty of southern Europe and reoriented me to the endless ways travel transforms and expands the soul.
Looking for more tips on visiting Croatia? Here are the things you need to know before you go.
