Holidaying solo is on the up and up these days, with many travellers wanting to take advantage of being able to set their own itinerary and trip plan without having to consult someone else or take into account anyone else’s needs. Croatia is truly a great country for a solo jaunt – so here we’ll take a look at the best destinations and types of trips suitable for solo holidays in Croatia.
Safety in Croatia
Before we go any further, we’d like to take a moment to discuss safety in Croatia. Safety when travelling solo is obviously of utmost importance and we’re sure the safety and security of a country plays highly when deciding on a holiday destination and in travel planning.
In this respect, Croatia is a very safe country – crime levels are very low. Many travellers remark on how safe the country feels at any time of day or night, and on any means of public transport. As with travelling anywhere, we would of course advise that you take particular care of your valuables, avoid walking around with large amounts of money, and avoid taking anything of value to somewhere you might leave your belongings unattended e.g. a beach.
Best Destinations for Solo Holidays in Croatia
So, now that we’ve got that out of the way, what are the best destinations and activities for solo holidays in Croatia? Well, the beauty of Croatia is there’s no bad or wrong place to travel to – only perhaps wrong if the destination doesn’t quite offer what you were after!
We’d largely suggest three types of destination in Croatia: a bustling city break, a beach holiday or a peaceful island retreat.
Solo Holidays in Croatia – City Breaks
You might be after this kind of holiday if you want to explore many of Croatia’s sights whilst being in amongst the crowds of other travellers and holidaymakers. There are many suitable locations to choose from – we’d suggest you consider Zagreb (very suitable for a visit any time of year), Split or Dubrovnik, as well as Pula and Zadar too. All of these locations would give you a packed holiday with plenty of exploring – sights, dining, cafe time, shopping and more – that you’ll barely have a moment’s rest. (Unless you want to, of course!)
There are also very suitable day trip options from all of these if you want to widen your exploring range – the Plitvice Lakes National Park from Zagreb or Zadar, for example, or the lovely Trogir from Split.
All also have a wide range of accommodation – from 5-star luxury to hostels, whether you want to pamper yourself or prefer staying somewhere more sociable. Click through the links here to see our full guides on how best to explore these Croatian destinations, with accommodation ideas too.
Do also take a look at our City Break in Croatia page for more ideas on how to plan a short trip to the country.
Solo Holidays in Croatia – Beach & Pool Holiday
Perhaps you deserve a proper break from it all and just want to kick back and relax – obviously, Croatia absolutely offers this kind of holiday! We’d suggest choosing an appealing hotel right on or very close to a beach that also offers an expansive pool – so you can spend your days alternating between swimming in the Adriatic or not. (And there will also be plenty of time for lounging in the sun, too.)
There’s a wealth of this type of accommodation in Dubrovnik; in particular, consider the Hotel Dubrovnik Palace, the Dubrovnik President Valamar Collection Hotel, the Royal Neptun Hotel or the Hotel Aquarius all of which have a pool and are located by a beach. The Sun Gardens Dubrovnik is another fine choice; it’s located a little outside of the city but has a very wide selection of amenities (sports facilities, spa, three outdoor pools, one indoor pool), plus multiple restaurants and bars. You won’t be bored here!
In the pretty town of Makarska, around an hour south along the coastline from Split, the Aminess Khalani Beach Hotel with its stunning pool and proximity to several beaches would be a top choice. Other picks include the Hotel Park Makarska and the Boutique Hotel Mirjam.
The Kvarner region town of Opatija is a smart choice for this type of holiday, with some very fine hotels located here too. Opatija is rather different to much of the rest of Croatia’s coastline – it almost feels as if you’re on the French Riviera! The Grand Hotel Adriatic is in an absolutely gorgeous location overlooking the Adriatic Sea, whilst the Hotel Ambasador – Liburnia is similarly so. If you want to splurge, take a look at the five-star Boutique & Design Hotel Navis which is located a little bit outside of the main part of town.
Solo Holidays in Croatia – Peaceful Island Retreat
If you really want to get away from it all and perhaps spend a bit of time in solitude enjoying your own company, why not choose one of Croatia’s smaller islands to get away from the masses?
Whilst Mljet is part National Park and a popular place to visit these days, there are plenty of smaller settlements on the island to base yourself in. Staying in a private apartment would be ideal, and you can spend your days exploring the island by foot or by bike, laying down your towel at any waterside spot you fancy for a bit of downtime.
Dugi Otok, close to the north Dalmatian coast near Zadar, is another very laid-back island with a small population. Again, base yourself in one of the small villages on the island and spend your days exploring either on two wheels (hire a bike or a scooter) or perhaps even by car if you’ve rented one on the mainland. Highlights here would be spending some time at Telascica Nature Park on the south of the island and the mesmerising Sahrun Beach – one of Croatia’s best – in the north.
Solta island would also be an ideal destination. It’s not one of the most visited islands in Croatia, but it’s very close to Split (meaning transferring to the island is a breeze). Again, it’s a peaceful little island that gives plenty of opportunity to explore its bays and beaches; hiring a bike to get around would be a good idea. You’re also well placed to return to Split should you want to sightsee there.
Of course, there’s nothing to stop you from combining parts of these three different types of holiday together!
Solo Holidays in Croatia by Activity Type
Spa/Relaxation
Come to Croatia solo to pamper yourself! Much of the Kvarner region – where tourism in Croatia started in the 19th century – has an association with wellness which stems from it being a seaside holiday destination for the Austrian nobility way back in the day.
In particular, the lush green island of Losinj would be a perfect place to get in touch with nature and also spend some time pampering yourself. The Punta Vitality Hotel has a spare centre, signature spa treatments and a very wide range of sports facilities – an outdoor climbing wall, 12 tennis courts, an outdoor gym, bike rental and the opportunity to try out stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking.
Croatia is also home to a number of thermal spas such as Istarske Toplice in Istria. As well as benefitting from the healing properties of the water here, there are wellness offers for you to enjoy and a multitude of activities – even wine tours and truffle hunting!
Courses
Why not combine a holiday to Croatia with either learning or expanding on a skill or hobby? In particular, given Croatia’s beautiful landscapes, a painting class would be ideal. Artist Dermot Cavanagh often offers painting holidays to Croatia, whilst Slikamilina have painting courses in Dubrovnik, Cavtat and Korcula.
Solo cruises
A cruise along Croatia’s stunning coast is a truly magical way of seeing some of the best the country has to offer. You may think that cruises are a no-go for solos, but that’s far from true! Sail Croatia, for example, make it easy for solo travellers to join their cruises by pairing like-minded travellers together in their twin cabins and also having onboard representatives look out for you to help you integrate with the rest of the group on a cruise.
Cycling
Croatia is an ideal location for a cycling holiday – you can cycle on the islands, along the coast (how long your route depends on how keen a cyclist you are!) or in regions that really lend themselves to cycling such as Istria. Freedom Treks, for example, offer a variety of different cycling holidays including guided and self-guided options.
Deals for solo travellers
Whilst you may want to steer clear of package holidays to avoid splurging unnecessarily, some companies do offer savings for people holidaying solo. TUI currently offer savings of up to £100 on solo traveller holidays; Jet2 Holidays also offer savings and make sure that adult-focussed hotels are presented as choices when you make a search on their website.
Solo tour operators
Whilst it’s easy putting together your own plans for a holiday in Croatia (cough cough that’s what this website is for!), you may prefer someone else to do all the holiday planning whilst you just turn up at the airport with your passport. (And hopefully your luggage too.) These sorts of companies put together packages for you to explore countries joining together a larger group – so perfect for those wanting to jet off on holiday by themselves but who would like to meet like-minded travellers.
The Adventure Group offer a variety of different tours and experiences of Croatia that you can join, with group sizes typically ranging from 8 to 16 people. There are general tours of the country, where you make multiple stops to explore e.g. the area between Split and Dubrovnik, or more adventurous and active ones such as cycling, kayaking and multisport tours. (Note: flights must be arranged separately.)
Solos Holidays also offer a mix of tours and activity holidays in Croatia, with most holidays including some excellent excursions.