Makarska and its riviera are rarely on my radar. We have no guests ever going there and I find other areas far more interesting. However, it is quite a lovely seaside town with nice beaches located just bellow the impressive Biokovo mountain. Biokovo is a unique mountain. There aren’t many mountains in the world that…
Author: Alan - secretdalmatia
Aerodrom Vis
This past summer I spent quite a bit of time on Vis and what to do but to explore and enjoy this spectacular island. One of my favorite discoveries was Aerodrom. It is gostionica or some sort of inn but now that term is rarely used as it is now almost archaic. Now you have wine…
In search of an elusive olm
The olm (Proteus anguinus) was always one of the animals I wanted to see. It lives only in this part of the world but it is rarely seen by people as it lives underground. It can only be found in the karst caves starting from Soča near Trieste all the way to Hercegovina. It rarely gets…
Restaurants in Split – eating out in Split
So this was an exciting summer for all of us who like eating out from time to time. There are many newly opened restaurants in Split following the booming of tourism and increase of number of travelers who choose Split as their destination.Most of the restaurants are trying to have something other than boring, classic…
Okljucna village and Kraljicina spilja cave
I have been reading about Kraljicina spilja cave (Queen’s cave translated to English) for a while now but never had the time to visit. It is the largest cave of Vis island and it is located on a fairly inaccessible part of the western coast close to Okljucna village. Yesterday we had some extra time…
Beaches of Vis Island – Sandy Smokova beach
Vis is generally known as one of the most beautiful islands of Croatia. Culture, history, food, beaches…all that makes Vis Island a very special destination. There are several very popular beaches on the island (Srebrna, Stončica, Grandovac, Stiniva…to name just a few) but some are only accessible by a boat as the coast of Vis is…
Restaurant Apolon, Stari Grad, Hvar Island
Recently, we have been invited to inspect Hotel Apolon in Stari Grad on Hvar Island. It was a pleasant surprise over a year ago when I first visited but, what intrigued me even more, was the restaurant that everyone was raving about. So, we used the opportunity to visit and taste some of their favorites. There…
Underwater archaeology in Croatia (with Secret Dalmatia)
Over a year ago, I was talking to my good friend Mato Ilkić, an archaeologist with Zadar University and authority on antique coins and underwater archaeology, how there is so much to discover and not enough funds. With our economy in gutter, archaeology gets only peanuts… There are excavations of course, but very limited. It…
Buhač or amazing Dalmatian chrysanthemum
Now this is one amazing flower! Buhač is its the name in Croatian or, in English, Dalmatian chrysanthemum If you want to test a local on his/her knowledge on Dalmatia and looking for a good question, just ask them what Buhač is and if they an recognize it in the wild. So what is so special about…
Rocky beaches of Croatia – Koromašna, Murter
For most of us locals, rocky beaches are the best. Flat rocky beaches, that is. Sand is fun for kids but not when you get past your teens. We only look for a nice, flat piece of rock by the sea and that’s it. Luckily, there are numerous great rocky beaches all over the coast. Quite popular…
Kraljeva peć, Dugopolje – King’s Cave
Few weeks ago I heard about the King’s cave near Dugopolje from Mr. Tonči Radja and I immediately accepted the invitation to go there and visit. There are thousands of caves and pits in Dalmatia alone but it is hard to find them. Really hard. Even a cave of this proportion! Kraljeva peć or King’s…
Hercules of Brac – in search of ancient quarries
Few weeks back, a friend of mine organized a group to go to Brac Island and learn more on the Roman quarries of Brac. The group was led by an authority on Roman quarries, Dr. Mate Parica who is THE person to go to if interested in ancient quarries. Not only that he has seen the…
Temple of Cheese
Croatia has a nice variety of cheeses. Nowhere near as France or Italy but the ones we have are of superb quality. No matter if it is award winning Gligora sheep’s milk cheese or “sir iz mišine”, we have some great cheeses. But, it is not easy to find them. There are supermarkets and some…
Dalmatian pyramid
No, this is not a new discovery in line with “Bosnian pyramids”. This is just a possible explanation of a mysterious pyramid first drawn on a 1570 map that was based on an older map by Šibenik native Martin Kolunic Rota who one of the most significant graphic artists of the second half of the…
Villa Ruza Restaurant – Kolocep Island, Dubrovnik
Villa Ruža has been on the list of top Dubrovnik area restaurants for some time now. It is located on the island of Koločep and not easy to get to unless you are chartering a boat or having a private motor boat transfer to the island. But, it is a stunning place worth visiting and…