Self-Planned Trip: Eight Friends Discover Croatia's Coast Beyond the Usual Routes
A group of eight friends spent a week in Kaštela, Croatia, planning their own trip and exploring the Adriatic coast away from the typical tourist paths.
This summer, eight friends set out to discover what draws so many travelers to Croatia's Adriatic coast. They spent a week in Kaštela, a town between Split and Trogir, and organized the entire trip on their own.
The idea for the shared journey emerged at the end of last year, as videos of Croatia's crystal-clear sea, coastal towns and rocky shores kept appearing online. The group booked their accommodation in advance but deferred the payment, which allowed them to avoid covering all costs at once. After extensive searching, they picked Kaštela – a quieter base with convenient public transport links to both Split and Trogir.
For the group of eight, accommodation cost 235 euros per person and flights around 300 euros under a summer promotion. Their host, Mirjama, turned out to be exceptionally welcoming. She answered questions quickly and treated the guests with grapes from her garden, potatoes and homemade olive oil.
The travelers brought Latvian delicacies for their hostess – Riga Black Balsam, "Lācītis ķepainītis" sweets, Skrīveru gotiņas and Laima marshmallows. Mirjama was visibly moved and said she had never received so many gifts. At their departure, she called the group the best tourists she had ever hosted and invited them to come back the following year.
