hello euro summer
diaries from a girls trip between dubrovnik and hvar
I now sit 8 hours into my 9-hour return flight from Split to EWR, so what better opportunity to memorialize my incredible girls trip to Croatia than this final stretch. Five days and five nights in Dubrovnik and Hvar with my three best girlfriends. Let’s get into it.
Strategically, we took PTO in conjunction with the Juneteenth long weekend to maximize our vacation days. We flew out on a Thursday redeye, aided by a mega pint of Chablis at the airport gate and some blackberry melatonin gummies that went down like candy. Any grogginess upon touchdown was promptly steamrolled by our excitement.
We hopped in a taxi, bound for Hotel Stari Grad. Perfectly located right off the Stradun, they allowed us an early check-in and walked us through a map of the city. As the concierge outlined the museums, fortresses, and the cable car for an aerial view of the old town, our eyes flicked back and forth in telekinetic agreement. While we are all typically culture enthusiasts, in that moment what we were after was a cold drink and agendaless frolicking.
We found exactly that at Gradska Kavana; a sun-filled table overlooking the water, plates of octopus carpaccio and black cuttlefish risotto with one, two, three St. Germain spritzes to wash it all down. We’d reached nirvana. Perfectly tingly and tipsy, we paid our check hours later, reveling in our long lunch.
Strolling through the Old Town, we peeked into shops and down side alleys. Our favorite impromptu stop was looking out over Buza Bar, where people were cliff jumping into the Adriatic below.
We made our way back to freshen up before heading to Nautika for drinks and dinner. It leans more fine dining and is set right at the sea’s edge overlooking the dramatic fortresses of Lovrijenac and Bokar. I’d recommend it to anyone visiting Dubrovnik; be sure to snag a sunset reservation well in advance.
We sipped our drinks and played Cher Cherie as the baby pink sky deepened to indigo. Naturally, supper ended with four espresso martinis and a strategic debate about when exactly to go to the clerb. We had heard unanimous reccs from friends, reinforced by every local we’d spoken to that day: Club Revelin is the place to be. The club is literally inside the 16th-century Revelin Fortress within the city walls, bouncing house music until 5:30am. I’d say the crowd leans slightly younger, perhaps attributable to prime post-grad trip season, but nevertheless I’d recommend.
The next morning we set off for cappuccinos on the Stradun and a mission to walk the city walls. You can purchase tickets day-of to loop around the fortified perimeter, a circuit of ~1.5 miles that offers breathtaking 360-degree views: red terracotta rooftops on one side, the shimmering Adriatic on the other. Perhaps not our most strategic move to tackle it at peak 90-degree heat while mildly hungover, but the views were so spectacular we were resurrected.
Many steps and many photos later, we descended back into the square, where our stomachs demanded feeding. We replied by giving them gelato for breakfast. With that, we checked out of our darling hotel and bid adieu to Dubrovnik.
After a three-hour ferry ride, we arrived in Hvar. How I would love to be pulling back up to that dock right now instead of EWR, but I digress. I am obsessed with Hvar. We arrived around 6:30pm, met our Airbnb host, and got settled. The home was adorable, centrally located, and our hostess was wonderfully helpful with recommendations.
After sufficiently oohing and ahhing over our new accommodation, we headed to Gariful for dinner. Another gorgeous meal of fresh seafood and pasta, framed by an orange setting sun and backdrop of gleaming white yachts. We naturally couldn’t resist a second gelato run of the day post-dinner. No rules on vacation.
Day 3 was our first beach club day. One of the fun quirks of Hvar is that to reach many of the surrounding islands and beach clubs, you hop on water taxis that run every 20 to 30 minutes from the port for roughly €10 round trip. We piled into one of these little motorboats and were smooth sailing. We had reserved beach chairs at Carpe Diem in advance and were greeted with a welcome glass of champagne front row (the stage being the ocean).
Being a Sunday it was a bit mellower than the crowds we’d seen on TikTok, but that honestly suited us. Between spritzes and sushi rolls, we swam, danced, and took shots with names too promiscuous to print… We took drunk naps in the sun and didn’t leave until the 7pm water taxi back.
After a long day of play, getting dolled up for a proper restaurant felt near impossible. Instead, we showered off the salt and sand, slipped into comfy linens and tees, and wandered into the main square for takeout.
Another luxury of our Airbnb was the private courtyard with tables and chairs. We set out our placemats and cutlery, shared margarita pizzas, Greek salads, and laughs. As the evening turned to night, the patio transformed from dining room to card tournament. Gelato, naturally, closed out the evening.
Day 4, Bridget and I woke up and decided to tackle the hike up to the Fortica Fortress. It was more steep and rocky than either of us anticipated, but the panoramic view over the Pakleni Islands was well worth every wheeze.
Donning patterned coverups, we returned to the dock for another water taxi. This day was at Laganini beach club on the island of Palmižana. We had rented a cabana and loved the vibe: more chic and artfully done than Carpe Diem I’d say. If any of you have one beach club day, I would send you here. We indulged in another sushi spread and more than a couple rounds of cucumber cocktails. Committed to making it to dinner this night, we caught the earlier water taxi back at 5pm.
At Kalavanda, we clinked mojitos in the cutest outdoor seating adjacent to Saint Stephen’s Cathedral. Dinner at Grande Luna followed: an incredible branzino on an open rooftop washed down with white wine and complimentary limoncello shots (the key to our hearts).
You already know what comes next… in pursuit of our habitual post-dinner gelato, we stumbled upon an outdoor concert – a musical group that felt like an ABBA equivalent. Naturally, we stayed to dance. The whole square of people, young and old, waved their hands, singing under the midnight sky.
Arguably and unintentionally, we saved the best for last as our last day was boat day. Heading into the trip we had left this day open, loosely considering a beach day or heading to early Split for some sightseeing. Our godsent Airbnb host insisted we couldn’t miss a catamaran excursion and connected us with a skipper via WhatsApp. We were rewarded with a banana-yellow boat and an incredible guide who has been running tours for 40 years.
He asked if there was anywhere specific we wanted to go and we just said wherever he recommends. Our blind faith in him exceeded every expectation. He brought us to a string of private beaches, crystalline swimming spots, an underwater cave, and the iconic Red Rocks. The Eagles blasted from the boat’s bluetooth as we fell into the most satisfying rhythm: bake on the bow til we overheat, dive into the water to cool, repeat. After many cycles of this, our captain brought us to a waterfront winery for a tasting (he definitely caught onto our vibe quickly.)
I am not exaggerating when I say our lunch felt like stepping through a portal to a magical storybook. The restaurant was tucked into a cove of aquamarine water so clear I could see the stones on the bottom from twenty feet above. No electricity - everything cooked on a wood-fired grill, every fish pulled from the sea that morning. A beautiful doe-eyed Bambi greeted us as we took our seats.
Soon our wooden table disappeared beneath whole white fish, roasted vegetables, prosciutto, local cheeses, and an endless procession of chilled white wine. The fish skin was impossibly crisp with nothing more than good olive oil, flaky sea salt, and a squeeze of lemon. Every bite was somehow better than the last and I now have a new “what’s your death row meal” answer unlocked.
Once perfectly satiated, we floated just a stone’s throw away to a beautiful private beach. We swam, read, napped, and played cards at the picnic table while a couple of deer frolicked around us. It was an afternoon out of a mermaid dream.
Once back on the mainland, we indulged in virgin piña coladas while awaiting our ferry to Split. After, you guessed it, one last gelato, we tucked in early in anticipation of our early morning flights: Sara, Bridget, and I back to New York, and Katherine onward to her next adventure in Greece.
All in all, this was one of my favorite trips I’ve ever been on. A beautiful place, made infinitely more beautiful by the people I was with, and by the fact that this was the first time all four of us had traveled together since our post-grad trip. This made it very full circle and reflective – two years out, with many of our paths shifting and evolving. Special shoutout to Katherine who starts Harvard Medical School in August !!! I cannot help but brag like a proud mother whenever I have an audience.
For anyone inspired to take a Euro trip this summer or down the road, I can’t recommend Croatia highly enough. I must caveat the flight is longer than some other popular destinations (France / Italy etc.), but I’d argue that’s a feature rather than a bug. It’s less crowded, the water is among the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, and the people are so warm and welcoming. It can be exactly what you want it to be: a party destination, a relaxing beach escape, a history lesson, or an outdoor adventure. We managed, I think, a pretty inspired combination.
The trip feels simultaneously like it passed in an instant and like we were there for a month. Either way, it’s one I’ll be reminiscing upon and hoping to relive for a long, long time.
Ciao for now and thank you all for reading! Stay tuned for some more exciting Euro travels this summer!
Beautifully done recount of our adventures!! Best trip with the best friends, how lucky are we💕💕
What an incredible start to your summer travels!