Hello again! While spending some time in Split, we were able to take a day trip to Krka National Park. This was our second National Park trip in Croatia (we visited Plitvice Lakes while staying in Zadar) but this time was even more exciting because we were able to swim in the crystal clear water.
You can get to Krka from Zadar or Split by bus. We bought our tickets from Split to Šibenik ahead of time. The early morning bus we took was completely full so I definitely recommend getting them ahead of time if your traveling during peak season. (It’s an hour and a half travel time).
Once we arrived in Šibenik, we were able to buy a local bus ticket to Skradin. The local bus runs about every 30 minutes from the station. Once in Skradin, you follow the signs for the Krka boat. (To see the boat schedule, check out this link here).
The price varies to visit Krka National Park, depending on the time of year. The cost ranges from $18 (110 kuna) to $33 (200 kuna) per person. To see a list of prices / order tickets ahead of time, visit this link here. I recommend ordering your tickets online and printing them ahead of time. The line in Skradin at the ticket office is long and having them pre-ordered will prevent some serious waiting time. You need a ticket in order to board the boat from Skradin to Krka.
When you first arrive at the National Park, you come face to face with the most famous waterfall and only swim-spot: Skradinski Buk. You might even meet some new friends (the swans that call Krka their home).
Although we were eager to jump right in the water on that very hot day, we told ourselves we would spend sometime hiking around the park. It probably takes 1-2 hours to make it around the trail but the views are definitely worth it!
Skradinski Buk (the main waterfull) is actually the last of 3 waterfalls cascading down Krka River. When the weather is nice, the pool at the bottom of the last waterfall is filled with tourists and locals alike, looking for a place to cool off!
It wasn’t long before we finished the hike and were eager to get in the crystal clear water! I highly recommend water shoes, since the rocks are very slippery. Although we were prepared for our Croatia road trip, we didn’t think of this and it would’ve made our adventures (both at the beach and Krka) a bit more comfortable!
We were lucky to have our waterproof GoPro, which helped us to capture some awesome photos and videos during our swim. We probably spent over 2 hours in the water. There are some places where you can’t touch the bottom, but most of the time you can swim from rock to rock, in order to catch a break.
After eating our packed lunch and drying off, we decided to catch the boat back to Skradin. From Skradin we traveled to Šibenik for some sightseeing around the city. We spent a little time wandering around, snapping some pictures and grabbing a snack before making our way to the bus station to travel back to Split.
Overall our day in Krka surpassed our expectations. We had our sights set on visiting this Natonal Park, long before our Croatian vacation became a possibility. The summer heat kept us swimming most of the day (and certainly tired us out). Although it’s crowded in the warmer weather, we couldn’t imagine visiting Krka without a dip in the crystal clear water!
Check out our video blog below and stay tuned for the last leg of our Croatian trip: Dubrovnik.
Doviđenja, Amanda
