Why Croatia makes a great family holiday
With its amazing coastline, eight national parks, and wonderfully-preserved old harbour towns, Croatia presents a much less commercial aspect on the sun, sea and sand holidays you may expect from other countries. There are the blissful pine-scented Dalmatian islands, a Mediterranean climate, and the soaring Dinaric Alps run along the coast in this incredibly beautiful country.
If you are thinking about making Croatia your next family holiday, why not explore Istria; a green peninsula in the north with cultural ties to Italy? Popular with Central Europeans for its accessibility, Istria is perhaps one of the most organised areas of Croatia in terms of tourism and facilities. If you like everything on hand and available, especially if you are a family, Istria may be the most suitable area for you.
Children are encouraged to travel to Istria and you are never far from a children’s play area. Dozens of adventure parks are dotted around, including water, zip and tree lines, white water rafting, rock climbing, and bike hire. The tap water is safe to drink and there is good access to medical and hospital care if needed. English is also spoken quite widely in this area.
Visit Porec and Rovinj if you like Venetian style port towns, or the charming cities of Dubrovnik and Split, both of which are World Heritage sites. If you hire a car and drive between these two cities, you will encounter the peninsula of Peljesac; an absolute must visit for foodies and wine drinkers, or Ston Bay, famous for oysters and mussels.
Makarska Rivijera has great pebble beaches and wonderful turquoise coloured water, with a backdrop of Mount Biokovo – perfect for families with children. The undulating interior of Croatia, planted with vineyards producing rich red Teran wine, and the proximity of woodland truffle country, is ideal for a foodie holiday for all the family.
Flights go regularly from the UK to Zagreb, where you and your family could then hire a car and explore Istria or Dalmatia respectively. If you travel South, why not stop at the Plitvice National Park to witness incredible waterfalls and lakes, it is one of Croatia’s most popular attractions.