Croatia, Driving Coastal Route From Split To Dubrovnik

 

After gathering some helpful driving information and wind warnings at checkout from the Royal Suites, we are “on the road again” this time headed for Dubrovnik. Not too far from the Royal Suites we fill up at a local gas station for about US$5 a gallon, fortunately our little VW probably gets about 40 mpg.

 

Although it is still bitterly cold and still very windy, it a beautiful day for driving along this spectacular coastline.

In some areas the terrain rises sharply from sea level to jagged mountains several thousand meters above us.

 

 

This contrast in the landscape is gorgeous although I am sure this afternoon it is contributing significantly to the conditions that at sometimes has our VW about ready to fly.

 

 

 

Around one curve and the scenery is even more magnificent as in front of us is a green covered hillside, a rough and barren mountain and in the distant another mountain capped with bright white snow. As if wedged between the dark blue ocean and almost cloudless blue skies, this is a picturesque moment.

 

 

At one point the wind is so fierce above the sea it produces what looks like strings of sea level clouds that rides the air towards us. We are in awe of this but not for long as the freezing temperatures drive us back to the warmth of the VW.

 

 

 

Detouring for a moment at the Makarska Riviera we experience two things we have never really seen before. From the main road we have to drive down to the sea front and we are amazed to see trees that have grown along a slant in unison with the hillside terrain.

 

 

 

A sandy beach with crashing white waves, a colorful coastal community, a green covered hillside along with scraggy gray mountains in the distance that are mostly covered in white snow and we stand in awe inside the most beautiful seaside postcard we have ever seen.

 

 

Back to reality and we are on the road again. Our next stop is at the Croatian holy shrine, Vepric (1908). Here we make a short relaxing hike along the path of the “Stations Of The Cross” then visit the chapel and confessionals built within a natural cave.

 

 

The sun sets long before we arrive in Dubrovnik but soon enough we are navigating our way through the Stari Grad in plenty of time to be ready to ring in 2015.