5 Dog Friendly Day Trip Journeys in Croatia

One month after returning to the states, the view that I can’t stop daydreaming about is the clear, sparkling Adriatic Sea on my 7 hour drive from Porec, a town in western Croatia, to Zadar on the east coast. Sheila and I learned the hard way that taking a bus is absolutely impossible with a dog in Croatia, unless that dog is a verified service animal- no emotional support animals allowed. There is also no reliable train system, which is how we traveled throughout the rest of Europe and the UK. The way we eventually arrived in Croatia, after more than two days of trial and error, was through a ferry docking from Venice to Porec, and renting an overpriced, but totally worthwhile SUV.

We spent about 10 days in Zadar before deciding it was time to go back to the states. If you find yourself on the western end of this breathtaking country, here are a few dog friendly activities that we recommend:

  • Hiking Paklenica National Park – One day Sheila and I drove out to Paklenica National Park to check out the canyons and rock climbing scene. We didn’t end up rock climbing but we did find a few rocks to crawl up to enjoy the view. Dogs are allowed in the park with no problem as long as they stay on a leash.
  • Biking to Nin Beach – Perhaps my favorite day with Sheila was our biking adventure to Nin Beach, known for its amazing sandy landscape. Biking in Zadar isn’t the best experience because they don’t have bike lanes, so I recommend biking on the outskirts to coast along the sea. If you have a small dog and want to try this, bring a blanket or towel to line the basket!
  • Listening to the Sea and watching the sunset every night – The sea organs located on the northeast end of the Old Town of Zadar are man-made pipes under the water that echo in response to the waves. There are only 3 sea organs in the world. Sunset is the perfect time to enjoy the sun salutation of the sea and the organs in harmony.
Zadar sunset and the sea organs
  • Driving Out to Split– The same day that we drove to Paklenica, we ventured over to Split for the evening. The drive from Zadar was absolutely breathtaking and the sunset was one I’ll never forget. If I could go back in time, I would have spent more time in this city. It seemed to have a very young and fun vibe with great food and an amazing marina.
  • Sailing to the Kornati Islands– The most touristy portion of my time with Sheila in Croatia was the day we decided to go to the Kornati Islands. I was so excited when I found out the trip was dog friendly, but I’m not certain I recommend this tour to others- mainly because Sheila and I shared the boat with about 250 other people. It made the experience pretty claustrophobic. If I were to redo this day, I would have gone out on a smaller ship, or tried my best to meet a kind local with a boat to go out to Kornati in exchange for pilates private lessons.