July 17, 2018 – WIth global interest in Croatia at a historical high, here are 25 very good reasons you really don’t want to visit.
1. Their buildings are ancient and in terrible condition
People may think of beaches and sunshine when they think of Croatia – and they should! – but there is an incredible heritage to be explored with Greek, Roman and Venetian architecture, to name but three. Croatia now has 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, not including this beauty – the Pula Area, the 6th largest Roman amphitheatre in the world.
2. They set their cities on fire to celebrate.
Have you ever been to a country where 15% of the entire population will come to the capital city to welcome home the national football team from the World Cup when they didn’t even win?!? Croatia may have lost the final to France in Paris, but they won the hearts of millions, both the players and the amazing fans who were with them all the way. A staggering 550,000 people came to welcome their heroes home, the greatest gathering of Croats in history. Now, translate that warmth, love, passion and hospitality into your next holiday. Have you booked Croatia 2019 yet?
3. Their buses look funny
Croatia has more than 1000 islands and a very advanced ferry network. Romantic ferry journeys will be an integral part of your stay.
4. You don’t find taxis like this back home.
Too lazy to wait for the ferry? Check out the speedboat options, an exhilirating way to get around the Adriatic.
And for something extra cool from last summer, have you ever taken an Uber quite like this? UberBOAT, the coolest recent addition to the Uber family – fully operational on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast.
5. A lot of the food looks a little odd.
Croatian cuisine is fantastic, with its Mediterranean diet on Hvar and Brac protected by UNESCO. Each region has its own distinctive cuisine, based on the freshest ingredients.
6. The wines can be a real mouthful to pronounce.
Croatian wines can be a handful to pronounce, especially the ones without vowels such as Grk and Prc, but they are well worth tasting. There are 130 indigenous varieties, including the original Zinfandel. Yes, that’s right – Zinfandel was born in Croatia.
7. People don’t dress like this at home.
One of the great riches of Croatia is its tradition and folklore. Every region (and in some cases, each village) has its own traditional dress. Journey back in time and see Croatia as it once was.
8. Music without instruments?!?
For many, the romantic highlight of a holiday is listening to the enchanting a cappella voices of Dalmatia’s male (and increasingly, female) klapa choirs, as they sing about love, longing, the sea and more.
9. Olives are a major topic of conversation.
The secret of Croatia’s healthy Mediterranean diet is its magnificent olive oil, with some of it rated the very best in the world. It won’t be long until you come across some on your dinner plate. Indulge yourself!
10. Everything is made of stone.
Stone is everywhere, and how beautifully they use it. Incredible stone towns such as Dubrovnik, Hvar, Korcula, Split and Zadar to name but five. Come and explore!
11. They have some really fishy dishes – ever eaten octopus?
Not a regular thing for us Brits, that is for sure, but octopus salad is one of the great starters in Croatia. Try it!
12. If it moves or grows, they celebrate it – some seriously strange food festivals. 
Never eaten a dormouse? Come to the dormouse festival on Hvar. Lavender ice cream? There is a lavender festival for that – also on Hvar. For broad bean ice cream, head to Kastela, and from anything from paprika to chestnuts, there will be a festival somewhere in Croatia.
13. Coffee never takes less than an hour.
Coffee is a religion in Croatia, and don’t try talking to a local before his first morning coffee. And if you expect that meeting for a quick coffee will be quick…
14. Time is relative.
Time in Croatia goes at a different pace than the rest of the world, particularly in Dalmatia, and particularly on holiday. If you are trying to rush things, pomalo…
15. Looking for sandy beaches? You will be mostly disappointed. 
While some sandy beaches do exist, the majority are small pebble. One of the great benefits of this is the clarity of the water by the beach – some of the cleanest in the world. Dive in!
16. For some, the summers are way too hot.
Imagine having to spend time in a country with views and beaches like this at every turn in the summer.
17. While for others, the winters are way too cold.
In many respects, the winters are a lot more spectacular than the summer. Check out UNESCO World Heritage Site of Plitvice Lakes, for example.
18. Despite their World Cup heroics, UNESCO World Heritage Sites are bigger in number than football medals.
Until recently, Croatia had 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, now there are 11, with plenty of intangible UNESCO heritage to explore as well.
19. Life is tough if you are a Croatian fish. 
They say that a fish must swim three times in Croatia, which can be pretty exhausting. The first swim is the longest, in the Adriatic, prior to being caught. Then a little olive oil swimming during the cooking process, before being washed down with a glass of excellent Croatian white wine.
20. InSpain they say ‘manana’, in Croatia they say ‘pomalo’.
If you get infuriated with the pace of life in Spain, just wait until you hit Dalmatia. The first rule of enjoying life is to not try and change Dalmatia but expect Dalmatia to change you. Slowly.
21. The weather can be really boring.
Does the sun ever stop shining? They even have the sunniest island in all of Europe, Hvar, which boasts more than 2700 hours of sunshine per year on average.
22. The locals think they have the best of everything – beaches, for example. 
Go ahead, try – try telling the locals that there are better beaches elsewhere in the world, and see where it gets you.
23. The locals think they have the best of everything – the sea for example.
And to be fair, they may have a point.
24. The locals think they have the best of everything – lifestyle, for example. 
And, while relaxing with a coffee on Split’s fabulous riva, watching the world go by, it would be hard to disagree.
25. If you do go there, you may just get hooked and be unable to leave. 
It has happened to more than a few people. When you glimpse Paradise, why return to normality?
Visit Croatia – it is a sensational experience.
