Sea views from Split, Croatia
We spent the first half of our four-day Croatia trip in Dubrovnik, and the next half in Split. The plan for Dubrovnik was to stay in the heart of the city and soak in the history of Old Town as much as possible. Our plan for Split was slightly different: we made a conscious decision to keep some distance away from Split's Old Town—4 kilometers away to be exact.
Based on extensive online research, I established two things whilst planning the trip:
That Split's Old Town pales in comparison to Dubrovnik's
That Split's beaches are absolutely beautiful
With these two things in mind, I planned our stay in Split in a way that we can stay close to the sea and soak in the sea views as much as we can.
Our hotel played an integral part in the plan: We stayed at the Radisson Blu Split which is located right at the coast. It gave us sweeping views of the sea from our room's balcony. But the best part for us is the 4km scenic walk from the hotel to the Old Town that promised to take us through most beautiful beaches of Split.
Map of our scenic walk from Radisson Blu to Old Town
We kicked off our seaside walk right after breakfast. Radisson Blu's concierge estimated the walk to take around 40-50 minutes but with the number of times we stopped to take photos, it took us almost twice as long. But looking at the images below, I'm certain you'll understand why:
Kicked off our walk at the sand beaches right by Radisson Blu
View of the marina Sportska lučica Zenta which is also along the way
Crystal clear waters of rocky Ovčice Beach
Different shades of blue
Although not evident from the photos above, Split's beaches are actually packed with people and activity. Bačvice Beach, for example, did not have a square-foot of free sand. Since it's the weekend, there was a good mix of people at the beach: Entire families huddled together, parents chatting away as the kids dug up massive holes in the sand next to them. Teenagers laid catatonic whilst their boom box blasted loud Euro house beats. Girlfriends were on their sides propped up by an elbow as they watched the lifeguard training nearby showcasing tanned and sculpted men in their Speedos running around with life buoys in hand. Although the scene was busy, I felt a sense of intimacy at the beach—possibly due to the fact that the crowd was made up of mostly locals. That's one incredible thing about the beaches in Split—they're literally a stone's throw away from residential neighborhoods. So whilst the tourists are in Old Town, the locals pour out into the many beaches nearby. It felt awkward walking around with my big DSLR camera so I decided to tuck it away and respect the privacy of the sun-bathers in their local, weekend refuge.
Instagram photo I took of the locals enjoying the beach. It felt awkward taking my DSLR out and chose to respect the privacy and intimacy of the place.
We climbed up a set of stairs at the end of Bačvice Beach and headed for Old Town. Compared to Dubrovnik, Split's Old Town is much smaller. And given the number of camera-toting and belt bag-wearing people in such a tiny space, it also felt more touristy to me.
It does not take much time to see all the sights of Old Town and do some shopping. For us, the highlight is the climb up the bell tower of Diocletian's Palace. It's not for the claustrophobic or acrophobic. I started breathing heavily and getting cold sweat halfway through the climb. But to those who manage to make their way up, a spectacular view of Split's coast wait as reward.
The bell tower of Diocletian's Palace
Inside the Cathedral of Saint Domnius
Rusty, squeaky stairs to climb up the bell tower – definitely not for those with fear of heights
The narrow steps to go down/up the bell tower – not for the claustrophobic
The amazing view from the bell tower of Split's coast
Exploring the rest of Old Town
We left Old Town after a sumptuous late lunch at Makro Vega (which I highly recommend). Our original plan was to take a quick 10-minute taxi ride back to the hotel. But after seeing the views of the Adriatic from the sea promenade, we decided to take the much longer route and walk back over 4 kilometers. "The hotel pool can wait," I thought. In fact at that point, it was difficult to think of anything I'd rather do than take a slow, leisurely stroll by the shores of the Adriatic whilst soaking in Split's spectacular sea views.
This entry was posted in Croatia, Places, Split and tagged Adriatic Sea, beach, Croatia, Old Town, Radisson Blue, sea views, Split. Bookmark the permalink.
← The only rooftop terrace in town: Hotel Stari Grad
Split's Radisson Blu Resort →
Pingback: NOW WHAT'S THE PLAN? | Split's Radisson Blu Resort