Book Wonderful Croatia Holiday Homes and Enjoy Your Stay!

Croatia is in an ideal location situated in the Balkans between Central and Southeast Europe and the Mediterranean, where it boasts an incredible coastline with more than a thousand islands and islets, so if island hopping is what you're looking for this summer, then you've chosen the perfect destination! Croatia is full of diversity, ancient walled towns, delicious local cuisine, natural beauty and of course the sparkling sea. Naturally, the weather in Croatia depends on where you are within its borders, but the climate here is generally warm, the warmest temperatures being on the Adriatic coast which offers typically Mediterranean weather. Croatia's coastal cities such as Dubrovnik and Split provide some of the best temperatures during the summer, with averages of around 25°C in July and August and with plenty of hours of sunshine to get that tan! However, areas such as the Zagreb also have nice weather from May through to September, with the hottest month also being July at an average of 21°C. Make a booking in holiday villas in Croatia for a brilliant getaway in this fascinating country, and you can also discover other European gems, as it is in the best location for you to travel across the border to Southern Transdanubia in Hungary, and the city of Venice is just across the water too! Don't forget, though, that although Croatia may be a part of the EU, it has its own currency separate from the euro, so make sure that before you go you check the exchange rate and change your money into Croatian kuna.

Europe's Favourite Festival Destination

Croatia is definitely very well known for hosting multiple festivals throughout the year, which attract vistors from all over the globe. If you're planning on going to one (or several!) of the festivals that this country has on offer each year, then the best way to enjoy your time here is by renting Croatia holiday villas with a group of friends, so you can have somewhere private and comfortable to relax and recover after a tiring day (and night) of partying and dancing til you drop. There are hundreds of rental properties available to book for groups, whether there are 4 or 40 of you, so you'll be sure to have enough room in your accommodation for every guest, and many of the apartments also have a swimming pool. Festivals in Croatia include Outlook, Sonus, Croatia Rocks, Hideout on the island of Pag, Soundwave in Tisno and many more in the capital as well as other locations around the country, and many of them are growing into internationally prestigious events, so don't miss out this summer! Croatia is of course equally famous for the easy opportunities it offers to go island hopping. Having so many different islands, all of which being fairly close together and thus easily accessible from one another, this is the perfect destination for an island hopping holiday, where you can explore small towns and villages on some of the islands, or go to even smaller, uninhabited isles and make your own discoveries!

Beach Breaks in Sunny Croatia

If you're looking for the best beaches in Croatia, whether you're looking for somewhere for a family holiday on the beach or you're after a party destination, you should head south onto the Dalmatian coast to discover some of the best sandy beaches this country has to offer and you'll be swept away. Book self catering holiday homes in Croatia near to the beach and you could have the luxury vacation you've always wanted, with views from your rental property looking right out onto the sands and the turquoise water beyond. Bačvice beach in Split is a top location for a family friendly beach, where you can learn how to play the local sport, picigin, which involves a lot of jumping around trying to keep a small ball from touching the water. Other sandy beaches are Uvala Lapad (near Dubrovnik), Saldun Bay (in Trogir), Saharun and Vela Przina. There are so many islands along Croatia's coast that it's not surprising how many stunning beaches the country has too. The islands Brac and Hvar are also popular beach destinations, Hvar being much loved amongst families and younger people alike, as there are some smaller coves along its coastline which are perfect for paddling in the shallows with the children, but in the main port there are also plenty of bars and a lively nightlife, and the island is home to Veneranda, a leading European open-air party venue. Although there are sandy beaches in Croatia, many of them are also pebbled or covered in shingle, and there tend to be corals and small stones in the waters which can be painful if you tread on them, so don't forget to take some kind of bathing shoes to protect your feet.

Family Holidays in Croatia

Having a family vacation in Croatia doesn't just mean spending every day at the beach (although if that's all you want to do, go ahead!), this is also a great location for an adventure family holiday, as there are plenty of activities to do while staying in one of the Croatia holiday homes. Croatia has eight national parks which are waiting to be explored and in some of which you can swim, dive, hike and cycle, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Plitvice Lakes. This national park houses an incredible 16 lakes which are connected by tumbling waterfalls and rivers, in a stunning location surrounded by woodland and full of different flora and fauna. Children who are under the age of 7 can enter this national park for free, and there is a reduced price for those between the ages of 7 and 18 as well as students and groups of 15 or more. If you come during the winter, when the park is still open and just as magical as it is during the summer, it is possible to go skiing nearby too! Book a rental property in Grabovac to be close to this truly unique destination. Other national parks which offer the best and most picturesque views for a walk are Krka, Paklenica as well as the islands Brijuni and Mljet. Croatia is also home to the Dinarides mountains, which are great if you want something a little more strenuous than just a walk, for example the mountain of Biokovo which provides breathtaking views across the sea and all the way to Italy! The lovely landscape surrounding your Croatia holiday villas here can also be discovered by bike, and there are multiple places to hire out bikes throughout the country. The terrain and landscape is varied and diverse, allowing for an exciting, different experience every time you go out on your bike. Choose to hire mountain bikes and woosh down the bumpy mountainous tracks, or go on a more gentle ride with the children alongside the beach, through the trees or go on a sight seeing tour in one of the old towns and soak up the history. Feeling adventurous? The peaks in Istria and Dalmatia as well as on some of the smaller islands are perfect for paragliding, and while you're gliding through the air you're guaranteed to get a stunning view all across the country. Skiing is also possible in Croatia, although it is not as good here as in nearby countries such as Austria and Slovenia in regions such as Cerkno. Given the amount of islands, inlets and reefs that Croatia's coastline posesses, as well as it's hundreds of bays and ports, it's really no wonder that sailing is such a popular sport in the Croatian Adriatic. One of the best ways to discover all of the quiet, unknown beaches and small port towns and villages is by boat on your Croatia sailing holiday, and there are plenty of opportunities for you and your family to hire all sorts of different boats, from luxury yachts to small, more modest sailing boats to experience life on the water. Of course, once you've had your fill and are all tired out after a hard day at sea, you can come home and relax with a nice meal in your self catering Croatia holiday villa or apartment. Sailing is not the only water-based activity available here; you can also hire things like kayaks and canoes, or go snorkelling to discover the underwater world. There are countless caves along the Croatian coast waiting to be explored. Some of the most fascinating are the Blue Grotto and the Green Grotto on Bisevo Island, although there are plenty more all along the coastline and especially in Istria, Gorski Kotar (the mountainous region between Karlovac and Rijeka) and Medvednica.

Dubrovnik - the City of Culture

Dubrovnik is a very unique city in a beautiful setting within Southern Dalmatia. Its old town is one of the many highlights of a trip to Croatia, and its streets are visited by thousands of tourists each year. It really is in an idyllic setting; jutting out into the calm, turquoise sea with its picturesque, colourful buildings and protected by its strong ramparts, there isn't a single reason to not want to rent on of the private Croatia holiday villas in Dubrovnik! The old town has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and no wonder, with its richness in historic monuments and buildings, churches, city walls and fortresses. It is a city which is steeped in history and culture, at your disposal for discovery during your stay in a rental property here. The ramparts here are considered as being amongst the great fortification systems of the Middle Ages; built mainly during the 15th and 16th centuries, these walls weren't even affected during the huge earthquake that shook the area, and are definitely worth a visit. If you are staying during the summer, don't miss out on the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, one of Europe's oldest and most famous, where you can watch local traditions and culture and modernity being linked together through dance, theatre, literature and musical performances by chamber ensembles and orchestras from all across the globe. Of course, another thing to do while you're in Dubrovnik is to visit the beach. The best is probably Beanje Beach, as it is in a great location just next to the Old Town, although there are many others too, such as the Lapad Bay beaches and Copacabana beach. Croatia's coastline is practically all just one long beach, so you can drive along it and find the ideal spot for you! Take the Dubrovnik cable car up to Mount Srđ where you will have the best views across the city and the sparkling waters beyond. Don't forget to take your camera, as this is a perfect opportunity to snap some of those holiday photos that will make friends and family green with envy! If you want to travel around while you're here, you could easily visit the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, or take a bus from Dubrovnik to Split (unfortunately there are no trains), which should take around 4 hours. It is possible to catch a high speed ship which travels twice a day from Dubrovnik to Split and back via some of the isles along the coast and also takes around 4 hours, and you can hire your own car and drive across yourself if you wish. Travelling to the ancient capital, Zagreb, is also fairly easy to do. You can choose to travel by bus, train or plane (or you can drive!). The quickest way to get from one to another is by plane, as the journey is only an hour long. If you want to get the bus it will probably be cheaper, but will take around 10 hours, and there are no train connections between Dubrovnik and Zagreb but you can travel first to Split and then take a high-speed train to Zagreb which will take 5.5 hours.