Congratulations!! If you are reading this post you probably had your wedding and right now you are searching for where to spend your honeymoon at. Since you found this topic, then Croatia is probably one of your options. You also probably have other tabs opened in your browser and they all read ‘honeymoon in Bali’, ‘honeymoon in the Caribbean’, or ‘best honeymoon locations’. Stay with us for the rest of this text and we’ll make you close all these other tabs, close your laptop and happily say: “Croatia honeymoon it is!!”
What your honeymoon should look like?
Consider your honeymoon to be a special bonding between you and your partner. Yes, it’s a journey like any other, but it’s you two who should make this travel stand out. Not by force but with a few good, natural and easy choices. We’re here to help you with that even if you have no idea what to search for and expect out of your ‘special travel’. Although we’re going to be more specific and write about Croatia honeymoon ideas, a lot of these could apply to any location. In the end, it’s not the location that matters, again’ it’s the two of you. And yes, there are going to be a few cliches like this one throughout the text but we promise we’ll try to keep them at a minimum.
Why choose Croatia for your honeymoon?
Because you have all possible ways to make Croatia honeymoon one of the best experiences ever. Caribbean islands are perfect, yes, but do they have breathtaking mountains? No. Well, Croatia does. Iceland? Beautiful nature, can’t say a word about it. But can you go for a swim naked in the middle of the night while bioluminescent plankton glows around you? You can if you are a Wim Hof.
The point is, every location has something to offer, and somehow Croatia has it all. Warm sea, mountains, beautiful and different national parks, places of untouched nature, famous historical cities…
We are Croats so you might say we are biased but it’s not us who say these things. It’s the people who were our guests on our adventure tours or couples who came to elope in Croatia. Croatia seems to leave everybody breathless.
Best season to come to Croatia
This one is tough, our every sense tells us to say Spring or Autumn but in fact, it’s the Summer. Everybody comes to Croatia in Summer, 99% of all people. It doesn’t mean that there is nothing to do during the rest of the seasons. Summer is, for sure, the most crowded season of all and the season when everything is open and so much to do.
But we would like to encourage you to pick early or late Summer for your Croatia honeymoon trip. The weather is still great and it’s nowhere as crowded as in July and August. It’s not as hot as in these months too.
If you ask us for a specific month to visit Croatia, we would probably say September. Nice weather, warm sea, and not so many people = perfect honeymoon.
Tip 1: Rent a car and avoid motorways
The number one thing you have to do when you come to your Croatia honeymoon is rent a car. It’s something two of us do whenever we go abroad and we believe it’s the best way to experience the country and be on your own. You can go wherever you want to and you can stay there as long as you want to.
There are some countries where some means of transportation is a part of the culture and goes in a ‘must-try’ bucket, like the Trans Siberian railway in Russia. But at this moment we can’t remember such a thing for Croatia. We can’t say that driving on a bus for 8 hours will leave you breathless. But driving your rented car on a coastal highway might do just that.
And yes, motorways in Croatia are great and will take you from A to B relatively quickly but your Croatia honeymoon shouldn’t be like that. Go slower and enjoy the ride, it’s also a part of the journey and you’ll be astonished at how beautiful Croatia is only by traveling the roads less traveled.
Tip 2: Go on a mutual adventure
Bonds. Adventure bonds. It’s something you need to do and your Croatia honeymoon won’t be the same if you skip this step. It doesn’t need to be something full of adrenaline if you are not that kind of person, it can be a kayak adventure along the coast, finding a perfect and empty beach, and swimming alone in the sunset. What you are going to do when the sun is gone, it’s up to you.
As we already mentioned, Croatia is full of beautiful nature and that nature has adventure potential as well and so you can enjoy a rafting tour at one of the Croatian rivers, you can take a parachute jump over the Kornati national park or you can enjoy in a morning kayaking on Bacina lakes.
We run an adventure agency as well and we’ll gladly help you choose the perfect adventure for the two of you.
Another useful tip when it comes to adventures is to try and find one that won’t be so crowded if that is possible. If you are going to be in a group of 50 people kayaking down the river your adventure might turn to anti-adventure.
Here is an example of a kayaking adventure couple photo session on a remote beach in Dalmatia.
Tip 3: Elope on your Croatia honeymoon
Your wedding is done, you said your ‘I do’s in front of your relatives and that’s fine. But did you say something to each other, something you didn’t have to repeat after the priest? If you did that’ that’s perfect. We are huge fans of elopement weddings because we believe that a wedding should be something between 2 persons and not in front of the auditorium of people you might not even know.
We don’t know what the tradition in your country is like, but in Croatia, weddings are often huge and full of people newlyweds don’t even know. These kinds of weddings are stressful for almost everyone. If you had a wedding like this, then the honeymoon is the right time to rest from it.
Let’s get back to the elopement. It’s nothing complicated. Read our guide for elopement in Croatia and everything will be much clearer to you. Basically, all you need to do is to exchange your vows between yourselves in some nice place. It doesn’t even have to be a nice place, you can do it in the car, but nice places have the tendency to make everything better.
And Croatia is full of nice places.
Check out this early October elopement in Biokovo Nature park.
Tip 4: Do a couple of photo session
Don’t forget to take a lot of selfies too, but consider hiring a professional photographer to make a few stunning images of the two of you. These kinds of photo sessions last for an hour or so and you end up with around 70 edited photos of the two of you. All you need to do is find a place you would like to be your backdrop and find a photographer who will make you stand out. The only tips for the photo session are to be yourself and try to be a little goofy, smile a lot and that’s it. The real photographer will try to capture spontaneous moments, a bad one will make you pose for each photo and that’s something you want to avoid.
Tip 5: Have at least one picnic together
Dinner in a fancy restaurant with a glass of expensive wine? Do it. Picnic with bought food arranged by yourselves on an empty beach? Absolutely do it. Don’t leave Croatia without doing it first. Picnic has all the pros and no cons. You are your own chefs and waiters and it has that special charm. And the best thing is you pick where your restaurant is going to be. Consider a picnic to be something less focused on food and more focused on an experience and the two of you. Although, you’ll be surprised how good mediocre food tastes just because of the picnic experience.
Tip 6: Sleep in a car or remote house for at least one night
If you have chosen to listen to us and plan to rent a car, consider sleeping in it for at least one night. It’s kind of forbidden to be honest, but not forbidden in a way that you’ll end up in prison or get a fine. Don’t tell anyone we told you this. Just be considerate, don’t spend all of your Croatia honeymoons sleeping in a car. And avoid private property. There are still a lot of places to embark on this adventure.
Another thing to consider is to sleep in a small remote house or cottage. Somewhere far from everybody and everything. Deep in a forest or up in the mountains. It’s up to you.
Need more inspiration? Check out our recommendations on where to stay in Croatia for an epic honeymoon.
Tip 7: Visit at least one historic city
This one is like a two-edged sword for us. If you choose July or August for your Croatia honeymoon, feel free to skip this since all the old city cores are overcrowded and you won’t see much thus your experience of it won’t be as it should be, so just skip it. If you are visiting during any other time of the year, we recommend you visit any of the old Croatian cities like Dubrovnik, Split, Trogir… You can combine this visit with tip number 4 since the photo session in these old city cores can be a fantastic experience.
Here you can check out our photos from a relaxed elopement wedding in Dubrovnik.
Tip 8: Go on a Romantic Sail Trip
For an unforgettable experience, consider embarking on a romantic sail trip along the stunning coastline of Croatia. Picture yourself and your partner, surrounded by the azure Adriatic Sea, sailing into the sunset while savoring each other’s company. There’s something inherently magical about being out at sea, with nothing but the gentle breeze and the sound of the waves. To make this experience even more special, book one of the Sail Croatia Dubrovnik cruises. These cruises offer luxurious amenities, breathtaking views, and the opportunity to explore hidden gems along the coast. Whether you’re celebrating your honeymoon or simply looking to rekindle your romance, a sail trip in Croatia is sure to create memories that will last a lifetime.
At the end
Be happy and enjoy wherever you choose to go in this vast world. The whole point of this post is to make you realize that doing small things together is what really matters. Find those things for yourself. This is how we envision a honeymoon and how we would make ours look like.
We hope that we have made you more interested in Croatia and if you want to spend your honeymoon in our country. If you need any help with your planning, let us know, and we’ll gladly help you.