Historic and Bustling Split

Impressive Split!

Day 14 Continued

We had a mostly uneventful drive into Split. The traffic was a bit intense and getting into the parking spot proved a challenge for DH. The owners of our apartment were ready to meet us and describe the nice 2 bedroom place along with providing tips about the city. We were happy to be here with 3 AC units for 4 nights!

There's a really nice view from the window and a rooftop terrace that we have been using every evening.

We got unpacked and settled and walked the short 5 minutes into the old town. We were so impressed by the architecture and bustling scene. We walked through part of Diocletian's Palace and the Riva boardwalk. It was a nice overview of the city that we would start exploring more in depth the following day.

We found a nice konoba (restaurant) for dinner along the waterfront. Konoba Fratelli was tasty with gnocchi, pizza, and pasta. Hit the spot. Naturally, we found good gelato our first night as well. Luka Ice Cream and Gelateria Emiliana were our favorites in this town.

We enjoyed drinks on the rooftop and called it a day.

Day 15 - Digging into Diocletian's Palace and Hiking Marjan Hill

We started our day with pastries from the bakery steps from our apartment entrance. Pretty good! Next we found a recommended higher-end coffee roaster called D16. It was delicious and set in an old building with stone walls.

We were fueled and ready to explore Diocletian's Palace. DH and I started with the cellars. The gigantic under-city rooms were impressive. It was extra neat being nearly the only ones down there.

Then we bought tickets to see the cathedral and climb the impressive tower. This is one of my favorite towers ever! I love how it is open-air with breezy pillars. There were too many places for photo-ops!

DD#2 has nailed the family selfie.

We were inside the tower when the noon bells rang. It was so incredibly loud! We found more scenic viewpoints around the cathedral and enjoyed the maze-like alleys and lanes.

After a little break, the girls took our money (they are good that) and did a little shopping.

DH and I set out to hike Marjan Hill. It's a large forested park right in the city. We worked up a good sweat and were rewarded with wonderful views overlooking Split.

We did a little beer research and found a place with local craft beers. It was a bit of a hike from the center but well worth it to try new brews.

The kids were getting along so well that we decided to split up again and let them have their own dinner out at Sexy Cow. Haha!

We found a nice restaurant called Bokeria where we had fancy things like sea bass and pasta with truffles. It was nice but honestly, more simple food is usually our style.

We ended our day the same way once again. Drinks on the rooftop. So nice!

Day 16 - Day-trip to Trogir

We are over two weeks into our vacation and I'm sad to say that the time is starting to pass more quickly. We started this day with a 9:30am boat ride to a quaint town called Trogir. The ride lasted about an hour and was really pretty.

There are so many seaside villages all along Croatia's shores. We found a cute cafe for coffee, again.

Then I ditched the family so I could climb another cathedral tower. I can't get enough of these things!

We took a few more scenic pictures around town and I splurged on a cute hand-woven purse. Naturally, we found more ice cream and snacks before walking about 10 minutes to Trogir's beach.

DH and I stayed dry this time while the kids swam and used these nifty beach swings.

We returned by bus this time and spent some time relaxing in our nice apartment. I went for a walk around town and found earrings and a holiday ornament.

Split is full of cafes and restaurants everywhere you look. Yet we still had a hard time picking a place for dinner! We put in the effort and lucked out with a local place outside of the center. Konoba Stare Grede was well worth the walk. The food was incredible. The tuna steak was the favorite with the creamy gnocchi, octopus salad, and chicken caesar not far behind. It was a nice treat to eat in an atmospheric AC indoor restaurant after having most meals outside. With drinks, our fancyish meal coast around $50. It didn't look like much from the outside.

Day 17 - Zip-lining and Beaches

DH and the girls got going early to go zip-lining in the mountains high above Split. They were shuttled about 30 minutes outside of town to do a series of 6 zip-lines. They had a great time and enjoyed the scenery and speed! I have been zip-lining twice and it just freaks me out. I skipped and did my own thing.

Views from high above Split.

I set off for a run to Kasjuni Beach. It was a little over 2.5 miles from our apartment. The run along the water made the distance seem even shorter. Once I got to the beach, I couldn't resist a morning swim.

I spotted very neat old monk's quarters (maybe) carved into the rocks above the beach.

After my swim, I had a cappuccino at the scenic beach bar.

After cleaning up, I wandered around town, had another cappuccino and did some exploring.

Once we all reunited, we had a casual lunch of kebab-type wraps. Tasty but nothing remarkable.

We were all dragging a bit but I insisted we go back to Kasjuni Beach. It was so pretty and the water felt amazing. This time, we used Uber to get to the beach. It wasn't as peaceful as morning but it still felt refreshing to hop into that clear blue water.

After the afternoon swim, DH and I found a neat old pub for a craft beer.

Eventually, we all met up for an easy pizza dinner at the place closest to our apartment. Pizzeria Gust.

I had one last morning run in Split before we set off north for more exploring. Next stop - Sibenik and Zadar!

Goodbye Split!