An Aha Experience - Croatia

The Grand Villa Argentina was recently purchased by a South American individual who undertook a major renovation, rendering this property the most exclusive, up-to-date, and comfortable hotel in Dubrovnik. Perched on the cliffs overlooking the old walled city, the hotel is luxury in every sense of the word.

Comprised of the main building, several levels working their way down toward the sea, and four villas, the public areas are beautiful, and every turn exposes a glorious view of islands, coastline, or the old town of Dubrovnik.

I had a seaside room in one of the villas, across the road from the main building. From my tile balcony (complete with very comfy patio furniture), I had a fantastic view of the entire coastline and the old city. The room itself had a splendidly comfortable king bed, with duvet covers, soft sheets, and every amenity you could ask for. Beautiful maple furnishings rounded out the room. There was a large TV with many cable channels, and air conditioning! (It was near 100 degrees in Dubrovnik while I was there).

The large tile bathroom had an abundance of plush towels and washcloths(!), was brightly lit, and provided a makeup mirror and hair dryer. I never snag the shampoo and conditioners at hotels, but this was the exception, as the products smelled so heavenly.

I showed up at Grand Villa Argentina without reservations! But the staff was so helpful and wonderful to me my entire stay. I was able to get a sea view room, with king bed and beautiful balcony, for only 127 euro per night. This included the best breakfast buffet I've ever seen in Europe.

A 40-minute bus ride from Rovinj brought me to Pula, an industrial shipbuilding town on the Istrian Peninsula. Most known to tourists for its Roman ruins, this fantastic amphitheater is well worth a visit. The basement of the amphitheater houses a fascinating museum with century-old ampuras and artifacts.

The amphitheater is a venue for musical performances and other live entertainment. The day I was there, basking in the warm Aegean sunshine, a huge group of schoolchildren got a lecture and ate picnic lunches on the amphitheater's seating.

Wander through the town and discover other random ruins and signs of the city's ancient Roman past. Or charter a boat and take a ride, viewing this city from offshore.

It's essential to get a look at the Istrian Peninsula from the water. I took two excursions on the Quo Vadis. The first was about a 3-hour tour (yikes! - sound like Gilligan and his pals?) to a fiord north of Rovinj. The second trip was just a sail past some of the islands near Rovinj. Both were enjoyable ways to catch some of the cool breezes on what were very hot days.

One of the skippers of the Quo Vadis was continually offering grappa, wine, and iced tea to the passengers. If you're lucky, and interested, he's happy to pass on bits of lore and information about the places you pass. He also is quick to point out the naked sunbathers on the shore!

From Dubrovnik, I used Atlas Tours to arrange some great out-of-town trips. I sorely regretted not staying in Dubrovnik longer, as there were more excursions I very much would have liked to take.

I did book two fascinating day trips through the Atlas. The agency has representatives all over Croatia, and had a desk with a full-time sales rep in the lobby of my hotel. The rep was more than helpful in assisting me to choose the tours that would be most interesting to me. A van picked me up in the lobby of my hotel and took me to meet the bus with the rest of the guests. At the end of the day, they deposited me back at my hotel.

The drivers, guides, and bus drivers were fantastic: friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. The buses were clean, modern, and air conditioned (important when the temps were in the high 90s). Some of the routes covered white-knuckle roads, and the drivers were experts. My tours were about $50 USD each and were all-day events.

One of my Atlas tours was a wine-tasting tour of the Peljesac Peninsula. About an hour north of Dubrovnik, along the coast, the Peljesac Peninsula has dozens of small family vineyards, miles and miles of vine-covered, rocky hillsides, steep coastal views, and lovely quiet bays.

We stopped at three family wineries, where we were given tours and generous tasting opportunities. Naturally, we were also given the opportunity to purchase wines (quiet, inexpensive, and not bad... even to this Northern California wine enthusiast!). We enjoyed a delicious lunch of soup, cheeses, bread, and wine at one of the wineries.

Our tour was repeated in English, French and German, and the entire group enthusiastically sang the chorus of "In Vino Veritas" on the bus, over, and over, and over, and over, and over.....

But a fun day was had by all.

My second Atlas tour was a very long, but very interesting day traveling to and through Montenegro. Leaving at 7am, the bus ventured south, along gorgeous coastline, through passport control, heading inland at the Bay of Kotor. We stopped several times to take photos and then had some time to wander around and visit the old walled city of Kotor.

Getting back on the bus, we headed up, up, up, dozens of hair-raising switchbacks into the mountains of Montenegro (Black Mountain). From above, the views were superb, and we had to stop several times for goats, cows, and sheep! This is where the skill of the Atlas driver was most evident and several times he earned the applause of the guests.

Inland, we stopped for lunch - fresh Dalmatian ham and homemade cheese sandwiches along with a local wine ($3.00!) at a small village restaurant. Then we proceeded to the capital, where we enjoyed a tour of the original home of Nicolas I.

A final stop at a coastal resort town with another old walled city and an opportunity to enjoy a much-needed gelato before heading back along the coast north, returning to Dubrovnik at 7pm.

Two weeks in Croatia was barely enough to scratch the surface of this incredible country. With some 1700-plus kilometers of coastline and 1185 islands (that coastline number doesn't include island coastline!), there is obviously a lot to see.

Croatia has a rich cultural and historical background that brings flavors of many nations to the present day. One doesn't have to dig too deep to find ancient Roman ruins, old walled cities, rich agricultural areas, lush national parks with countless waterfalls and incredible rugged mountains.

To top it off, with the exception of about a 6-week high season, Croatia is not yet overrun by tourists. But that won't last long. When travelers realize what Croatia has to offer, this hidden jewel of Europe will not be hidden anymore.

Croatians have a legend that when God divided up Yugoslavia into states, he saved the best part for Himself. That part was Croatia. They may be right.

I started my trip in Rovinj, arguably the prettiest town on the Istrian Peninsula. After several days of exploring the area, I took a bus ride to Rejika, where I boarded the Marco Polo for a 22-hour ride to Dubrovnik.

Rovinj is probably the most charming and relaxing destination on the Istrian peninsula. At first glance, its primary attraction is the small fishing harbor, lined with cafes and restaurants where tourists stroll up and down, stopping for a gelato or something to drink. But the old walled city has many alleys and charming shops that are discovered as one delves deeper.

At the top of the city is the ever-present church, and walking the cobbled streets to get there provides the visitor with an ever-changing array of vistas.

Fishermen come in early in the morning with their catch, and local restaurants and cafes offer the fare in a fresh variety of wonderful, inexpensive meals.

Further down the harbor, one can find an array of big hotels. They have pools and grounds and balconies overlooking the sea and the yacht harbor. These seem to be filled with German and British visitors who take half-board accommodations for a week or two at a time.

Beyond the big hotels is a large park with wonderful rock outcroppings on which people are sunning and from which they swim. Rental bikes are available in town or at the harbor and it's possible to ride along the water's edge through the park.

I've never been so completely blown away by a city in my life. Dubrovnik has it all. The amazing old walled city holds your gaze and refuses to let go. Normally a three-star kind of gal, I splurged and stayed at the wonderful Hotel Argentina, hanging on the cliffs of the coastline. My very luxurious room had a beautiful tile balcony where I sat and gazed on the old town while the sun rose, set, and worked its way across the blue, blue sky.

Dubrovnik, and in fact most of Croatia, has not been a common destination for North American travelers in recent years. When I decided to go, most people asked, "Is it safe?!" But they are catching on quickly to what Germans, Italians, and Brits seem to know all too well. Dubrovnik is a very special place that still offers affordable luxury and unspoiled, relatively uncrowded sights.

An interesting statistic: In 2003, Germans spent 14,000,000 tourist nights in Croatia. During that same period, Americans spent 166,000 tourist nights. You can be sure that will change drastically in the next few years.