Why you should visit Zadar, Croatia

Undoubtedly, Croatia is having a moment. It emerged a few years ago as a low-crowd and cheaper alternative to the popular Greek islands and coastal Italy. However, fast forward a few years, and both the major cities of Dubrovnik and Split are teeming with tourists, and prices are starting to go through the roof.

Never fear. After all, Croatia has more than two coastal, historic cities to visit, with easy transport links. Located north of Split is the incredible city of Zadar. So, why should you visit Zadar, Croatia? As a Roman city that serves as the gateway to stunning islands and the northern Croatian wine regions, the question is, why haven’t you been already? Let’s dive in and find out more.

Where is Zadar?

First things first, where actually is Zadar? Well, it’s on the Adriatic Coast north of Split and south of Pula. It has its own airport. It’s the gateway to a ton of popular islands, including the stunning Dugi Otok and Ugljan. Geographically, it’s halfway between Split and Rijeka in the north, on the border with Slovenia.

If you’re driving up the coast road, it takes an hour and 40 minutes from Zadar to Split, and it takes just under an hour to drive to the picturesque Krka National Park.

How can you get to Zadar?

Getting to Zadar is now pretty easy. There are direct budget-friendly flights with easyJet and Ryanair from London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Bournemouth.

You can also get the ferry across from Ancona in Italy to Zadar in approximately 4 hours. This is ideal if you’re doing a Southern Mediterranean trip and you either don’t want to fly or go the long way around by train.

The best things to do in Zadar

So, let’s get into the good stuff. What are the best things to do in and around Zadar? Well, you’re spoiled for choice here. Whether you love swimming in clear waters under the warming European sun, checking out history and culture, or indulging in delicious food and wine, there are plenty of reasons why you should visit Zadar, Croatia.

Island hopping

One of the main reasons why people visit Zadar is to go island hopping. Right at the heart of the Old Town, you’ll find a range of ferries heading out to islands like Dugi Otok, Ugljan, Pasman, Silba, and more. There is also a huge range of affordable boat trips for full or half days.

While these islands may not have the name recognition of Hvar or Pag, they are incredibly beautiful and full of adventure. We went ot Ugljan for the day, which is the closest island, and hung out on the concrete beaches, refreshed ourselves with a dip in the sea, and ate some delicious food.

If you have more time, Dugi Otok is the headline island in this area. You can find incredible hikes, cycle ways, the stunning Sakarun beach and the jaw-dropping Telašćica Nature Park. The reason this takes longer is that the ferry is slightly longer and the island is bigger, so you need to be able to navigate it. There are buses, but they’re haphazard and run on seasonal timetables.

The most common way to visit Telašćica Nature Park, which is on the other side of Dugi Otok from the port, is to join a guided tour or to book a taxi as a group to the park gates, and ensure you have a return option secured with plenty of time before the last sailing.

Vineyard visits

Another reason to visit Zadar, Croatia, is that it’s home to some incredible wine. It’s a short taxi ride to the Royal Vineyards, which have been going since the 11th century, and were previously operated by Benedictine monks. Nowadays, the monks are long gone, but the vineyard and attached restaurant still remain on the hilltop, overlooking the coastline.

However, one of my favourite spots on our trip was the Degarra Winery. This small local winery is around a 10-minute drive from Zadar, which is super cheap in an Uber. Here, you can try a range of wines, including sparkling wines, light and dark reds, and traditional cherry wines, along with a hearty cheese board.

The winery itself is small, but beautiful. You sit outside on tables made from old barrels, and you can enjoy incredible views out to the mountains of the nearby Paklenica National Park.

Check out the Old Town

If you love historic cities, then Zadar is going to be right up your alley. The fortified Old Town is accessible by bridge and is encompassed by a wall built by the Venetians back in 1543. However, this isn’t the oldest part of Zadar’s Old Town. There are the remains of the Roman Forum that date back to between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD.

You’ll also find incredible historic sites and buildings, such as:

• St. Donatus’ Church: From the 9th century
• St. Anastasia’s Cathedral: Built in the 4th and 5th centuries, and then rebuilt in the 12th and 13th centuries
• The Five Wells: From the 16th century

Of course, the beauty of Zadar’s Old Town lies in the mindless meandering. You can spend hours exploring the alleyways and side streets, finding new hidden secrets and cool plazas.

You’ll also find the more modern Sea Organ attraction. This is on the far side of the Old Town, facing the island of Ugljan. It’s a series of steps down to the sea that are hollow inside, so when the wind blows, the steps make music, like an organ.

Experience the National Parks

Even though many people opt to base themselves in Split to visit Croatia’s national parks, Zadar is arguably a better place to be for this endeavour. One of the most popular national parks, Krka National Park, is just a 55-minute drive away.

For rock climbing and hiking, the underrated Paklenica National Park is 50 minutes away from Zadar by car. Plitvice Lakes National Park is an hour and 35 minutes by car. By comparison, that’s almost an hour less drivetime each way than if you were going from Split.

Zadar is also the ideal base for exploring the stunning Kornati National Park, which is made up of over 80 islands. It’s an incredible spot for snorkeling, boat trips, and swimming. You can also camp and hike on a lot of the islands.

Eat seafood

Being a port city on the Adriatic Sea with Croatian cuisine and influences throughout history from the Italians, you know the seafood is going to be insane. From huge kilos of mussels to mix seafood stews that take up a whole table to fresh and crispy fish tacos, there’s something for everyone here.

It’s truly a foodie paradise if you love seafood. You’ll find cuisines from all around the world, especially in the Old Town, but if you want a more traditional option, opt for a Konoba, which is the Croatian version of a cosy taverna. It can often be a lot more cost-effective and have local offerings from the ingredients to the wine list.

How expensive in Zadar?

Overall, Zadar is a really reasonably priced place. Despite there not being a ton of public transport, the price of Uber meant that costs were low, especially split between the two of us. For context, return ferry trips to Ugjlan for two people cost just £17.11, and that was booked the night before.

Eating out wasn’t too expensive, but it wasn’t mind-blowingly cheap either. Sticking to Konobas definitely helps, and it means that you get a more local experience too. Local wine was reasonably priced, and some of the Italian wine wasn’t too expensive, but if you get out of that bubble, the prices start to get to city levels.

We stayed in an Airbnb in the newer part of Zadar, which is around a 15-minute walk from Old Town, but close to the supermarkets and main roads for day trips in and out of the city. We went in the summer, at the end of June into the start of July, for four nights and paid £238.75 for a one-bed apartment with a kitchen and lounge area, and most importantly, very good air-con.

For flights, we flew out of Liverpool and then back into Manchester, with Ryanair. This was just better for our dates and cost £68 each.

How to get around Zadar?

While there are buses in Zadar, they weren’t super consistent and didn’t necessarily go where we wanted. We toyed with the idea of going to Paklenica National Park for the day by bus, but with the changes and the two-hour gaps between buses, we opted for the island hopping instead.

The ferries are really great for getting around the islands. Most of the ferries are run by Kapetan Luka and Jadrolinija, and you can check out the individual websites to find out more. To help plan, I’d recommend the Croatia Ferries website, so you can see seasonal timetables.

Where to stay in Zadar

There are plenty of great places to stay on a budget in Zadar. If you want to save a bit of money, stay outside the Old Town in the city center of Zadar. The city itself isn’t actually that big, so you can walk pretty much everywhere, depending on the heat.

In the Old Town, you’ll find a great range of boutique hotels, like the Teatro Verdi Boutique Hotel, and some international brands like the Hyatt Regency Zadar. These are obviously a little bit more expensive, but I’ve seen the Hyatt for around £100 per night and the Teatro for £78, so it’s not going to break the bank.

For solo travelers or budget lovers, there are a few hostels in the Old Town, particularly located down some of the alleyways with a lot of bars. These start at around 13 euros for a dorm bed, and privates tend to be anywhere from 20 to 40 euros.