Croatia is a country gifted with immense natural beauty and famous for its dramatic coastline on the Adriatic, which is dotted with over 1,000 islands surrounded by crystal clear blue waters. I’ll definitely be featuring more places in this beautiful country in the future, but to start with I’m sharing my favorite place in Croatia, the village of Baška on the island of Krk.
Krk is the northernmost and second largest island in Croatia, and Baška is its southernmost village. Nestled into a deep valley and with just one road leading in and out, it has a bit of an end-of-the-Earth feel to it. That’s not to say that it’s undiscovered; there is plenty of tourist infrastructure and during peak summer vacation periods it can get quite crowded. The old part of the village has numerous quaint, narrow streets to wander, and the cove around which the town is built protects a small harbor and an 1800m long pebbly beach that is great for swimming.
As an active traveler and lover of the outdoors, however, my favorite activities lie outside the village. Numerous other less crowded beaches, some of which are used by naturists, are also accessible by boat or on foot (by this I mean hike!). On a calm day the waters surrounding Baška are also excellent for sea kayaking, providing an easy way to locate your own little stretch of beach in any of the smaller coves east of the village. The area also offers some great hiking, and your efforts are rewarded with some truly incredible views. And finally, the entire island is building a reputation as a mountain biking and road cycling destination, offering paved and unpaved bike paths, single track mountain biking and cycling along paved but quiet roads.
I generally stay in one of the campsites when I visit Baška, which are close enough to walk easily to town but provide a quieter setting closer to nature. If you’re looking for relaxation and a more peaceful setting without sacrificing the creature comforts, I’d recommend staying in one of the two campgrounds located on either side of the village, which offer tent pitches, mobile home parking sites as well as bungalows with private facilities, air conditioning and even a private terrace…the so-called “glamping” concept. They even have beachside restaurants and bars!
I just returned from my latest visit to Baška, and for anyone in Europe I can definitely recommend it as a place to visit now. It’s a relaxed, small-scale tourist destination, and there have been almost no reported cases of COVID-19 in the area. Every restaurant offers significant outdoor dining space, and if you stay in a campground or your own vacation apartment you scarcely even need to set foot indoors in public spaces during your entire visit!
Oh, and the seafood and local wine are great, and the water’s clean, clear and refreshing…so, what are you waiting for?!? 😊
