Istria

Visiting Croatia in September

Although the summer holiday crowds have gone home, many travellers come to Croatia to visit this month. That’s no surprise – there’s a lot to be said for visiting the country in late summer/early Autumn. But what’s it like visiting Croatia in September?

Rovinj
Rovinj

Getting to Croatia in September

Travellers shouldn’t have any problems in reaching Croatia in September – most airlines that operate flights from the UK and the rest of Europe continue their summer schedules well into September, if not into October too. (Some even to early November!) Take a look at our Flights to Croatia from the UK & Ireland to see the full operating dates of all routes from these two countries to Croatia.

Getting around Croatia in September

Likewise, most transport options – with buses and ferries being those that travellers will most likely use when visiting Croatia – still continue with high season or special ‘summer’ schedules in this month too. For example, Jadrolinija – the largest ferry operator in Croatia – continues its high season schedule until the end of September. Kapetan Luka – operator of the very popular catamaran service that travels from Split to Brac, Hvar, Korcula, Mljet and Dubrovnik (and return too, of course!) still continues to operate this service daily in September. (Note: it changes to being a three-times a week service in October.)

Some seasonal bus routes may have stopped operating at the end of August, although most of these of are of the kind that take (domestic) holidaymakers from inland Croatia to the coast. Check out our Bus Travel in Croatia section for help in planning bus routes.

Visiting Croatia in September - Plitvice Lakes

Accommodation in Croatia in September

Not to sound like a broken record…but since absolute peak season is now over, accommodation should be slightly cheaper in Croatia in September. But seeing as it’s still a busy month, it’s not the time for bargains! Check out our Accommodation in Croatia section if you need some help with planning and booking where to stay.

Weather in September in Croatia

This is a big one – what’s the weather like during the ninth month of the year? Well, traditionally, summer temperatures and conditions normally do stretch out well into September if not beyond. This is one reason that many choose September as the month to visit Croatia – especially as the summer holidaymakers have gone. Sea temperatures will also be warm, given waters have been heating up for a number of months!

Southern and Central Europe was undergoing something of a heatwave in early September, with temperatures reaching into the 30s Celsius. However, mid-20s C is a more normal temperature for this time of year – and it looks like this sort of weather has returned to Croatia and will stay.

The Croatian Meteorological Service website is a great website to check out weather forecasts (although I’m sure you already have your own favourite weather website or app!) – but do be sure to take a look at their current sea temperatures page.

What’s on in Croatia in September

Plenty!

Korcula is the location of the 4th Korkyra Baroque Festival, 5th to 12th September.

The 20th Split Film Festival – an international festival of new film – will be taking place in Croatia’s second city from the 12th to 19th September.

The 9th Giostra Festival will take place in Porec, 9th to 11th September 2015. Over the three days of the event, around 250 participants celebrate costumes, culture and events from the 18th century.

If you’re in Istria towards the end of the month, look out for the Parenzana Bike Race (25th – 27th September), a World Cycling Federation event. Or if you’re feeling active, join in on the recreational ‘race’ on the Sunday!

The Food Film Festival will be held in Zagreb from 11th to 20th September, combining two wonderful items – food and film! Films with a gastronomic focus will be shown. Also in Zagreb is the 48th International Puppet Festival (14th – 19th September) and music and food event RujanFest (literally, ‘SeptemberFest’) from 11th to 20th of the month.

Nightlife and festivals in September in Croatia

Outlook Festival, held in Fort Punta Christo near Pula from the 2nd to 6th September concludes the festival season for Croatia for the year…so if you planned to attend one of these gatherings, you’ve kind of missed the boat!

Most of the island clubs (such as in Novalja) also normally close for the season at the end of August. But if clubbing’s your kind of thing, we’d advise sticking to one of the larger cities or towns in the country – such as Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik.

Enjoy your September visit to Croatia!

Kalypso - Color Sensation

The 2015 party season at Zrce Beach’s Kalypso club, including brand new Stereo Forest Festival

Novalja’s Kalypso Club – the very first beach club in southeast Europe that now has nearly thirty years of clubbing experience – has announced a very exciting party season for 2015! Alongside a number of exciting festivals – including the first edition of Croatia Rocks, little sister to Ibiza Rocks, Kalypso will be hosting its own festival for the first time this year. Named Stereo Forest, the festival will held on the dance floors, stages and party pools of Kalypso from 2nd to 6th August 2015, bringing together some of the best names from the electronic dance music scene.

Another special announcement for 2015 is that every Monday Kalypso will also host Garden of Art, a spectacular cirque performance art experience that will mix top DJs and live acts with talented dancers in extravagant costumes, amazing artistry and fire shows – everything to delight both your eyes and ears. Catch the spectacle as you chill at Kalypso by day, or dance away to EDM beats by night. Garden of Art will be rounded off for the summer by a BIG closing party on the 22nd August.

Kalypso - Stereo Forest

Stereo Forest Festival

Not just a festival…but a whole festival event! Top name DJs are guaranteed, as are party events day and night…you’ll barely have enough time to catch your breath!

Garden of Art will also be held during the Stereo Forest Festival (on Monday 3rd August), whilst the following day (4th August) will see a Color Sensation party. This Indian-style colour celebration will see the sky turned pink, yellow and blue as colourful ‘paint’ rains down – and with the glimmering Adriatic sea behind you and the sun or stars above, you’ll get lost in an immense party vibe. (The Color Sensation party is included in the price of a Stereo Forest ticket, although you can also purchase tickets just for the party itself.)

The first line-up announcements for Stereo Forest include R3HAB – Holland’s hottest artist, who’s been catapulted into the limelight with a string of successful original material and remixes – and Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman, two young and very promising producers from Sweden that have received a great deal of attention for their remix of Coldplay’s The Scientist, plus their new single Roll The Dice.

Kalypso - Color Sensation

Watch out for more line-up announcements plus Stereo Forest ticket news at kalypso-zrce.com.

About Kalypso

The first ever club to open on Novalja’s (and Croatia’s!) famed Zrce Beach almost thirty years ago, club Kalypso is now a world renowned party and festival destination. With a huge open-air dance floor, go go platforms, plenty of different levels and numerous bar areas, there’s something to delight everyone and plenty of space for you all! Kalypso is of course also open by day – you can lounge by the pool sipping cocktails and relaxing in the sun whilst you gear up for the party night ahead!

Kalypso Club

Kalypso has been home to some of the best festivals in Croatia for a number of years now, with Hideout, Sonus, Barrakud and Fresh Island Festival all also taking place this summer as well.

As mentioned above, this year Kalypso will host its own festival for the first time; Stereo Forest will merge the brand new visual identity of the club with its lush natural surroundings, alongside an art sculpted stage and the club’s party pools.

Kalypso Club

Latest Kalypso news

  • Kalypso has been named in the top three of Beatport’s 13 Mind-Blowing Festival Destinations from around the world! Check out details here.
  • Croatia Rocks recently unveiled the second phase of their festival line-up, which now includes names such as Clean Bandit, The Vaccines, Kate Tempest, Rudimental, Gorgon City, Zane Lowe and special guest Fatboy Slim. More details at www.croatiarocks.com.

Stereo Forest Festival
2nd – 6th August 2015
Kalypso Club
Zrce Beach, Novalja, Pag, Croatia
kalypso-zrce.com

Soundwave Croatia 2015

Latest artists added to the bill for Soundwave Festival 2015 – get all the details!

This year’s Soundwave Festival – which is already in its seventh year – recently revealed the latest acts to be appearing at the event in Tisno this August. This builds on plenty of exciting news about new elements of the festival, as well as the announcement of the ‘Run to the Sun’ tours that will be held in Europe in the week leading up to the festival.

Names such as Detroit hip-hop group Slum Village; British producer and DJ Mr Scruff; one of the UK’s finest voices, Andreya Triana; and 6 Music’s Craig Charles, who’ll be playing the best in funk and soul, have all recently been added to the line-up of this year’s Soundwave Festival. That’s in addition to acts such as Alice Russell & Fatima; LTJ Bukem and DJ Marky; Channel One Soundsystem; Alexander Nut; and Mala that are already on the bill.

Soundwave Croatia 2015

This year’s Soundwave also has a number of exciting additional elements to it – including an art programme and film scrennings. Street artists, mural artists and illustrators from across Croatia and the rest of Europe will be on hand to transform the walls of apartments and buildings in the festival site, turning them into living and evolving pieces of art. Point273 from independent art collective BestJoinedUp and Sri McKinnon (an affiliate of The Institute of Contemporary Arts and the The Hayward and Tate Britain Galleries) are two of the artists that will be working their magic during the run of Soundwave.

The festival will also be home to an open air cinema that will show a programme of independent and Croatian cinema over the five days. This means there’s absolutely plenty to do day and night at this year’s Soundwave, besides enjoying the main line-up of acts, the club nights at the legendary open-air Barbarellas Discotheque, the boat parties, beaches and all the usual fun!

Soundwave Croatia 2015

And just in case you’re after something a little ‘kitsch ‘n’ Croatian’ – the annual and long-running Tisno International Donkey Racing Championships take place in town on the same weekend as Soundwave. Why not pop along and cheer along the entries at this global competition?!

Even more than that, in the week leading up to the Festival the five route ‘Run to the Sun’ party tours will take place. They follow five specific routes in Europe… all ending at the festival itself, of course. The routes include:

Route 1 – London (3rd August) > Amsterdam (4th August) > Munich (5th August) > Soundwave (6th)
Route 2 – London (3rd) > Paris (4th) > Milan (5th) > Soundwave (6th)
Route 3 – Berlin (4th) > Prague (5th) > Soundwave (6th)
Route 4 – Krakow (4th) > Budapest (5th) > Soundwave (6th)
Route 5 – Zagreb (4th) > Zadar (5th) > Soundwave (6th)

The parties are a great way of fully getting into the Soundwave mood; what better way of cranking up the festival spirit than by starting your holiday early and tracing a party route down to Croatia? Full details of the events taking place on each day of each route can be found at www.soundwavecroatia.com/travel-accommodation/the-run-to-the-sun.

Soundwave Croatia 2015

Soundwave also takes slightly later this year – in early August – which means the summer holidays will have well and truly started by then. That’s great news for revellers you and old!

Tickets for Soundwave Festival 2015 cost £125/€165 (sorry – early bird tickets have sold out!); you can also buy group tickets (5 tickets for the price of four) or packages that include entry and accommodation. See the festival’s tickets page for full details: www.soundwavecroatia.com.

There’s a range of accommodation available – from camping to apartments to airstream trailers, Shikar tents and wooden yachts – with something for all tastes and budgets. And Soundwave’s incredibly easy  to get to as well, as Tisno is located roughly halfway between Zadar and Split which are both linked to the UK and the rest of Europe with a whole heap of flights.

What have others said about Soundwave?

“One of the highlights of the Festival season” FACT
“A beach party with incredible music” GRAZIA
“Soundwave is rapidly emerging as one of the finest boutique festivals that Europe has to offer.” CLASH
“One of Europe’s biggest parties.” DAZED & CONFUSED
“More than just a festival, Soundwave is a great way to go and experience a beautiful part of the world. ” STYLIST
“One of Europe’s hottest festivals.” GQ
“You will not want to miss this extended weekend of hedonism’ TIME OUT

Do also check out our guide to Soundwave for more info on reaching the festival.

Otherwise, get all the latest Soundwave news on soundwavecroatia.com, or on Twitter and Facebook!

Soundwave Festival 2015
6th – 10th August 2015
Tisno
soundwavecroatia.com

Stop Making Sense 2015

Stop Making Sense 2015 back in Tisno – but now in July!

One of the most popular festivals in Croatia, Stop Making Sense, returns to its now usual home of Tisno this year – except the festival is now in an exciting mid-July slot, 16th to 19th July 2015. Perfect for those who can’t wait to get the party going in Croatia!

Stop Making Sense 2015In the idyllic setting of The Garden Tisno, Stop Making Sense will provide four days and four nights of dancing, feasting, lounging and partying in the sea and sun and under the stars. With a relaxed and free-spirited family vibe, this festival offers up a variety of eclectic underground tastes – from house to disco, techno to electro, soul and funk and much more.

Stop Making Sense 2015

Music will run through the festival site for 18 hours each day, with the on-site Beach Bar being the main setting for the revelry from day into night, with famed Barbarella’s Discotheque the spot for late-night partying until the early hours.

As ever, there’s also the legendary boat parties (an absolute must for any ‘proper’ Croatian festival) which will set sail twice daily, and will be hosted by a variety of crews and artists.

Promoters involved in this year’s Stop Making Sense include London favourite Corsica Studios, Scottish institution Sub Club, and deep-house upstarts Get Diverted, plus collectives Tessellate, Warm and more.

One of the best elements of Stop Making Sense is how truly affordable the festival is. There’s a variety of ticket packages available, whether you want the festival only option that costs just £80, or the DIY camping and festival ticket for £128 – these include access to all festival areas and Barbarella’s Discotheque. Fantastic prices for an amazing festival in an idyllic setting, with near-guaranteed sun – no need for wellies here! Do take a look at SMS’s Tickets page for information on all the available ticket packages.

There’s also plenty of different options for accommodation as well – whether you can only make the four days of the festival, or want to spend a week at the location, lapping up the sun and chilled vibes. Accommodation ranges from on-site camping to air-conditioned apartments, with more special options such as luxury Shikars, incredible airstream trailers or wooden yachts moored nearby all also available. Some accommodation is limited, so we advise booking very soon.

Stop Making Sense 2015

The full line-up of names performing at Stop Making Sense will be announced in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes peeled on the official SMS website – as well as on Facebook – for all the latest news.

We’ve also got a little guide to Stop Making Sense on the Visit Croatia site with more details on all of the above, plus info on how best to reach the festival.

To really get a feel for the festival, take a look at this video of last year’s event:

Otherwise, see you in Tisno!

Stop Making Sense 2015
16th – 19th July 2015
Tisno, Croatia
stopmakingsense.eu

Electro Dance Madness

New festival for 2015 – Electro Dance Madness, part of Spring Break Croatia

Those looking to plan out their ‘Croatia party timetable’ for 2015 need to pay attention to this news! There’s a brand new festival for 2015, taking place in the party hotspot of Zrce Beach in Novalja, on the island of Pag – Electro Dance Madness, to be held from the 17th to the 21st June. This festival is part of an event called Spring Break Croatia which will also be held 3rd to 7th June and makes up ten days of revelry in one of the prime party destinations in Croatia.

Electro Dance Madness

What makes Electro Dance Madness rather unique is its ‘main party platform’ – which is set upon the surface of the Adriatic sea, no less! This means that while you party the night away on the platform – with its two stages – you’ve got an amazing view of the twinkling sea and can really live it up in style; this is also the first electro music festival to be hosted in this way, so it’s a really unique experience.

There’s plenty more to the festival than just the party platform – the main venue will be Noa Beach Club, where you can enjoy a central pool area and exclusive bars, plus parts of the beach in Novalja as well. The festival itself will make sure things really get into the swing of things with a state of the art sound system plus 3D projections and laser shows; there’s also exclusive VIP areas, lounge chairs, massage tables, yacht berths and a docking area and more.

The festival has capacity for 5,000 and will hosting some of the biggest DJ names, with everything from mainstream EDM, trance, progressive, electro, house and techno and more. Watch carefully for announcements of acts performing!

As mentioned, Electro Dance Madness is part of Spring Break Croatia which sees a whole host of fun events by day – pool parties, games, beach contests, water sports and more – and clubbing by night. Find out more on Spring Break Croatia at www.croatiaspringbreak.com.

We’ve got our own little guide to Electro Dance Madness in our Festivals in Croatia section, which gives full details on how to obtain tickets and how best to travel to the island of Pag. Check it out now to start planning for Pag in June!

Electro Dance Madness
17th – 21st June 2015
www.electrodancemadness.com

Animafest

25th Animafest in Zagreb to screen feature and short films!

One of the most famous animation film festivals in the world – Zagreb’s Animafest – will return to the city in 2015 in June for its 25th edition. However, this year’s festival is proud to announce that for the very first time, both feature and short films will be shown. (Previously editions alternated each year between the two disciplines.)

Animafest

As one of the friendliest gatherings for all fans of animation and those that work in the industry, this year’s festival will see over 350 films presented across various genres. There will be a complete overview of the best from the international animation scene, which will feature powerful cinemas, great names, Oscar winners and world premieres, as well as pieces from up and coming new talent and student works, and retrospectives of animation masters.

There will also be plenty besides just film screenings at Animafest 2015. The fastest-growing form of media – videogames and interactive content – will be on show at the festival. There will also be multi-screen animation installations, water screen projections, interactive phone application and live audiovisual performances. Not forgetting the very many panels, lectures, workshops, exhibitions and case studies of recent animation hits.

Animafest will take place in Zagreb, Croatia from 9th to 14th June 2015. For full details of the festival, please see the official website www.animafest.hr/en.

Animafest
9th – 14th June 2015
Zagreb

British Croatian Society Annual Dinner

British-Croatian Society Annual Dinner in London, 22nd November 2013

The British-Croatian Society Annual Dinner will take place in London on Friday 22nd November, with this year’s dinner returning to the wonderful venue of The Montague on The Gardens Hotel, following the success of the dinner there last year.

British Croatian Society Annual Dinner

After being welcomed with a glass of wine, attendees will enjoy a sumptuous three course dinner followed by petits fours and coffee, served in the The Montague’s Great Russell Suite. With the hotel holding such an excellent reputation for its food and service and located so centrally (close to the British Museum), there’s no doubt that this will be a delightful evening.

Guest speaker at the dinner will be Josko Stella, Director of Tourism for the Split region, who will talk about new developments in tourism. The Croatian Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Dr. Ivan Grdesic, will also be present.

Tickets for the dinner cost £50. You can book places for the dinner by emailing britishcroatiansociety@gmail.com with the names of those attending. Please then visit the British-Croatian Society website’s Membership page where you can pay online via Paypal (click on AD £50). Alternatively, if you would prefer to pay by cheque, please see the payment details on the Society’s Events page.

This is sure to be a very enjoyable night as one of the top events on the British-Croatian social calendar!

British-Croatian Society Annual Dinner
6.30pm, Friday 22nd November 2013
The Montague on the Gardens Hotel
15 Montague Street
WC1B 5BJ

Croatian Film Festival

Croatian Film Festival in London, 31st October to 2nd November 2013

Starting tomorrow, there’s an exciting opportunity to see some Croatian films in London! The four-day Croatian Film Festival is being presented by the British-Croatian Society and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre and will take place at the Lost Theatre on Wandsworth Road, London SW8. A diverse mix of subject matters will be presented through these films, featuring a combination of dramas and comedies, and many of the films shown have won multiple awards both in Croatia and internationally. Most will be feature films, although there will also be one short film shown. And – don’t worry, English-speaking friends! All films will be shown with English subtitles.

Croatian Film Festival

The Croatian Film Festival will kick things off at 6pm on Thursday 31st October with a screening of Pismo ćaći (A Letter to My Dad), described as a drama-documentary hybrid that’s based on real events but structured like a live-action feature film. At 8pm the same day, the romantic comedy Sonja i bik (Sonja And The Bull) will be shown; Zagreb-girl and animal-rights activist Sonja challenges the Dalmatian countryside residents on their bullfighting…and they in turn, challenge her to stand in front of a bull.

On Friday 1st November at 6pm, the comedy-drama Nije kraj (Will Not Stop There) will be screened, followed by the experimental short film From To at 8.30pm. At 8.45pm, it’s Neka ostane među nama (Just Between Us).

On Saturday 2nd November at 5pm, it’s the turn of Lea & Darija – an inspiring and true coming-of-age tale of two thirteen year old girls who were dancing and acting stars in Zagreb on the eve of World War II. At 7pm on Saturday, it’s Ljudožder vegetarijanac (Cannibal Vegetarian), a medical crime thriller. At 9pmNa putu (On The Path), the tale of a young Bosnian-Muslim couple, Luna and Amar, in post-war Sarajevo who have to deal with Amar’s increasing Muslim radicalisation. Zrinka Cvitesic, who plays Luna, was nominated for Best Actress at the 2010 European Film Awards for this role.

More details on the films showing at the Croatian Film Festival in London can be found on the Lost Theatre website at www.losttheatre.co.uk/index.php/11-current-shows/200-croatian-film-festival-welcome-croatia where you can also book tickets for any of the screenings.

Tickets cost £10 (£8 concessions) for all films, and you can also buy a full festival pass for £25. (Tickets bought online/by phone have an additional booking fee.)

You can also find the programme online on the British-Croatian Society website: www.britishcroatiansociety.com/London%202013%20ENG.pdf

See you there!

Croatian Film Festival
31st October – 2nd November 2013 2013
Lost Theatre
208 Wandsworth Road
SW8 2JU

Nearest tube: Stockwell or Vauxhall

Visiting Croatia in September

Who would have thought it? We’re over halfway through August, which means we are most definitely hurtling towards the end of summer. (Although, personally, I definitely think summer runs until the seasons change in September. But then, I like to be an optimist about the weather.)

Some of you who are perhaps yet to take your summer hols, or are looking for a late summer trip to ease yourself back into autumn ways, may be thinking of visiting Croatia in September. You may be pleased to learn that September is considered the best month to visit amongst those in the know – the weather is still good (yes, you will – most probably – still be able to swim in the sea!), the high season crowds will have departed for home by the end of August, but everything – tourist-related – is still very much open.

Visiting Croatia in September

The island of Vis

However, you probably have a whole list of questions – what’s there to do? Where shall we go? We’re here to help you with these questions and more if you’re considering visiting Croatia in September!

The weather in Croatia in September

First things first. This is something we always get asked – is the weather in Croatia still good in September? Yes, very much so. It may come as no surprise really – as a Mediterranean country, the summer weather continues long into September. The last few years have seen very hot summers in Croatia, and this glorious weather definitely hung around in the ninth month of the year. (In fact, even into early October too!) This year there’s also been a rather hot summer in Croatia with temperatures in so many places reaching the very high 30s celsius. In fact, during July, temperatures for practically the entire country were classified as being “very warm” or “extremely warm” (poor Vis was the only place in Croatia to simply be “warm”), whilst most of the country was considered to be either “dry” or “very dry”.

All in all, we expect the weather in Croatia to be great this September! The Croatian Meteorological Society has plenty of forecasts in English – at the moment, they obviously don’t show much data for September, but take a look at their seven-day forecasts a little closer to the time.

The sea off the coast of Croatia – having had all summer to warm up – will be great, temperature-wise, in September. Yesterday, for example, temperatures reached around 23/24C for many places, with the sea a few degrees colder in the north of the coast.

Disclaimer: Yes, of course, the weather everywhere is starting to turn a little crazy. So don’t hold it against us if conditions in Croatia inexplicably turn winter-y during September. That’s definitely not supposed to happen. And it’s very, very unlikely to happen. But if anything insanely crazy, weather-wise, happens…don’t blame us! 

What’s on in Croatia in September?

Croatia has established itself as something of a prime festival destination in the last few years, with more and more dance festivals being added all the time to each year’s calendar. September is when the festival season winds down, but there’s still a couple of events taking place, both in Istria. The brand-new-for-2013 Unknown is being held in Rovinj from 10th to 14th September, with names like Jessie Ware, The Horrors, Jamie xx and SBTRKT all on the bill. Now in its second year, the electro festival Dimensions will be on in Pula from 5th to 9th September, making use of Fort Punto Christo that’s close to the town. (Dimensions is the “little sister” of Croatia festival favourite Outlook, which is on itself in Pula from 29th August to 2nd September.)

For the less dance music type events, there’s the Split Film Festival on from the 14th to the 21st September. The historical festival Gioistra – now in its seventh year – will be held in Porec from 13th to 15th September, with assorted costumes, revelry, sports, street entertainers and products on sale, all re-enacting 18th century times. The second Korkrya Baroque Festival is an international music festival on the island of Korcula, being held from 7th to 13th September. Zagreb hosts both the general entertainment festival RujanFest (literally, ‘SeptemberFest’) from the 13th to the 22nd September, as well as the 46th edition of the International Puppet Theatre Festival (9th to 14th September).

For those more keen on sports events, Croatia will host the Davis Cup tie against Great Britain in Umag (which means clay!) on the weekend of 13th to 15th September. And yes, Wimbledon champ Andy Murray is expected to play. Tickets can be bought on the ticket portal Eventim.hr.

Be sure to pop into the tourist office of wherever you are to ask for events taking place locally!

Where should I go in Croatia in September?

As we’ve covered so far, the weather will be great in September, so it’s hard not to pick a location on the coast. Dubrovnik should be as busy it always is, and there’s certainly a large number of cruise ships scheduled to dock during that month, bringing thousands of (day trip) passengers at a time. Split has had a great season so far, so it wouldn’t be any surprise to see this place as bustling as it has been. (Seeing as it’s Croatia’s second largest city, it is relatively lively all year round!) Some of the more popular islands, such as Brac and Hvar, and other popular locations on the coast (the Makarska Riviera) are still likely to receive a good number of visitors, even whilst the season starts to wind down.

If you’re after something a little quieter, perhaps consider the most outlying of all the larger Croatian islands – Vis. As a quieter and slightly mystical destination any time of year, we think this place would be divine in September. Other islands to check out include those in the Kvarner bay  such as Krk, Cres, Losinj or Rab, all of which are perhaps not as well known amongst non-Continental European visitors.

Istria is of course one of the most popular destinations in the whole of Croatia, with delights such as Porec, Rovinj and Pula all located here. The county has suffered a slight fall in visitor numbers this year, but will still see good numbers overall. If you’d like to visit, why not consider something like a foodie or activity-based holiday – two things the region does very well! Check out Istria Tourist Board’s guides to gastronomy and sport.

From a logistical point of view, almost all flights from the UK to Croatia still operate in September – and well into October too. The one exception to this is Ryanair’s flights from London Stansted to Rijeka Airport stopping at the end of August. See our Flights to Croatia page for details of all routes to Croatia from the UK.

Do note that in almost all cases, ferry schedules will still be running to summer timetables until the end of September. Certainly, almost all of Jadrolinija‘s local routes remain the same until the end of September, as does their twice-a-week coastal route that runs Rijeka – Split – Stari Grad (Hvar) – Korcula – Mljet – Dubrovnik and vice versa. The exception lies with some of their international sailings (to Italy) that reduce in frequency in September, and again further in October. Venezia Lines‘ sailings between Istria and Venice will only operate from Porec and Rovinj during September.

Or check out Adriagate – they offer last minute discounts on accommodation for destinations all over Croatia!

All in all, if you’re visiting Croatia next month, we hope you enjoy your stay! Why not drop us a line on email, Twitter or Facebook to let us know how it went – we’d love to hear from you!

For Festival

Countdown to this weekend’s FOR 2013 Festival on Hvar!

There’s less than a week to go to the inaugural FOR 2013 Festival on the beautiful island of Hvar – and we can hear many of you getting really rather excited at the thought of partying on such an idyllic location in less than a week’s time!

Taking place on three of the top venues in Hvar Town – Carpe Diem Beach, Veneranda and Amo Beach Bar – the Festival has a wonderfully diverse and canny line-up of some top artists. These include Tame Impala, Solange, Horse Meat Disco, James Blake, DJ sets from 2ManyDJs and James Murphy, Nicolas Jaar, Tensnake and numerous other top names. In addition to this great line-up, another plus is that only 2,000 tickets have been made available which means that FOR 2013 will truly be one of the most intimate festivals to take place this summer.

For Festival

The party gets started in the late afternoon each day at Carpe Diem Beach, with matters then switching over to club Veneranda in the evening to get the vibe really ramped up. Carpe Diem Beach – part of the famous Carpe Diem club on Hvar, which this year celebrates its 15th birthday – then takes over proceedings once more, keeping the party going until the very early – and we do mean very early – hours of the morning. But in such a paradise-like setting, and with temperatures reaching a night-time low of about 22C (yes, you did read that right) we can imagine that everyone will keen and eager right until the final beat gets played each night.

FOR 2013 announced their set times today, which you can see at forfestival2013.com/line-up.htm. Check out that page to start planning where you’ll want to be when.

To get you in the mood, take a look at this teaser FOR 2013 video, produced by Croatian creative agency PHOLA:

The team behind FOR 2013, Australian label Modular Recordings, have also been producing regular modcasts featuring some of the acts on the bill – lend your ears to the ones by Tensnake and Croatian label Burek for a little preview of what all you lucky revellers will be experiencing this weekend.

A small number of tickets are still available for FOR 2013, so if you fancy heading to Hvar, be sure to snap these up quick! Three-day passes – which allow you entry to all of FOR’s venues for the entire weekend cost £130, whilst one-day passes cost £45. There are special discounted ticket prices for passport holders of the ex-YU nations. More details on FOR’s tickets page.

We’ve also got a brief guide to FOR in our Festivals in Croatia 2013 section – FOR 2013 – which provides some useful practical info, including how to get to Hvar.

But for all the details on FOR 2013, do make sure to take a look at their website, which also covers discounted accommodation options at local hotels. Be sure to also check out all the festival news on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

FOR 2013
Friday 21st – Sunday 23rd June 2013
forfestival2013.com