Patrick (Paddy) Moore 
And sample a Dalmatian Spritz with Maraschino – the Dalmatian marasca cherry. It is genuinely Croatian, rooted in Zadar and the Dalmatian Maraska cherry.
Linger on the Adriatic for just a few days more
There comes a moment at the end of almost every wonderful cruise when someone says:
“Do we really have to go home?”
In Croatia, the answer can quite reasonably be no.
You’ve already crossed the Atlantic. You’ve adjusted to European time. Your suitcase has finally stopped looking as though it was packed by an angry octopus.
So instead of heading directly to the airport when your European ocean or river cruise ends, consider adding just four more days.
Not another epic expedition.
An encore.
A few days of ancient cities, island-dotted seas, long lunches, Croatian wine and that extraordinary Adriatic blue.
Welcome to Croatia.
🇭🇷 WHY CROATIA?
Croatia feels immediately European, but distinctly its own.
Roman ruins rub shoulders with café tables. Medieval lanes tumble towards tiny harbours. Ferries criss-cross between islands while fishing boats bob beneath stone villages that seem to have been built specifically for sunset.
And that makes Croatia especially appealing after a cruise.
Cruising is wonderfully organized: breakfast here, excursion there, back aboard before sailing.
Croatia offers the opposite pleasure.
Stay. Wander. Linger.
Order another coffee.
Take the boat that doesn’t hold 3,000 people.
Have lunch without looking at your watch.
Sometimes travel gets better when the schedule gets worse.
🌊 CROATIA IN FOUR DAYS
DAY ONE — SPLIT: STEP INTO HISTORY
Begin in Split, where one of Europe’s most remarkable ancient sites is not tucked away behind museum ropes.
It is the city.
At the heart of Split stands Diocletian’s Palace, a vast Roman complex that has evolved over the centuries into a living neighbourhood of homes, restaurants, shops, squares and narrow stone passageways.
Walk through the palace gates and simply follow whichever alley looks interesting.
Eventually, almost inevitably, you will emerge onto the Riva, Split’s palm-lined waterfront.
This is an excellent place to do something very Croatian:
Sit down.
Order something cold.
Watch the world stroll past.
Your cruise may have ended.
Your holiday hasn’t.
DAY TWO — THE ADRIATIC
Today, trade the cruise ship for something considerably smaller.
A private or small-group boat can carry you towards Hvar, Vis, the Pakleni Islands or the famous Blue Cave at Biševo, depending upon weather, sea conditions and the day’s itinerary.
The pleasure is as much in the journey as the destination.
Limestone cliffs.
Hidden coves.
Water shifting from sapphire to turquoise.
A tiny harbour where lunch somehow stretches into the afternoon.
Swim.
Snorkel.
Explore.
Or simply sit on the boat wondering why you ever contemplated flying home yesterday.
DAY THREE — CHOOSE YOUR CROATIA
This is the luxury of staying after the cruise.
There is no gangway deadline.
❤️ Feeling Romantic?
Take the ferry to Hvar.
Wander its old stone streets, find a waterfront restaurant, visit a vineyard or take a private boat into the nearby islands.
Stay for sunset.
Croatia does sunsets rather well.
🏛️ Fascinated by History?
Explore more of Split and nearby Trogir, another wonderfully atmospheric old town of stone lanes, squares and waterfront cafés.
🤿 Ready for Adventure?
Kayak.
Snorkel.
Hike.
Charter a boat.
Find a beach you cannot pronounce and may never locate again.
🏖️ Completely Travelled Out?
Excellent.
Find a beach.
Order lunch.
Do remarkably little.
There are moments when doing nothing in Croatia is significantly more appealing than doing something almost anywhere else.
DAY FOUR — ONE LAST MORNING
Have breakfast outside.
Walk through the old city before the heat and crowds arrive.
Buy some olive oil, Croatian wine or perhaps a bottle of Maraschino.
Then make your way towards the airport.
Or don’t.
Because there is always Dubrovnik.
And Zadar.
And Istria.
And another island.
Four days may be enough to discover Croatia.
It is unlikely to be enough to get Croatia out of your system.
🍒 WHAT YOU DRINK — MARASCHINO
Before the fluorescent red cocktail cherry came along and did considerable damage to its reputation, Maraschino was something altogether more elegant.
Its story belongs to Croatia.
The liqueur comes from the marasca cherry, closely associated with Zadar and the Dalmatian coast. Zadar developed a celebrated Maraschino industry over several centuries, exporting the liqueur throughout Europe and eventually around the world. (Maraska)
Traditional Maraschino is clear rather than cherry-red, with a distinctive sweet, aromatic flavour. Maraska’s version is produced from the fruit and other parts of the Dalmatian marasca cherry and is traditionally served well chilled, often with a cherry. (Maraska)
Which sounds suspiciously like permission to make a cocktail.
We should probably accept.
🍸 THE DALMATIAN SPRITZ
This is not an ancient Croatian recipe discovered in the cellar of Diocletian’s Palace.
Pity.
It is my Traveltinis salute to the Dalmatian coast: light, sparkling, slightly bittersweet and built around Croatia’s historic Maraschino.
YOU NEED
- ¾ oz Maraschino liqueur
- 3 oz chilled Brut sparkling wine or Prosecco
- 1 oz soda water
- ¼ oz fresh lemon juice
- Ice
- Lemon or grapefruit twist
- Marasca or good-quality cocktail cherry
WHAT YOU DO
Fill a large wine glass with ice.
Add the Maraschino and fresh lemon juice.
Pour in the sparkling wine and finish with a splash of soda.
Give it one gentle stir.
Garnish with a citrus twist and a dark cherry.
Then find somewhere sunny.
Preferably overlooking the Adriatic.
ŽIVJELI!
Cheers!
🚢 WHY ADD CROATIA AFTER A CRUISE?
Because you’ve already done the hard part.
You’ve crossed the Atlantic.
You’ve taken the time off.
You’ve packed approximately three times more clothing than you needed.
So when a cruise ends in Venice, Trieste or elsewhere in the northern Adriatic, Croatia can make a particularly appealing continuation of the journey.
It can also work beautifully following a European river cruise, using one short onward flight to exchange the grand cities of Central Europe for the coast.
And there is something psychologically wonderful about it.
For four days, you’re no longer rushing to see Europe.
You’re simply in Europe.
🍸 ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD
Travel doesn’t always need another country, another week or another grand itinerary.
Sometimes all it needs is four more days.
A small boat.
An old stone city.
A swim in impossibly blue water.
Dinner beside the sea.
And a Maraschino cocktail as the sun begins to disappear.
Your European cruise might be the reason you crossed the Atlantic.
Croatia could be the reason you’re very glad you didn’t fly straight home.
Stay a little longer.
Živjeli!
