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Window down, warm sea air on your face, the scent of pine trees and wild sage in the air, and around every bend a new cove whose waters shimmer in every shade of turquoise: This Croatian route takes you along one of Europe’s most beautiful coastal roads. But Dalmatia has much more to offer: waterfalls thundering through lush greenery, deeply carved gorges, and coastal towns where history lurks around almost every corner in their old alleyways.
In this article, I’ll take you on a week-long road trip full of highlights. I’ll show you the stops along the way that impressed me the most and give you tips that I wish I’d known before the trip. That way, your road trip through Croatia will be perfect. So, put on your sunglasses and let’s get going.
This road trip takes you from Split to Dubrovnik, following the D8—also known as the Jadranska Magistrala—the entire way. It’s a stretch of coastline along the Adriatic Sea that’s considered one of the most beautiful road trips in the Mediterranean and in Europe in general. But at the start, my route also includes a detour to Krka National Park. This way, you can experience plenty of variety even in just one week.
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This Croatia road trip route takes you to…
- a fantastic national park surrounded by nature, featuring cascading waterfalls,
- 2 amazing Mediterranean cities that are also UNESCO World Heritage Sites,
- a few of Croatia’s most beautiful beaches,
- spectacular coastal views,
- heavenly gardens,
- one of the longest surviving fortress walls in Europe,
- Plenty of Game of Thrones filming locations.
The road trip section between Split and Dubrovnik is only about 230 km long, and in theory, you could drive this route in just one day. However, I don’t recommend doing that, because there’s so much to discover and see. You should plan for at least one overnight stay along the way—two would be better.
Extend your road trip by a week and take this route as well:
Best starting and ending points for the route from Split to Dubrovnik
Logically, Split is the best place to start this route, and Dubrovnik is the best place to end it. Both cities have an airport. On my own road trip, however, there weren’t any good flights to or from Dubrovnik, so I had to choose Split as both the starting point and the endpoint.
Whether that’s the case for you depends somewhat on your home airport. The best way to check is to use a flight search tool, such as this one:
- Outbound flight: Flights to Split | Flights to Dubrovnik
- Return flight: Flights from Split | Flights from Dubrovnik
The drive from Dubrovnik to Split Airport takes about 3.5 hours of pure driving time if you take the toll roads that run a bit further inland. This is important to know if, like me, you’re arriving at and departing from only one of the two cities. In that case, you should definitely factor this travel time into your schedule on your last day and, ideally, allow an extra 2 to 3 hours for refueling, returning your rental car, and any potential traffic jams.
1. Krka National Park
- Day 1 to Day 2: 1 night’s stay
- Distance: Split Airport to Lozovac: 1 hour (60 km)
- Accommodation Tip: Hotel Vrata Krke
Immediately after arriving at Split Airport, you’ll pick up your rental car and drive to Lozovac, the town located right at the entrance to Krka National Park. You’ll spend one night here and spend the entire next day exploring the beautiful natural surroundings.
Here’s how to make the most of a day at Krka National Park:
2. Split
- Day 2 through Day 4: 2 nights
- Distance: Lozovac to Split: 1 hour (86 km)
- Accommodation Tip: Hotel Akademis (parking included)
After a day spent enjoying nature, you’ll head to Split in the evening, where you’ll check into your hotel and, feeling well-rested the next day, explore the Old Town.
In this article, you’ll find out what sights and hidden gems you can discover along the way:
3. Split to Makarska
- Day 4 through Day 5: 1 night’s stay
- Distance: Split to Makarska: 1.5 hours (65 km)
- Accommodation Tip: Hotel Jadran Bluesun
After your split city trip, the actual Mediterranean road trip begins. Your destination for the day is Makarska. Stay at a hotel near the popular beach resort and explore some of Croatia’s most beautiful beaches along the way.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you wanted to spend more than just one day along this stretch of the route, especially since there’s so much to experience and see here. My recommendation for a place to stay is definitely worth more than just one night.
Omiš
Omiš is a great place to stop along the way. But it’s also worth staying here a little longer—especially if you’re in the mood for some action. That’s because in the Omiš Gorge, you can go rafting, tubing, or even ziplining:
- Rafting Tour on the Cetina River with Cliff Jumping and a Cave Visit
- Omiš Zipline: A 2.5-hour adventure in the Cetina Canyon
- Guided Tubing Tour on the Cetina River
If you’d rather take it easy, a 2- to 3-hour stop is enough. During that time, you can hike up to Mirabella Fortress and take a 1- to 2-hour boat tour along the canyon:
- Boat tour on the Cetina River and a visit to the nature park (2 hours)
- Panoramic Boat Tour (1 hour)
If you’d like to hike a bit further, the climb up to Starigrad Fortress is well worth it. You should plan on spending at least half a day on this, though.
If you drive a little further inland along the river, you’ll be treated to one of the best panoramic views of the countryside around Omiš at Vodopad Ilinac.
Brela
You should definitely make a stop in Brela—it’s a must-see. It’s a place where you can’t get enough of all the spectacular photo opportunities.
I was particularly taken with Punta Rata Beach here. It’s located in a protected area—a cape covered by a pine forest. In July 2004, the American magazine Forbes even named this beach one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world.
There is a trail leading from the Cape of Punta Rata to Plaža Podrače. Along this trail lies one of Croatia’s most frequently featured postcard motifs: the Brela Rock (Kamen Brela).
Even if you don’t have much time, set aside at least 1 to 2 hours to walk around, soak up the atmosphere, and maybe even go for a swim.
Makarska
Makarska has a very beautiful promenade. The backdrop of the Biokovo Mountains, in particular, is breathtaking. These are considered the highest mountains in Dalmatia.
Jadran Bluesun
I didn’t spend the night in Makarska itself, but a little further south, away from the crowds, at the 5-star Bluesun Jadran Hotel. It wasn’t that expensive, and it turned out to be one of the best hotels I’ve stayed at on all my trips to Croatia so far.
The Bluesun Jadran is a 5-star hotel with 161 rooms located directly on the pebble beach of Tučepi—with the Adriatic Sea in front of you and the Biokovo Mountains behind you. Guests especially praise the breakfast; many rooms have a balcony with a sea view, and some suites even offer direct access to the pool.
- Right on Tučepi Beach (nearest swimming area approx. 50 m away), about 1.5 km from the town center, and about 66 km from Split.
- 3 outdoor pools with a pool bar, 3 restaurants, a beach bar, a spa with a sauna and steam room, a fitness center, free Wi-Fi, and paid parking at the hotel.
What I particularly liked about the hotel was its quiet location right by the sea and the very extensive breakfast buffet.
However, if you’d prefer to stay somewhere more central in Makarska, there are plenty of options for that, too.
Nugal Beach
Nugal Beach is one of the most famous wild beaches in the region and is located in a small, secluded cove. It’s not that easy to get to.
From the Jadran Bluesun Hotel, a small hiking trail leads past a few even smaller coves, through the forest, past the rocky cliff, and down to the beach. If you start here in the morning, you can have the beach all to yourself before the first boat tours stop here.
4. Makarska to Ston
- Day 5 through Day 6: 1 night’s stay
- Distance: 106 km (approx. 1 hour 45 minutes of driving time)
- Accommodation Tip: Hotel Ostrea (in Mali Ston)
On this day, you’ll travel along the southern Makarska Riviera, passing fantastic coastal villages, the Baćina Lakes, through the vast Neretva Delta, across the impressive Pelješki Most bridge to the Pelješac Peninsula, and on to Ston, a historic town with a wall that will leave you speechless.
The coastal towns of Drvenik and Zaostrog
Honestly, you can’t really go wrong when choosing among the small coastal villages along the southern Makarska Riviera. They’re all laid out similarly and have beautiful beaches. I ended up choosing the two villages of Drvenik (Donja Vala) and Zaostrog, which are close to each other.
- A ferry runs from Drvenik to the eastern tip of the island of Hvar.
- Zaostrog is best known for its 15th-century Franciscan monastery, but it also has a fantastic beach with a view of the mountains.
Baćina Lakes
This small, relatively unknown lake district is worth a stop. It consists of a group of seven lakes, some of which are connected by narrow canals.
Boat tours in traditional flat-bottomed wooden boats are offered there, and swimming is also allowed. However, you probably won’t have enough time for that. From the Odmorište Baćina parking lot, you have a great view of the lakes.
There’s also a small path leading up from here to the Church of St. Luke (Crkva sv. Luka), right next to the ghost town of Guzično, where you can still see a few ruins. Not many tourists probably find their way to this spot. When I was here, there was a big snake lying in front of the church door. But it was more afraid of me than I was of it, and it disappeared into the bushes within a few seconds.
Pelješki Bridge
It’s worth stopping for a moment at the Pelješki most bridge. Before you cross it, there are a few vantage points from which you can take in the full splendor of this bridge.
Before the bridge opened, there was no direct route to Dubrovnik, and you first had to cross the border twice in the Bosnian corridor near Neum.
Ston
Ston is one of the places on this route that impressed me the most. This historic town is known primarily for three things:
- The Great Wall
- Salt
- Oysters
I was fascinated by the wall the moment I saw it from the parking lot in Ston. I’d read a little about it beforehand, but I never would have thought it was so imposing. And yet you can’t even see the whole thing from Ston, because the wall extends all the way to neighboring Mali Ston, and the surviving section is 5.5 km long in total, with many towers and fortifications along the way.
For €10, you can climb the wall. It’s a grueling climb to the top, with hundreds of steps, but once you’re up there, you’ll have an amazing view of the town, the salt flats, and the entire landscape. The admission fee also includes a visit to the fortress in town.
Ston itself is quite small, but it’s worth spending some time here and exploring the narrow streets with their little shops.
The wall of Ston was once built not only to protect the town from attackers, but also the surrounding salt pans. These are among the oldest still in operation in Europe. From above, you can see the shallow basins where salt is harvested through evaporation.
As you drive along Mali Ston Bay toward Ston, you’ll already see the many oyster farms in the water. That’s because this bay is famous for its oyster farms. There are mussels, too. Many restaurants are right on the water, and you can also buy oysters at stands in the towns.
All in all, half a day should be enough to see Ston. That makes it a great stopover for an overnight stay on this road trip.
Hodilje
The somewhat sleepy village of Hodilje, located on the shore of Mali Ston Bay, is just a few minutes’ drive from Ston and is known for its oysters.
Seosko domaćinstvo Ficović is a local seafood restaurant here that you should check out if you want to eat fresh oysters or fresh fish. However, there are also many good seafood restaurants in Ston and Mali Ston.
5. Ston to Dubrovnik
- Day 6 through Day 7: 1 night’s stay
- Distance: 55 km (about 1 hour of driving time)
- Accommodation Tip: Grand Hotel Park
The journey continues from Ston to Dubrovnik—but not without stopping at a fantastic bay and one of Croatia’s most beautiful gardens.
Sjekirica Beach
This small, wild beach is a sight to behold even from a distance: the strip of land separated from the shore and surrounded by turquoise-blue water immediately catches the eye.
However, the path down isn’t well-maintained and is rather difficult to navigate. There’s no direct route from the road through the bushes down to the water. If you’re fit enough, though, it’s possible to reach the small peninsula on foot from the top in about 15 minutes. Plan on spending about an hour if you want to explore the bay up close.
Trsteno Arboretum
It’s worth stopping in Trsteno to visit the arboretum. It dates back to a 15th-century Renaissance garden belonging to the Gučetić family, a noble family from Dubrovnik.
This peaceful spot is truly incredibly beautiful. You’ll find all kinds of plants here, including orange trees and palm trees; there’s a really cool fountain with frogs, and stunning views of the turquoise-blue coast with the islands of Lopud and Šipan in the background.
It’s so beautiful, in fact, that several scenes from *Game of Thrones* (GoT) were filmed here for multiple episodes in Seasons 3 and 4. If you walk past the palm-lined avenue to the part of the park a little further west, you’ll find the artificial ruins. These appear as a filming location in an episode of GoT. From this area, you can also walk down to the coast and then back up to the entrance via the idyllic harbor of Trsteno.
If you’ll be out and about all day, just keep in mind that the garden closes its gates at 4:00 p.m. during the off-season (November through April). During the high season, however, it’s open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. To see everything and have some time to linger, you’ll need about 2 to 3 hours here. Admission is €10 per person.
Right at the intersection leading to the Arboretum entrance, there are also two huge, centuries-old Oriental plane trees (Velika Platana) that you should definitely check out. Their branches alone are as thick as a normal tree and, in some cases, so heavy that they need to be propped up.
6. Dubrovnik
- Days 7 through 10: 3 nights
- Accommodation Tip: Grand Hotel Park
You’ll spend the last part of your trip in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
In this article, you’ll learn about all the things you can do there, the secrets waiting to be discovered, and how you can still have a great time despite the massive crowds of tourists:
This road trip features some of Europe’s most beautiful coastal roads. Have you been here before, or are you planning to take this road trip? What highlight along the route is still missing from this list? Leave me a comment.
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