Croatia - Travel Blogs & Travel Guides: 2024

REVIEW: Divota Apartment Hotel, Split, Croatia

Time to check out Divota Apartment Hotel in Split.

As I got off the bus in Split, I was met by a handful of people flashing signs and pictures, trying to entice new tourists to their budget accommodations. There was something charming about seeing this old fashioned marketing technique still working. I, however, had somewhere to be…

On my first night in the city, I checked into Divota Apartment Hotel. I wandered through the characterful Veli Varoš neighbourhood – a labyrinth of tiny cobble stone streets once home to farm labourers. Just 5 minutes from Diocletian’s Palace and the promenade, but out of the tourist hustle and bustle, it seemed like the perfect location.

After checking in, I was shown to my apartment. The area felt very ‘local’ – people were going about their daily business walking dogs, going to and from work, carrying shopping and hanging out their washing. Traditional green wooden shutters hung off the old stone houses. I couldn’t stop taking photos!

Time to reveal all about my week sailing around Croatia with MedSailors.

“This is Davide, your skipper for the week…” I was greeted by a tanned, smiley Italian, kitted out in a blue and yellow MedSailors uniform.

Update I’ve just returned from an amazing week on MedSailors’ brand new route in Sicily. You can check out the video and blog review here!*

Just moments before, as I walked towards the Baotic Marina near Split, I was a bundle of nerves and excitement. All along the pier, groups of people were hanging around with their giant rucksacks and wheely bags. We were all playing the same game – eyeing up who we might be living in close confinement with, on a 47ft yacht for the next 7 days.

Wanderlust Chloe Med Sailors Croatia Gallery 01

I would be sharing a double room in the bow of the Espanola yacht (a Premier Plus yacht). I was travelling with one of my best friends so the week was guaranteed to be fun, but as I sized up my 4 new shipmates, I couldn’t help but get a good feeling.

Over the next 7 days we would be sailing the Discovery Route – a loop starting just outside Split, and taking us around the picturesque islands of Solta, Vis, Korcula, Hvar and Brac. Each day we would have breakfast and lunch on board our yacht, a few swimming stops, and weather permitting, some sailing. In the afternoons and evenings we would be free to explore small Croatian towns, sample the local cuisine, and get to know our new boat buddies!

After a safety briefing, we set off towards our first stop – the island of Solta, where we would be mooring in Sesula Bay. Within minutes of departing, we opted to mix up some introductory cocktails rather than unpack.
As with many companies offering sailing tours in Croatia, MedSailors cater for the youth market (20-35). However, their approach is more sophisticated than most, with an emphasis on good food and company (they match people with similar interests on the boats). This is not to say there is no partying – it is still a holiday for young people… and we certainly enjoyed a few late, boozy nights!

Wanderlust Chloe Med Sailors Croatia Gallery 27

As I write this, I’m back home in the UK listening to the MedSailors playlist I played on the boat, and wishing I was back on board the Espanola. I could tell you minute by minute what we did (and make you very jealous!) but instead, here are a few of my favourite moments…

THE DAYS

A very special dinner at Vapor Restaurant in the Hotel Bellevue, Dubrovnik.

“And here’s the elevator to the beach…”

Not something you hear every day… but then again, it’s not often you spend your day exploring Dubrovnik’s ancient city walls, and then pop for dinner at one of Croatia’s most exclusive restaurants.

Vapor Restaurant is a part of Hotel Bellevue, one of the Adriatic Luxury Hotels, and is located just 15 minutes walk from the famous old town. Head chef Saša Računica’s spends his days reinventing traditional Croatian cuisine, adding exciting twists, and combining unexpected flavours.

Hotel Bellevue is a unique hotel, built right into the cliff edge. It was described as a small hotel, although with 91 rooms, it’s not on the boutique level of many of the small hotels within the old town such as The Pucic Palace.

Before dinner I checked out both a deluxe and executive room. They did not disappoint – how could they when every room has THAT view? Yes…. The sea view, usually sought after when booking a room, but at this hotel, it comes as standard.

Checking out The Pucic Palace in the ancient city of Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Awkward guest – that’s just not my style!

Oh… that was until I checked into The Pucic Palace in Dubrovnik in June 2015. I arrived just as an incredible electric storm struck the city. My arrival in Dubrovnik was already tinged with drama as my shuttle bus from the airport had broken down on a cliff edge and another bus had to come and rescue us. Once at The Pucic Palace, the hotel staff agreed to help me set up my Croatian SIM card, which was a small drama in itself as they searched the entire building for an unlocked phone!

It’s fair to say, they took all my mini dramas in their stride, and went above and beyond to make my stay a pleasant one.

The hotel has two sections: the 17^th Century Baroque hotel building, and the annex apartments a minute away. I was staying in Defne Apartment in the annex – a stunning building right in the heart of the old town.