Croatia – Will Scam

I had always intended to briefly cross through Bosnia and Herzegovina, covering just 10 km, to reach the southern part of Croatia. However, after conversing with fellow cycle tourists, I was convinced to embark on a more extensive detour, exploring the countryside and even the city of Mostar. This decision offered the added benefits of potentially cooler weather away from the coast and the avoidance of the busy main road south of Split.

Crossing into the country marked my first passport check since my arrival in France, and the border crossing went exceptionally smoothly. I was greeted by a vast lake that enticed me to take a refreshing swim.

My route led me through the captivating Blidinje Nature Park. Following a climb to 1247 meters, I found myself on an expansive, sparsely populated plateau. The cycling experience through this wilderness, aided by a favorable tailwind, was very enjoyable.

The subsequent descent from this altitude was exhilarating, as I followed an impeccably maintained road that meandered through the valley. I located a suitable camping spot along this route for the night.

The following morning marked the onset of rain. The rain had begun during the night and I decided to bravely pedal through it during the morning hours.

I joined the valley road that traced the course of the Neretva River. This road would eventually lead me back to Croatia. However, my first stop was Mostar, a city renowned for its touristy old town and iconic bridge.

Due to the relentless rain, my time in Mostar was brief and I didn’t spend long wondering around the old stone buildings.

Pressing on, I continued to follow the Neretva River back into Croatia, reaching the town of Metkovic. I had been to this town previously in 2018 for a kayak race, but never had the chance to explore this region having spent most of the time by the river or in the hotel. Unlike my previous memory of the bustling town where athletes from all over Europe had come to compete, it now felt surprisingly tranquil, with a lack of activity.

Heading south, I crossed into Bosnia and Herzegovina for 10km before reentering Croatia. I had hoped to cross the huge Pelješac Bridge which was only finished last year however, I discovered it was a motorway so unfortunately couldn’t and had to follow the old road which was now deserted. That night I found a picturesque spot to setup camp on a quiet mountain road.

The following day was devoted to reaching Dubrovnik, a place that had long captured my curiosity. However, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat out of place as I wheeled my bike through the historic old town, clad in my dirtied cycling attire, attempting to navigate through the masses of tourists.

As I departed Dubrovnik, the rain begin again. After enduring about an hour of rain while waiting outside Lidl with lots of shoppers also sheltering from the downpour, I became bored and resolved to forge ahead and aimed for the Montenegro border. Arriving at the border, there was a long line of cars which I just cycled around before showing my passport and entering the country.

That evening once the rain finally ended I witnessed Montenegro’s beauty. After ascending a road that doubled as a hill climb track, I settled for the night at the local fly tipping spot!

Given that I was now beyond the realms of the EU, I opted not to utilize my phone contract, which would have incurred a daily cost of £6.85. This decision introduced a degree of complexity in finding water sources compared to my previous routine. Now, my strategy involved aiming for churches or petrol stations and relying on the presence of taps or approaching locals for assistance. These methods occasionally led me to questionable water sources, such as an incident in Bosnia where a man drew a bucket of water from a well after lifting up what appeared to be a manhole cover, or relying on this pipe in Montenegro which a local assured me was “very good”.

The subsequent morning heralded even more rain. Determined, I charted a course for Albania along the coastline where I could see some blue sky in the distance.

The last few days had proven arduous due to the incessant rainfall. Unfortunately, this hampered my exploration of Montenegro, as my primary focus had shifted to covering miles amidst the wet weather. The forecast, however, appears to be promising, hinting at a more favourable stretch ahead as I cross into my 12th country Albania.

Opting to skip Slovenia, I headed straight for Croatia. This led me to cycle 14 km through a deserted forest road, stopping only once for water. I decided to save Slovenia for another trip; fellow travelers who’ve cycled through there extol its beauty. However, I wanted to continue along the coast and didn’t fancy the Slovenian mountains!

The border crossing from Slovenia to Croatia was deserted. Where once there was clearly a barbed wire fence and multiple checkpoints, now just empty buildings since Croatia joined the Schengen Zone in 2023.

Croatia is a very popular country for cycle tourists, evidenced within my first 10 km in the country. There, I encountered Burak, a Turkish cyclist pedaling from Germany to Istanbul. His electric bike towed a self-designed “caravan” , a sight to behold. He was an intriguing character who might have convinced me to continue past Istanbul and further into Turkey. In just two weeks, he’d garnered 20,000 Instagram followers through documenting his trip. As we parted ways, he let me sign his caravan and promised to give me a shout out on Instagram.

Wild camping is prohibited in Croatia, and I’ve been told the police patrol the costal areas to search for people. Therefore, I camped away from the coast in the mountainous regions each night, where vast forests blanketed most of the land.

The geography of Croatia makes it a challenge to cycle through, with little flat land by the coast. This means that wherever you want to go, you either have to take the busy main road with aggressive drivers who give you no space and attempt risky overtakes, or head up into the mountains.

On my second day in the country, I decided to head over the mountains and inland to cover some distance. It was amazing how quiet the country became once I left the very touristy areas. I found a beautiful spot by a lake to have dinner that evening before heading into some woods to camp for the night.

On day 3, I cycled on some beautiful roads with brilliant descents in the direction of Zadar. I spent a long time that day trying to find fuel for my stove searching many hardwear shops, and eventually found 70% alcohol in a pharmacy to use.

The following day, as I headed to Zadar, I met up with Leila, who was cycling to Istanbul from her home in Austria. We had first met a few days ago at a supermarket, and after she had finished cycling the Croatian islands, we agreed to meet up and travel together. It was really nice to share this amazing country with someone else.

That evening, we decided to camp up a hill in a forest but stopped at a beach to have dinner and a swim. As I was getting my cooker out, a man asked us, “Are you camping here tonight?” After explaining that we were just eating then going to leave, he began to question us about why we weren’t camping in this beautiful spot, telling us we’d be fine. This man was Jimmy, a 60-year-old man from Manchester who retired at 49 and spends every summer living in an RV in Croatia. That evening, he generously kept coming over to us with beers and we had a trouble free night not even bothering with our tents.

The next day was scorching hot. Leila and I cycled along the coast together, with Leila handling the navigation, which was a nice break from thinking about it myself. That afternoon, after having ice cream and beer, Leila and I parted ways. I decided to head inland towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, while she continued along the coast.

Heading for the border, I stoped at a cafe to do some admin and charge up my electronics. This is where I met Ivan, who kindly paid for my coffee because he felt sorry for me due to all the times Croatia had beaten England at football!

Croatia has felt more like a holiday than an adventure. It’s been a beautiful country and very easy to travel through, with most people speaking at least a bit of English. I’m looking forward to retuning in a few days but wanted to experience Bosnia and Herzegovina first.