Exploring Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Plitvice Lakes - National Park in Croatia

Croatia jumped to the top of my bucket list few years ago when I was flipping through a magazine and saw some pictures of the beautiful Plitvice lakes national park. To be honest, that was my sole reason to visit Croatia and when I did make it there, I spent maximum time in the park.

Croatia is a beautiful country with a scenic coast line and breathtaking natural beauty. I did not spend a lot of time in Split and Zagreb as my ultimate goal was simply to see the 1000 waterfalls in Plitvice. It was a wise decision as I fell in love with the beauty of Plitvice.

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Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage list

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Things to do in Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia has so much to offer from beaches to casinos, national parks to awesome adventure activities. There is a lot to do, see and explore. In Plitvice itself you can go for hikes or camp in the jungle, take boat rides or simply rent a small boat and paddle your way into the lovely blue green waters.

Places to stay in Plitvice Lakes National Park

I stayed in a lovely homestay near the park which was an excellent way to meet locals and spend quality time amidst nature. However, there are plenty of amazing options from hostels to boutique hotels, homestays or luxury retreats.

Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia.Beautiful view of waterfalls with turquoise water and wooden pathway through over water. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia. Famous attraction, summer landscape.

How to reach Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitvice is almost halfway between Zagreb and Zadar. You can take buses from any major city/airport – Split, Zagreb, Zadar, Dubrovnik etc. Personally, I prefer the convinice of self drive so I hired a car from Hertz at Split airport – drove to Plitvica and returned the car at Zagreb airport before flying out of there.

This was a really convenient option as I could enter from any of the gates and go right upto the parking lot. There is a lot of walking to be done inside the park so hiring a car saves time and is also very cost effective (Car rentals don’t really cost a bomb in Croatia).