Spinning Paradise Ultimate Frisbee Tournament in Croatia – sign up now!

If you’re looking for something a little different from your holiday to Croatia this summer how about…an ultimate frisbee tournament?! A game without referees, age or gender restrictions, the Spinning Paradise tournament will take place on the Croatian islands of Rab and Hvar this summer. And the tournament organisers are inviting you to take part!

Spinning Paradise Ultimate Frisbee

Credit: Damir Kvajo

Now in its fifth year, Spinning Paradise Hvar (played on grass) will take place from 30th July to 6th August 2016 whilst the newer Spinning Paradise Rab – in only its second year – will take place on the famous sandy Paradise Beach in Lopar from 26th to 28th August 2016.

Spinning Paradise Ultimate Frisbee

Credit: Damir Kvajo

Spinning Paradise Ultimate Frisbee

Credit: Damir Kvajo

But why should you take part this Ultimate Frisbee tournament? Open to all levels – whether you’ve plenty of experience or are a complete novice, Spinning Paradise isn’t just about the game. What makes it unique is the atmosphere and the importance of social events too! That’s what Croatian national team member and tournament organizer Vinko Anzulovic says, who is Hvar-born. He also proudly points out that Hvar is often mentioned as one of the top tourist destinations in the world, and with one game in the morning and one in the evening, there’s also plenty of ‘downtime’ for participants to explore the gorgeous island. This year, Spinning Paradise Hvar will also offer slackline workshops, Playstation tournaments and excursions; there’s plenty to do besides play ultimate frisbee!

Teams will be drawn from a hat which means this is a great opportunity to make friends from all around the world. And in case any of you complete beginners are nervous about taking part, there will even be the Coca-Cola training camp (offered for the third year) that’s run by highly experienced British coach Sion ‘Brummie’ Scone.

Spinning Paradise Ultimate Frisbee

Credit: Damir Kvajo

Spinning Paradise Rab will take place on the sandy beach of Lopar on the island, often described in the media as one of the best sandy beaches in the country. (Remember, sandy beaches are few and far between in Croatia!) This tournament will also see workshops and other activities take place alongside the main sporting event.

Ultimate frisbee is a sport that was first established in the U.S. in the 1960s, and is growing in popularity in Croatia as well. There are currently seven Ultimate Frisbee clubs in Croatia, in Zagreb, Rijeka and Zadar. If played on grass there’s seven players on each of the two teams; played on sand it’s five. Teams represent a complete mix of ages and have both men and women competing. Each game ends with a group hug which is part of Ultimate Frisbee’s core ‘Spirit of the Game’ principle and one of the foundations of the sport.

Spinning Paradise Ultimate Frisbee

Credit: Damir Kvajo

It’s the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and one that’s recognised by the International Olympic Committee; Croatia has recently participated in both the European and World Championships.

Sign up now to take part in Spinning Paradise

To compete in the tournament in Croatia, head over to spinning-paradise.com for an application form. You’ll also find plenty more on the tournament there too, as well as on the Facebook page. Don’t wait too long to sign up as there’s not many spaces left!

Tournament organizers Vinko Anzulovic and Sanela Vucelic are aiming to introduce this fun and fascinating sport to a wider audience. They’re also trying to spread the important ‘Spirit of the Game’ principle – something that’s often missing from many other sports these days.

Sign up now for this amazingly fun way to spend your summer in Croatia!

Looking for something different in Croatia this summer? Why not go on an activity holiday!

We at Visit Croatia are certainly not the only ones to be very excited by the imminent arrival of summer and all the delights it brings! One of the wonders of this great season is, of course, the summer holiday; picture it – sunbathing, swimming in the sea, indulging in fine food and drink, a bit of culture and sightseeing, all done in great weather!

Yes, of course we’re biased – but we think Croatia perfectly fits the bill for anyone looking for any (or all) of the above! However, if you’ve already been to Croatia before and are looking for something a little different – or if you’ve never been before, and want to experience the country in a slightly more unusual way, why not consider an activity holiday?

Activity Holiday in Croatia - Sea Kayaking

Sea Kayaking

Active Holidays Croatia offer a very wide range of such holidays in the country for several different skill levels. (So don’t worry if you’re a total beginner!) They can arrange holidays in some of best locations in Dalmatia, on the southern part of the Croatian coast, based around rafting, canyoning, sea kayaking (something that I’ve always wanted to try in Croatia), trekking, free climbing, canoeing, paragliding, wind surfing…and even bungee jumping! Their holiday packages are either seven or ten days long, and all accommodation is also included, with options to stay both in hotels and private accommodation.

Activity Holiday in Croatia - Rafting

Rafting

Now, whilst this might sound very attractive to you, you might think that perhaps you’d be missing out on seeing some of the best things Croatia has to offer. Don’t fear – for excursions and sightseeing trips are in fact included in all their itineraries. Whether it’s a fish picnic on the island of Brac; sightseeing in the bustling city of Split or the pretty little town of Trogir; enjoying the picturesque Krka National Park or spending a day in “Pearl of the Adriatic”, Dubrovnik, there’s plenty of cultural and rest time in between activities.

Activity Holiday in Croatia - Canyoning

Canyoning

But wait a minute, wait a minute…what if you’re definitely NOT the type for an activity holiday, and would rather someone else did all the “hard work”? Yeah, we hear those of you out there too! Active Holidays Croatia also offer a selection of luxury yachts and gulets for hire. These all come with a professional crew (so you won’t have to do a thing!), and are perfect for groups of ten to fourteen people. A sailing holiday is definitely one of the best ways of enjoying Croatia – sailing from the mainland to the islands, enjoying the wonderful coast, whilst also being able to anchor wherever takes your fancy – for a refreshing dip in the sea – is something akin to a dream.

Activity Holiday in Croatia - Nostra Vita

The gorgeous Nostra Vita

If you want a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Active Holidays Croatia also offer a fourteen-day holiday on their most luxurious yacht – the Nostra Vita – that starts in Dubrovnik and ends in Venice, taking in many of the top destinations on Croatia’s beautiful coast along the way. Sounds absolutely amazing!

Full details of activity holidays, and luxury yacht and gulet hire in Croatia can be found on Active Holidays Croatia.

Activity Holidays in Croatia

Activity holidays in Croatia have been steadily increasing in popularity in recent years, and with very good reason. Put simply, this includes any sort of activity as part of your holiday, be it participating in some kind of sport (such as tennis or skiing); walking or hiking; speeding down the coastline on two wheels (on a pushbike, not a motorcycle, however!) or perhaps taking to the water for sailing or kayaking.

Activity Holidays in Croatia

You might think that this doesn’t sound like your kind of holiday at all – why would you want to go on holiday and “do things”; holidays should be all about relaxation, right? Well, these types of holidays are in fact a great way of seeing the country from a slightly different angle, as well as being a great way to try new experiences (or take up old hobbies) in a wonderful setting. Some companies offer “package” activity holidays – great for those who like to have their holiday organised for them, but far different from the normal type of package holiday!

One such company that offers a very wide range of packages to anyone looking to experience activity holidays in Croatia is Active Holidays. They can arrange holidays on luxury yachts (otherwise known as gulets) or organise aforementioned package holidays, tailored to your interests.

Luxury yachts (gulets)

Active Holidays offer eight of the best luxury yachts for rent in Croatia, with the highest quality cabin design and level of comfort. Each yacht is equipped with a top notch crew who not only sail you from island to glorious island, but also serve up delicious food each day. All boats have a capacity for between 10 to 14 people, meaning they are perfect for a large family or group of friends. Prices range from €10,000 to €25,000 (the price for the 5* deluxe Nostra Vita) for a week which, if divided amongst the group, really isn’t that much for such a luxury holiday!

Active Holidays Croatia Gulet

Active Holidays Croatia Gulet
Activity Holidays in Croatia – Packages

If you’re after something a little more adventurous, the company also offer packages for activity holidays in Croatia for 7- or 10-days in length. These are separated into easy, medium and active difficulties (so you’ll be sure to find a package that meets your level of intended activity or knowledge) and includes activities such as boating, rafting, hiking, trekking, windsurfing and rock climbing. All packages also include time for sightseeing and other excursions plus some rest days, so you won’t be “on the go” all the time!

Activity Holidays in Croatia

These packages include halfboard, 3* accommodation (private or hotel), with over 300 different accommodation options to choose from. Prices are €820 for a week in private accommodation or €990 in a hotel, or €990 for 10 days in private accommodation or €1,160 in a hotel.

Best of all, all of these packages are entirely flexible. If there’s an activity you’d rather not do, or if there’s an excursion to one town than another you’d prefer to take just let the company know – and it will happen!

See all details about these packages and holidays on the website: Active Holidays.

Croatia featured…in a new ski film?!

Croatia isn’t exactly the first country you’d think of for a ski holiday – and it’s probably even further down the list of countries that extreme skiers would go to if filming an adrenaline-packed movie! (Alaska it ain’t.) It came as some surprise, therefore, to read that the country was in fact used as a location for a new ski movie called Light The Wick by respected extreme sport production company Teton Gravity Research. (I must admit that I don’t know too much about ski or extreme sport films, but these guys are apparently “big” in the business.) Nevertheless, my interest was peaked – exactly where did they go in Croatia, and what kind of “extreme skiing” were they able to do in the country?

Dragging along a few of my ski-mad friends – who would happily attend anything that’s at all related to skiing in any small way – I attended the European premiere of Light The Wick last night. In amongst some truly spectacular scenes in North America, was the brief segment filmed in Croatia – at Blejolasica, in fact. (The Bjelolasica Olympic Centre is in the Gorski Kotar region of Croatia  – about three-quarters of the way from Zagreb to Rijeka – and the centre itself is near the town of Ogulin.)

Promoted as an off-the-beaten track destination for the purposes of the film, two of the skiers arrived to experience – what they said – was the heaviest snowfall Croatia had seen for 50 years. Actual skiing footage was largely limited to some off-piste skiing through some rather pretty forests, though the crew did then go down to Dubrovnik to take in some of the coastline and local festivities. And yes, they even took a dip in the sea – which assuming this took place in winter (as it must have, if other parts of the country were suffering from heavy snow) is still quite a brave thing to do!

Here’s the trailer for the film, which shows pretty well what extreme skiing is all about:

More about the film at http://www.tetongravity.com/films/light-the-wick