Postcard from Croatia

If you’ve already been to Italy or Greece and loved the weather, the food, the history and culture — then Croatia might be your next perfect destination. If you’ve longed to take your family and cruise the Mediterranean or Adriatic but thought it was beyond your budget, consider Croatia. If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones, there are a dozen locations in Dubrovnik, alone. For the more adventurous, there is sea-kayaking, fishing, zip-lining, ATV-ing, biking and hiking. Oceanfront hotels with world-class spas and restaurants attract honeymooners and couples from all walks of life. Croatia may not be on your radar of vacation possibilities, but I definitely think it should be. It’s a luxury destination that is much more budget-friendly than others you may be considering.

When I first visited Dubrovnik 5 years ago, my first perception was that it looks like a movie set….which of course, it is. The old city is a beehive of activity….make sure to “walk the walls” to get the best views of the town and the ocean. Ride the cable car up to the top of Mt. Srd and enjoy lunch at Panorama Restaurant. You’ll want to rent a boat so you see Dubrovnik from the water and explore nearby Lokrum Island or any of the Elafiti archipelago. Pull into a cove and swim to a deserted beach for a picnic lunch. At night, the streets of the Old City are full of outdoor cafes, live music, and people standing in line for gelato.

After 3 days in and around Dubrovnik, I was already looking forward to being back on Hvar, an island I visited on my first trip to Croatia. The drive to the Drvenik ferry port is just over 2 hours, but we planned to stop midway for lunch in the village of Ston, famous for its 14th century wall (the longest fortification wall in Europe), its salt works…and its world-famous oysters.

You can eat oysters at any of the waterfront restaurants in Mali Ston, but we had the unique experience of taking a boat out with an oyster farmer and watching him pull up the strings of oysters and mussels from the beds in Mali Ston Bay. This family-run operation has been passed down from one generation to the next. Currently, the parents run the farm and their kids run the restaurants in Dubrovnik and Split, which (naturally!) feature the family’s seafood.  We toasted another glorious day in Croatia with local grappa, before setting out in a vintage boat to check out the oyster grids that dot the bay.

Pulling up at a floating dock, we gathered around to listen as our host, Daniel, explained how the oysters grow on long ropes or “strings” and have to be regularly separated so they have enough space to eat and grow. Mussels, which apparently will grow on anything —even on the oysters themselves—are also separated and removed to protect the precious oysters.

Daniel poured champagne (there was a ton of day-drinking on this trip!) and began shucking. I’ve seen oysters shucked in Maryland, Maine, and Louisiana, but I’ve never seen a guy shuck so many oysters so fast! I would guess he was shucking at least a dozen oysters per minute and he didn’t stop shucking until we stopped eating! If you’ve ever tried shucking an oyster, you know how hard it can be to shuck just one or 2 and you’ll probably gouge yourself with the knife in the process. This guy didn’t even wear gloves! Amazing!

The oysters were mid-sized, very juicy, perfectly salty, and needed nothing but a squeeze of lemon to bring out their natural flavor. We ate and drank champagne, sopping up the juice with the ever-present bread and olive oil. And this was BEFORE lunch — a delicious seafood stew full of fresh fish, langoustines, scallops and mussels in white wine and garlic. 

“Oyster Day” was one of the most memorable experiences of our trip and is the kind you might miss if you tried to plan your own trip, without the benefit of a travel expert and lots of insider knowledge. Travel agents travel to find just this kind of experience to share with our clients. Our office trip to Croatia was full of this kind of local adventure, both planned and spontaneous. I can’t wait to include them in my next client’s Croatian itinerary.