Into Croatia, Adriatic Paradise, Ciovo Island
Zagan the motorhome’s in Croatia, which pretty much equates to being in paradise. The brakes are on, and likely to stay on for a week or three, at Camping Rožac, a couple of km from Trogir (N43.50524, E16.25766). The ACSI rate at this early stage in the season is €17 a night for a standard pitch, but they’re offering a beach-side pitch for €15 a night at the moment, so we’re putting down roots! What a life we have, what a life. We’ve even learned the Croatian for ‘hello’, which is ‘bog’, pronounced just as you would expect. Greeting people with a firm ‘bog!’ is fast becoming second nature.
Beach-side Zagan at Camping Rožac, near Trogir
But to get here, we had a couple of mildly pants experiences. The SNAV ferry from Ancona to Split was a bit of a let down. No, that’s not quite right, the ferry itself was fine, but the cabin was, ah, a bit comedic. We’re used to living in small spaces, but the cabin had us both wondering what we just spent an extra €105 on. The door had to be slammed to close it, the wardrobe door fell off, the single leccy socket didn’t work, the wet room extractor fan didn’t work, the bed lights didn’t work, the pillows were see-through thin, the room was baking hot and there was a turd floating in a sea of wee in the ‘sealed for your hygiene’ loo. To be fair, the concierge chap was apologetic, in a kind of ‘I know, I’m sorry, it is all shit, isn’t it?’ sense, and sorted the loo by flushing it and fetching someone to sort the electrical socket so we could charge stuff up. The room made us appreciate our wonderful roaming home all the more.
SNAV ferry cabin, best experienced with a beer. Or two.
We arrived at Split at about 7am. It took the best part of an hour for about ten cars and a mini bus to get through customs and passport checks. Croatia is now in the EU, and is in the process of being assessed to join the Schengen area, but until they get accepted, they have to implement border controls even though we came from a Schengen member state, weird huh?
Charlie wasn’t a big fan of the ferry either, convinced it was a harbinger of doom!
Entry into Croatia, apart from taking a while, was easy. No interest was shown when Charlie’s pet passport was proffered, no searching of the van, just a ‘welcome to Hvratska’, a passport check and we were waved on. Bleary-eyed and with nowhere concrete to stay, we headed for a Lidl. Stocking up on new bits and bobs, the prices seem a bit elevated compared with Italy, but nothing which will bother us much. Although it looks like my €1 a litre limit on lager might have to be increased, harrumph!
Pulling out the camperstop book, our 2015 version only has a list of campsites in it (we’re hoping the expanded 2016 one will have more details) and no opening dates. We picked a couple of ‘mini camps’, which usually take just a few motorhomes, and headed north half an hour. The roads felt smoother than Italy, but heading out of Split folks still paradoxically drove like their lives depended on them pulling off their desperate manoeuvres. After a couple of dead-end-charlie campsite-hunting forays, we gave up on the mini-camp idea when we either couldn’t find the place, or the gates were still firmly locked. Out came our 2015 ACSI book and we headed for Camping Belvedere, a few km north of Trogir. And shortly after arriving started the second weird experience…
Camping Belvedere, Trogir, Croatia
“You can stay in any of these ten places”, the lady in reception pointed to a map, showing Ju a small section of campsite we could stay in, “the other areas are under some renovation”. Pleased to have found somewhere to stay, with a fabulous view out over the pastel-blue Adriatic and a clutch of forested islands, we overlooked the JCBs and parked up (N43.50946, E16.19191).
After a few hours though, we started to wonder about the sanity of opening a 400-pitch site, which was in full-blown, rip the roads up renovation, for only ten spaces. I sat contemplating the open man hole in front of us, and the endless tag-team of concrete lorries rumbling past when a mini-digger slowly clunked its way towards me. Along the one semi-finished road in the place. The one we had run our leccy cable across as the 230V point behind us was a sprout of uncapped wires sticking from the ground. Its metals tracks ground their way across our cable and our neighbours. The driver smiled and waved. I waved back, my imagination cutting through the live cables with his ride’s tracks, and frying the poor chap.
This morning, as the teams of workmen re-commenced operation Rebuild the Belvedere around 8am, we paid up our €20 and left. As per the last time we visited Croatia, it’s almost impossible to work out how much you’ll pay for the sites, even for a flat-rate scheme like ACSI. Some sites add on ‘tourist tax’ and ‘registration fees’, some don’t. Last time here, it annoyed me. This time, we’re in the Good Ship Financial Freedom, and I’m not giving much of a monkeys.
Next stop, here. Which is actually a bit south, and against our ‘head north from Split’ self-imposed rule, but hey, what are rules for? This site is only 2km from Trogir, which we visited before, in a heatwave and needed a huge bag of ice to keep coolish. This time it’s maxing out at about 20ºC, is nigh-on-cloudless, and quite wonderful. Again an ACSI site, and since our card has technically (ahem) expired, we’ve ordered a new one, and a new 2016 Camperstop book to be delivered here. They may take weeks to arrive. I kind of hope they do.
Camping Rožac, Ciovo Island, Croatia
Funny chips!
They love their footy here!
Locals knocking up seats on the campsite here
Loving the local fire wagons
The beach-side cafes are starting to open. Only locals at the moment though, judging by how wrapped up they are
Cheers! Jay
We are looking forward to going to Croatia next month! Larry and I have just finished reading ‘A monkey ate my breakfast’. Great read.
Fantastic, we might still be in Croatia! Would be great to catch up if we are. Cheers, Jay
Interested to see Camping Rozak we were there a few years ago, had wine sitting right where you are sitting and had an ice cream near the Baywatch cafe. Happy Memories . Cant wait to get there . Feeling very envious .
Defo on our ever growing list of countries to visit. At this rate we may not see the UK again for some time. Have fun. Andi & Paul x
hi, so jealous that you are in Croatia, we stayed at Rozac last year also, just wanted to recommend another site http://www.campercontact.com/en/croatia/kroatie-nw-01-02-05-06-07/lukovo-sugarje/28982/motorhome-parking-autocamp-zalo.aspx it is on the D8, amazing roads to reach it just like Stelvio pass and stuning site on a beach, remote, only space for 3-4 vans, literally open the door into the sea!! we found it by accident and maybe worth a look!! Autocamp Zalo, Lukovo Sugarje 131 , 53289 Lukovo sugarje :) enjoy! will be going back ourselves in June!
Sounds fantastic Carolyn! Just checked the camper contact link and the site seems to open at the start of May – by which point we **might** have dragged ourselves out of the country… (I’ve just emailed them to ask, and to see if they take ACSI). Although at the rate we’re currently moving (zero mph, roots growing from wheels) we may well still be tripping slowly northwards so it would be perfect. Thanks again, Jay
Hi guys, Josip wrote back to us and his site doesn’t open until June unfortunately, by which time we’ll have to have headed north!
“Thank you for enquire! The opening day is 01.06.2016 and price for you is 164 HRK ( croatian kuna) 194 HRK with electric. (all tax included)
Best regards…..
Dana 3. tra 2016. 12:08 osoba “Julie and Jason” napisala je:
Hi guys
Could you tell us what date you open this season, and what the daily rate is for a motorhome, two adults and a dog with or without electricity (we have an ACSI discount card if you take it).
Many thanks, Jason”
Cheers, Jay