Why Krka National Park is a MUST VISIT in Croatia!

A day in Krka National Park was something I was in dire need of. I needed to escape from Split after the the load of stress when my bank card stopped working and I had no money for days. I needed the warmth of autumn’s colors and the feeling of walking in a forest to clear my head. I needed that familiar smell of the crisping leafs and the nostalgic feelings fall in a forest brings to your soul.

Especially after a summer at sea working on sailboats with 100+ guests per week. I yearned to wander solid ground. For a hike with earth and rock beneath my feet. An escape from throngs of people to find solitude in nature.

You can say I was going a bit bonkers in the city of Split, even without all of the recent bank card problems. At heart, I’m a wanderer and nature-hearted, and it had been 5 months since I had a proper hike. The city was doing nothing for me, so to quote Muir, “the mountains are calling and I must go“.

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

―L.M. Montgomery

Our bus lurched to a stop in Skradin and I hadn’t realized just how close we were to the park with my face glued to the window. All along the 2-hour journey from Split I gazed out the window watching the landscape transform from the arid hills around the city to sprawling mountain-lined valleys and the beginnings what I hungered for — trees.

You don’t get many trees when visiting the dry islands of the Mediterranean. When I stepped off the bus and saw the valley of crimson and gold at the port of Skradin, my spirit nearly clawed its way out of my throat and frolicked down the road. I was only a little happy to be there.

We boarded the ferry and cruised down the river, cutting through the valley of high jagged limestone peaks. Though the ferry was filled to the brim with people, I was in my own world watching the hillsides flecked with autumn’s ember colors pass in a paint brushed blur. A swan hunted for a snack in the long reeds. Fishermen in the tall grass cast lines into the calm blue water. The wake of the boat fanned out behind us, shattering the glass like water and taking us away from the town.

We arrived at Krka National Park after a 10-minute journey. Everyone shoved their way off the ferry and waddled in a massive glob of bodies into the trees, clamoring to see the waterfalls first. I hung back to get some breathing space. Finally, I was where I love to be, amongst the autumn leaves. Without further ado…