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Croatia with kids: Visiting Makarska Riviera

Blog· Europe· Travel

24 Feb

Visiting Croatia has been on our ever-growing travel list for many years. It is somewhere we have talked about visiting for such a long time, and I am not sure why it took us quite so long to tick it off our list. With a laid back vibe, sparkling turquoise waters, colourful sunsets  and beautiful beaches, I would plan a return family holiday in a heartbeat. We spent many an evening researching “the best places to stay in Croatia for families”, the “best beaches in Croatia”, and “things to do in Croatia with children”… before deciding to stay on the Makarska Riviera for our one week in Croatia. Here are our thoughts on exploring Croatia with kids

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C R O A T I A – I am in love! . . . . #Croatia #makarskarivierabeaches #visitcroatia #lovecroatia #croatia_photography #podgora #makarskariveria #beaches #travel #mytravelgram #beachlife #beachdays #travelwithkids #travelphotography #beautifuldestinations #traveldeeper #instapassport #familytravel #fantastic_earth #croatiafulloflife #travelawesome #ig_travel #ig_nature #holidays #daretoexplore #instatravel #familytravelmoment #myhappycapture #travelmadfam #trips100

A post shared by Katy (@otisandus.blog) on Jun 3, 2018 at 11:49pm PDT

Croatia with kids and the Makarska Riviera-

  • Croatia with kids and the Makarska Riviera-
    • Where to stay in Makarska? Croatia resorts
  • One week in Croatia – what to do
    • Beautiful beaches
    • Podgora
    • Croatia with kids -Krka National Park
    • Makarska
    • Island hopping: Visit Hvar & Brač
    • Croatia with kids -Visting Split

According to The Lonely Planet guide – The Makarska Riviera is a 58km stretch of coast and home to some of the country’s most beautiful beaches…and let me tell you, the beaches are absolutely stunning!

Where to stay in Makarska? Croatia resorts

We stayed in a wonderful family friendly resort in Podgora. Podgora is a small village in the Makarska Riviera, offering beautiful beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters and spectacular mountain views. Described as an ideal destination for families, there is a range of hotels, apartments and campsites perfect for adults and children.

The nearest airport is Split Airport. Looking into hotel transfers, we opted to hire a car for the duration of our holiday in Croatia. We pre-booked our car from the UK before we travelled. Travelling with three young children, we always choose to take all three car seats with us to save on cost, although there is an option to hire car seats.

The roads are fairly straightforward and the drive beautiful – the scenery …well ….it is nothing short of breathtaking. The transfer to our resort took just over an hour from Split airport, and we paid an additional charge to park the car at the hotel.

One week in Croatia – what to do

With beautiful beaches, peaceful bays, crystal clear turquoise waters, and impressive mountain views, we found Croatia absolutely breathtaking.

Beautiful beaches

We didn’t have to wander far to find a beautiful beach. Our resort was located in the small picturesque town of Podgora, in the heart of the Makarska Riviera, and just 10 metres from the beach. The shingle beach was popular with kids, and the turquoise waters as clear and sparkling as I had hoped.

Podgora

Podgora is a picturesque once fishing village and an ideal destination for families. A stunning beach located just outside our resort, offered a quiet and secluded shingle beach with clear waters, a gentle sea breeze and peace and quiet. A number of restaurants, shops and bars were dotted along the promenade to walk. There are a number of umbrellas and sun loungers *payable  and the beaches are clean, tidy and welcoming.

Croatia with kids -Krka National Park

Krka National Park is an absolutely stunning place to visit. Originally I had made plans to visit Plitvice National Park, but then I realised it was quite a journey from our base in Podgora. Changing our plans we despited to travel to Krka National Park.  We set off early and the journey took just over 1 hr 30 by car.

Krka National Park lies approximately 10km inland from Sibenik. Here you will find magnificent waterfalls including the famous Skradinski Buk. You can take a boat trip through the park, walk the various trails,  and you can even swim in some areas of Krka National Park. It is beautiful…emerald waters and incredible waterfalls…pictures just don’t do it justice.

Makarska

We headed to Makarska by car for a day to explore. The beach here does not disappoint with sparkling blue waters and palm trees. We wandered along the long picturesque, colourful promenade with an abundance of blooms, shops,  restaurants, cafés and ice-cream parlours. It is has a more lively vibe here, great for families, with many a large inflatable bobbing up and down.

Island hopping: Visit Hvar & Brač

If you are staying nearby, you can take a short ferry trip from Makarska to the islands of Brač or Hvar where you can experience what these beautiful islands have to offer.

Croatia with kids -Visting Split

Head to Split Croatia’s second largest City for a day trip from Podgora.

We absolutely loved our one week in Croatia – well… it really was not long enough, there is so much to see and so many places to explore.

Would we return to Croatia? In a heartbeat.

Liked this post? You may enjoy our Summer road trip in France

Have you thought about Isles of Scilly as a perfect destination with kids? 

Why not pin for later?

Croatia with kids #Croatia #familytravel #MakarksaRiviera

Croatia with kids #Croatia #familytravel #MakarkaRiviera

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Should you click to purchase, this is at no extra cost to you, but I receive a small commission. 

I love to hear what you think of my blog, do leave a comment.

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12 Comments

Previous Post: « 2019 Travel plans and bucket list holidays
Next Post: Monday Escapes 25/02/19 »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leona says

    February 25, 2019 at 5:41 pm

    Makarska looks unbelievably beautiful
    I hadn’t heard of it before

    Reply
  2. Newcastle Family Life says

    February 25, 2019 at 6:30 pm

    Croatia is somewhere I really want to visit soon, it looks beautiful x

    Reply
  3. Clare (The Travelling Wilbennetts) says

    February 25, 2019 at 6:51 pm

    Ahhhhh it takes me back. That water is perfect – particularly for little ones a bit unsure of the sea. We went to Dubrovnik and Bol on the island of Brac and had the best time. #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  4. Lauren (Where the Wild Kids Wander) says

    February 25, 2019 at 8:22 pm

    Looks like the perfect getaway!!
    #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  5. Lydia C. Lee says

    February 25, 2019 at 8:39 pm

    That looks lovely – esp the national park! Wow! #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  6. Bryna - Dotted Line Travels says

    February 26, 2019 at 4:57 am

    Croatia looks so lovely! The resort you stayed in looks amazing too!

    Reply
  7. Keri | Ladies What Travel says

    February 26, 2019 at 5:10 pm

    Ah I’ve wanted to go to Croatia for so long, it looks oh so beautiful. Looks like you all had a wonderful time! #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  8. Clare M says

    February 26, 2019 at 8:28 pm

    It really is a popular destination and one that’s on my lists as well, great review. #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  9. Nicky@Go Live Young says

    February 27, 2019 at 1:56 pm

    Read this with interest as we’re hoping to get to Croatia this summer. I’m just slightly concerned it will be too busy which will detract from what is obviously a beautiful place #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  10. Claire at Tin Box Traveller says

    February 27, 2019 at 9:56 pm

    You know Croatia has been on my list forever too! It’s so incredibly beautiful. The National Park looks wonderful – not a bad second choice!

    Reply
  11. Sharon says

    March 1, 2019 at 8:09 pm

    Croatia has such lovely beaches, whether daytime or sunset. You are inspiring me to visit!

    Reply
  12. Jemma Taylor-Smith says

    March 4, 2019 at 7:23 pm

    I’ve very recently added Croatia to my list of places that I really want to go to and this place looks lovely. Jemma #MondayEscapes

    Reply

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Vanlife • Camper Family • VWT5


Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......

I’m reall
Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......
 
I’m really hoping better days are coming for us all 🌈
 
Tonight I wanted to tell you about a wonderful campaign by @whsmithofficial and I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it. 

Their aim is to encourage people to try something new throughout 2021. @whsmithofficial have some wonderful products to help you plan your trips (products linked in stories).
 
I would really love you to join me on Friday at 6pm over on the @whsmithofficial account, chatting about why we love vanlife, our favourite road trips, and what vanlife means for us. Believe it or not before we purchased our camper, we had never camped before! 
 
If you have any questions for me, I would love you to send them my way via my stories and I will do my best to answer them on Friday. 
 
Look forward to seeing you over on the @whsmithofficial Instagram on Friday at 6pm! 

#bringiton2021 #vanlife #vanlifewithkids #vwt5


Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕

Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)

🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx


Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my ne
Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?


Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography


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Ad/ Oh the places we will go ....... I’m reall Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......
 
I’m really hoping better days are coming for us all 🌈
 
Tonight I wanted to tell you about a wonderful campaign by @whsmithofficial and I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it. 

Their aim is to encourage people to try something new throughout 2021. @whsmithofficial have some wonderful products to help you plan your trips (products linked in stories).
 
I would really love you to join me on Friday at 6pm over on the @whsmithofficial account, chatting about why we love vanlife, our favourite road trips, and what vanlife means for us. Believe it or not before we purchased our camper, we had never camped before! 
 
If you have any questions for me, I would love you to send them my way via my stories and I will do my best to answer them on Friday. 
 
Look forward to seeing you over on the @whsmithofficial Instagram on Friday at 6pm! 

#bringiton2021 #vanlife #vanlifewithkids #vwt5
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕 My next campsite to 🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx
Camping with kids 🏕 I was going to share my ne Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography
Happy Sunday!!! So I have decided on a Sunday fo Happy Sunday!!! 

So I have decided on a Sunday for the next few weeks I am going to do a little campsite share. Sharing our favourite campsites that we have stayed in our #t5camper over the last two or three years. I wanted to (hopefully) give you some inspiration for all those dreaming and planning for when we are able to hit the road in the future. 

My first campsite is @love2stay in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK. Set in 22 acres of grounds with touring and Glamping on-site. 

Love2stay is a beautiful resort and an absolute gem of a site. We have booked again for this year and have stayed more than once over the last two years.

Facilities

Love 2 Stay  has serviced pitches and a  glamping village. The toilet block is modern and clean.  There is so much to do on site you won’t want to venture far. 

➡️ swipe for pictures 

There is a natural swimming pool, restaurant and pizzeria, fitness suite and thermal bath, assault course, children’s adventure play zone, barefoot trails, mini and junior craft activities, cinedrome for movie nights, yoga and Pilates classes, paddle boarding and kayaking....... the list goes on 

What we loved 

⭐️So many activities on site for everyone 
⭐️restaurant/pizzeria on site 
⭐️Swimming pool 
⭐️Spa/gym on site 
⭐️Dogs allowed (with separate dog walking area and dog agility course )
⭐️Brilliant size serviced pitches
⭐️Glamping available 
⭐️Usually Open all year round (covid restriction dependent) 

Things to consider 
 
⭐️it gets booked up so book in advance 
⭐️No tents allowed 
⭐️No on-site grocery shop
⭐️it is the most expensive campsite we have ever stayed when you factor in all the additional activities that do -but it’s a wonderful experience and we absolutely love it here and it is a place that we will keep on returning to. 

Please do ask if you have any questions or if you have stayed here too? 

I’ll be back next Sunday with another gem !
Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟 Fairy lights dotted around a Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights  dotted around a climbing frame
 
= A few more extra hours outside over the winter months 

Add in a flurry of snow ....

#1000hoursoutside 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #lockdown3

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