The area
Šibenik and the parks, from a quiet base
Jadrija is on the edge of Šibenik, so you get the town's cathedral, fortresses and restaurants in the evening and come back to a quiet lane. Two national parks are within reach for a day trip.
Šibenik old town
Šibenik is the oldest Croatian-founded town on the Adriatic, first recorded in 1066, and one of very few towns anywhere with two UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Cathedral of St James, built between 1431 and 1536 entirely from stone, and St Nicholas Fortress at the mouth of the channel. Around the cathedral is a medieval grid of cobbled steps and alleys, more than twenty churches, the Mediterranean garden of St Lawrence monastery, and an unusually good choice of restaurants for a town its size. Summer brings a full calendar of concerts and festivals, many of them on the fortress stages. It is an easy place to spend a day with children, and quieter again in the evening once the day visitors have gone.
Four fortresses
- St Michael's, above the old town, with a summer stage that hosts concerts under the stars.
- Barone, on the hill behind, with the best view over the bay towards Jadrija.
- St John's, the highest of the three on land.
- St Nicholas, on its islet at the channel mouth, a UNESCO site since 2017. You see it from Jadrija beach. Visiting is by boat tour from the Šibenik waterfront, about two hours in total.
Krka National Park
The Krka waterfalls are inland from Šibenik. The Lozovac entrance is 13 km from town and the Skradin entrance 20 km; from Jadrija allow roughly half an hour by car. The main loop at Skradinski Buk is a 2 km boardwalk over the cascades. Go early in July and August; by late morning the car parks are full.
Kornati islands
About a hundred bare limestone islands offshore, a national park, and one of the strangest landscapes in the Mediterranean. Full-day boat trips leave from Šibenik and Vodice with lunch and swimming stops. Book a day ahead in high season.
Beaches beyond Jadrija
Banj, the town beach under the old town walls, for a swim before dinner. Vodice, the nearest town to Jadrija, has long beaches, a promenade and plenty of restaurants. The islands of Zlarin and Prvić by boat from the waterfront, both car-free.
Getting here
- By air. Split (SPU) and Zadar (ZAD) airports are both about an hour's drive. Hire a car at the airport; there is free parking at the house and a car makes Krka and the coast easy.
- By car. From the A1 motorway, take the Šibenik exit and follow signs for Jadrija. Most guests arrive from the north and do not need to cross the Šibenik bridge. Dino sends a map pin and a photo of the turning before you arrive.
- By bus. Šibenik bus station has frequent buses from Zagreb, Split and Zadar. From the station, take a taxi to Jadrija.
- By train. Šibenik has a railway station with connections to Zagreb and Split. Fewer people arrive this way and the bus is usually quicker, but the line is there.
- By boat. In summer, the Jadrija boat leaves from the Šibenik waterfront next to the bus station.
When to come
May, June and September are warm enough to swim and still quiet. July and August are the busiest and the hottest. Spring and autumn suit walkers and windsurfers, and both houses have heating for the cooler months, with a heated pool at Villa Marco Polo.