Oasis
- Location: Krka National Park, Croatia
- Aug 10, 2015
- 4 min read
Let me start by saying, I am a Pinterest addict. In the beginning, it was all about the excitement of Pinning outfit inspirations, funny memes, and adorably grumpy cats. But as the Pinteresting world grew, it became my greatest resource for travel tips and articles! While I will always love a good Rick Steves PBS show and a lovely little Tour Guide booklet, Pinterest has become my Go-To Guru for finding the next amazing place we want to visit. When researching the Must-See places to visit in Croatia, I came across a picture on Pinterest almost identical to the one we took above. At first I was convinced it must’ve been photoshopped. There’s no way people could actually just openly swim in such an oasis! I thought. But after some additional research (primarily through articles Pinned on Pinterest), I realized it was, indeed, a real place.
KRKA NATIONAL PARK
To get into Krka National Park, we used the most commonly used entrance at the little village of Skradin. After driving for about an hour and half from Zadar, through the hot temperatures and somewhat desolate terrain, we arrived in the town quite anxious to get into the oasis we’d seen so many pictures of. There are multiple ways to enter the Park – on foot, by bicycle, or by ferry (I’ve read that in the Winter you can even drive you car up to the main entrance of the Park). However, in the high season (April-November) there are ferries that will take you up the river and straight to the mouth of the Park. This, we felt, was the ideal option.
To buy our ferry and Park entrance tickets, we did have to wait in the long line that poured out of the visitor center and snaked through the street that lead down to the docks. And, after purchasing our tickets in the blissfully air conditioned visitor center, we headed down to the docks to wait in that line for the next ferry to arrive. Thankfully, this line only took about 10 minutes and we were soon on-board and sheltered from the piercing sun. As the ferry began its journey upriver, we sat by the edge of the deck and watched the many wild swans in the port flapping and gliding freely in the water, apparently unperturbed by all of the gawking visitors on the boats. We scuttled upstream for approximately 10 minutes, whereupon we were let off at a dock just below the main cascades.
After bustling our way through the hordes of visitors who had beat us the the park, we almost immediately fell through the wooded edge and onto the bridge which displays all of the beauty of the main falls before you, and leads you off into the rest of the Park. As we walked across the bridge, it was all we could do not to strip off our clothes then and there and jump right into the bright turquoise waters. However, we decided it’d be smarter to tour the main area of the Park first, rather than walk around wet for the next couple of hours. Wet bikini under demin shorts? I’ll take discomfort and chaffing for $500, Alex!
Not being able to swim right away didn’t mean anyone kept their shirts on for long, though. I’ll admit, after only 15 minutes of trudging through the heat up the only little incline the Park had, my VS cotton tee came right off!
While the lower terrace of waterfalls of Krka National Park is probably the most famous, partly due to the fact that you can swim beneath it, there is so much more to see above it. There are wooden boardwalks that lead you through and across the waters above, and multiple vista points where you can look down and across at the multiple cascades of waterfalls and turquoise pools, which look almost too vibrant to be real.
I couldn’t help but get giddy as we walked serenely along the wooden walks and looked down at the happy, glimmering fish who seemed to know that they were living in one of the most beautiful places in the country.
Everything at Krka was so peaceful and breathtaking. From the large waterfalls, to the small ones hidden amongst the vines and trees, it was like being transported into a transcendent, beautiful little world, naturally occupied by only swans, sweet little fish, and playful flower fairies. (No, I didn’t see any. But I’m sure they must’ve been there. Clap your hands if you believe!)
After only a couple of hours meandering through the Park, we ended up back at the main pools and lower waterfalls where swimming was allowed. In a matter of minutes we had found our own little spot amongst the trees by the water’s edge, stripped off any excess garments, and slipped into the vivid blue waters. As a girl raised in the mountains, swimming in fresh waters daily, it was such a luxurious moment to glide through the river and not have to worry about sea salt slipping into your mouth and nostrils. Overall, Krka was truly a lovely experience. Walking through the wooded terrain, over the vibrant and shimmering waters, and diving into the cool and clear river is something I will always remember. And something I can’t wait to do again. ♥M.
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