The Simple Travel Guide to Split, Croatia
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Split shouldn’t be my bag.
It’s busy. It’s expensive. It’s very much on the tourist trail.
So why the f**k did I once spend nearly half a year here? Why was I there for another month this May?
Because despite its shortcomings, Split holds my heart. And if you do it right, it’ll hold yours too.
It’s bonkers beautiful. It’s got beaches for days. It has the glory that is Marjan Park. It’s home to some rather lovely people.
Call it a Covid thing. I first visited Split in April 2021 and again in September. Establishments were open but tourists were thin on the ground. The city could breathe again and it was a very special time to visit.
Those days have gone. Which is exactly why I wanted to start this Simple Travel Guide series with Split. You need to know where to go in this town in order to have a good time.
And you can absolutely have a good time here. You can meet some great people, visit some great places, eat some awesome food, and drink some amazing wine.
If you know where to go.
Rule number “jedan” (one): Croatia is a lifestyle
And the best way to experience Croatia is through that lifestyle.
I’ve written about how Croatians approach life before, so instead of re-hashing, read the following once you’re done here.
How the Croatian Concept of “Pomalo” Can Slow You down and Make You Appreciate the Little Things
When You Can’t Think of What to Write, Write About the “Jadrolinija” Croatian Ferry Line
Coffee, coffee, coffee
Croatia is a coffee country. Whilst you can do takeaway here, it’s not the done thing. The done thing is to sit for at least an hour (ideally two), take your time, talk, sit, and people-watch.
It takes a while to get into this but once you do, you’ll never want to take your coffee another way.
Because of this coffee culture, Split has thousands of cafés slinging coffee. I’m not going to recommend these because they are literally all the same. If you want something easy and cheap, take your pick of what looks nice and sit down.
What Split does have is a good specialty coffee scene. My husband’s coffee-finding app Kava was born in Split and has some great data on where is best to go. For my money:
Tinel
Go and see my friend Matej. You can’t miss him, he has a huge mustache. He is also one of the best baristas in Croatia. Tell him I sent you (call me Charlie Brown, wife of Kava app owner Sam and he’ll know who you mean) and he’ll set you up with the best coffee this town has to offer.
Kava2
Kava2 has the prettiest garden in all of Split and the coffee is great. Kava is a roastery as well as a coffee shop and sells to many specialty coffee shops around the country.
Simple things to do
First, unless you truly love them, don’t bother with a tour. The best thing about Split is that its main attraction — the Diocletian’s Palace — is like an open-air museum. The palace makes up most of the old town and you can just walk around it at your leisure.
Marjan Park is one of my favorite places in Split. This huge spit of land juts out into the Adriatic and is covered with forest which is why it’s nicknamed the lungs of Split. My favorite thing to do is to rent an e-bike from NextBike — they cost just a couple of Euros for an hour or two and have stations around the town — and cruise around the circumference of the park. There are swimming spots all around the base including the famous Kasjuni beach which is gorgeous but can get busy. You can also hike to the top of the park for views across Split and the islands.
When it comes to beaches, my favorite is Trstenik to the east of the city with its deep-shelving waters and local vibe. There are also some great diving and sunbathing spots if you walk along the tiny coast path that hugs Jadran Marina, along the way to Ježinac beach. This being Croatia, any patch of rock or concrete counts as a beach so park yourself up whenever you see a decent-looking spot. Don’t expect fine white sand, it’s more pebbles and urchins. As such, aqua shoes are a VERY good idea.
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How to eat and drink in Split
My favorite place of all is Sistema, a truly excellent cocktail bar with a menu that changes at least twice a year. So far, Sistema has also opened during the winter so you won’t be stuck for something decent to drink when everything else is closed.
For craft beer, head to the weirdly named Screws and Beers in the Gripe district. Kava2 coffee shop also opens in the evenings during the Summer and sells some decent craft beer and cocktails.
Something Split does do rather well is Neapolitan pizza. One of the best I’ve had outside Naples can be found at Bokamorra on the seafront. Be warned, however, this is not a quiet place. There is often a DJ playing and it has a serious party vibe.
I also like Basta for pizza and it has a pretty decent wine list. Go for the Rizman Plavac Mali if they have it on.
For traditional Konoba (Croatia’s traditional tavernas) vibes, get to Ma Toni. The restaurant also happens to have a rather good wine shop attached called Enoteka Terra.
For takeout, Škatula does an excellent pulled pork sandwich.
There is one final place that is a serious secret. So much so, I’m not going to name it here because it’s not for everyone. If you are heading to Split and truly want to know, ping me an email.
This place is right in the walls of the Palace and is hard to find but has an excellent view. It sells the cheapest beer and wine to be found anywhere in Split. They do excellent hand-carved Pršut (Croatian prosciutto) and cheese and occasionally more food but only when the chef is in residence (when that is is anyone’s guess). The owner is extremely brusque, bordering on rude. There are only ever locals eating and drinking here. This is old school Split right in the Palace. It’s magic but it can be intimidating and extremely slow.
You’ve been warned.
How to REALLY eat and drink in Split
The best food in Croatia is still found in the family home. So unless you have a Croatian family willing to adopt you, your best bet is to rent an apartment with cooking facilities and make your own food.
Split’s Green Market is a great place to start. Alas, it’s also a hotbed of rip-off prices if you don’t know where to go. My insider tip is this: the best of the market isn’t in the open air but in the covered stands in the north.
This is where you’ll find the best — and least expensive — produce from cheese to cured meats to vegetables to fresh meat brought into the city by farmers every single day.
At the very bottom of the market, close to the Riva, there are also some covered stands that sell local olive oil, bread, domestic Rakija (the local spirit), and canned goods.
For fish, the central Ribarnica fish market is the place to go.
For wine, head to the Fumar stand just outside the palace or the aforementioned Enoteka Terra at the Ma Toni restaurant. Weirdly, the Diskont Feniks discount supermarket also has a pretty good selection of bottles. Speaking of wine…
The best wineries and craft breweries in Croatia
As a wine pro who has spent a decent chunk of time in the country, I’ve got a pretty good handle on some of the better wineries in Croatia. For my money, I drink the following. Most of it can be found in the aforementioned wine stores but also in some of the bigger supermarkets (the Interspar at the Mall of Split has the best selection).
From Slavonia
Krauthaker (especially the reds)
Enjingi (especially the whites)
Tomac (for sparkling)
Sontacchi
From Istria
Piquentum
Trapan
Clai
Roxanich
Veralda
Koquelicot
From The Peljesac Peninsula (and surrounding)
Kriz
Milos
Grgic
Rizman
From Dalmatia and the islands
Bibich
Kairos
Stina
Dubokovic
Caric
Craft beer
The Garden Brewery
Nova Runda
Pivovara Medvedgrad
San Servolo
Grif
Practicalities
If you like people, don’t visit Split in the winter
Split is one of the most seasonal places I have ever visited. Almost all of the main town closes down from mid-late October until at least April. If you visit during this time, there will be almost nowhere to eat out. Nowhere to drink. No people.
And if you go during the high season of June to August, it will be so busy you can hardly breathe. Prices also skyrocket during this time.
Shoulder season is where it’s at in Split. April is still quiet and the weather can be patchy but if you get lucky in that department, it can be glorious. May into early June is wonderful, as is September, especially the middle to end. Personally, I love early October when it’s still warm enough to swim and sunny days still come as standard but many of the tourists have disappeared.
Where to stay
Rule no. 1. If you are traveling to Split May-October, DO NOT stay in the center of town. Anything that advertises itself as “inside the Palace” means noise, noise, noise.
Personally, I love the areas of Varoš, Spinut, Lovret, Poljud, Firule, and Gripe. Anything a 20-30 minute walk to the old town will make a fine neighborhood.
Excellent work here. Pretty much how "travel writing" should be. Informative, yet conversational and even pleasantly understated.
This is so perfect! Thanks so much Charlie. Shall be using all of these tips in a few months time