As the summer season is approaching we would all love for things to go back to normal, so we can enjoy holidays and have the best vacation ever. But the situation is forcing us to adapt a new version of normal, and be more cautious of our own health as well as others. But that doesn’t mean we can not have a wonderful summer this year as well.
If you are planning a visit to Croatia this summer, in this bog you might find a couple of information that would interest you. Such as – What is the situation in Croatia regarding the Coronavirus (COVID19) right now? – Is Croatia safe for travel? – Are hotels and Apartments open for tourists? – What are the best regions to visit? – Are touristic attractions open and what to do while visiting?
So I am writing this blog to share what is going on in Croatia, and to provide information about the summer season of 2020.

COVID19 in Croatia

Firstly lets talk about what is the situation in Croatia currently. As all EU countries, Croatia is also fighting the Coronavirus. The Croatian government has taken all needed measurements on time to stop a massive spreading of the virus. Now that does not mean that was no infections in the country, but the National Civil Protection Headquarters have done a good job keeping numbers of infections and deaths well below the European average.
Since the beginning of the pandemic there are 2.247 cases of infections, which of 2.130 people have fully recovered. Only 11 cases of the Coronavirus (COVID19) remain active and 106 deaths have been recorded to this day.
Source: https://www.koronavirus.hr/en

Is Croatia safe for travel?

This summer nowhere is completely safe, Croatia is not in a bad situation and there are regions that are completely corona-free. That being said we can not predict how the season will go on, and if all tourists coming into the country will follow health restrictions. When it comes to restrictions and new laws, Croatia has quite strict laws for catering facilities and any shop or location that has the capacity to accommodate large number of people have mandatory disinfectants before the entering a building, also all shops and super markets close for an hour and a half to disinfect inside of the building. There is specific laws and rules for renting apartments which are in place to protect people visiting as well as locals.
So I would say that Croatia is safe for travel, but you as an individual need to take care of your health. So we advise to always be prepared, have a mask if you will go into crowded areas such as city canters, also it would be good to stock up on rubber gloves so you can be relaxed while shopping. And of course wash your hands regularly and don’t touch your face.

Are Croatian borders open?

Croatian border are currently open for tourist to come in to the country. It would be best if you could carry your reservation for accommodation as they could ask you for one on the border.
https://entercroatia.mup.hr/
This website could come in handy while organising a trip to Croatia. There you can fill out a small form after you will receive an announcement certificate which you are expected to display on the windshield of your vehicle in order to facilitate the border crossing. There you can also receive all necessary information regarding your stay in Croatia. Be sure to check out the website. We would also advise to check up on information regarding your home country and the laws they have for citizens returning, depending on your home country you might have to stay in isolation for 2 weeks upon return.

What region should you visit?

https://www.koronavirus.hr/en
Here on this map you can find visual and numerical pointers of infections, so you can look at the map and decide which region would be safest for you to visit. Take note that almost all regions have been infected some more others less. The ones that are more infected expectedly are more populated regions, the one that are isolated are less infected from the virus. Some islands on the cost of Croatia are completely corona-free, but some of them are completely uninhabited you should always take that into count while researching where to travel this summer. Istria is one of the sea regions that was not infected that badly by Coronavirus.

Are hotels, motels, apartments and other facilities open for tourists?

Most hotels and motels are open and working normally some are open on half capacity, the same situation is with apartments for rent. As we mentioned before there are strict laws that were put in place to protect the health of incoming tourists and local who work in such facilities. Night life is also starting to come alive in Croatia, more and more clubs, bars, beach bars, and coffee bars are open for business with new rules of course. So if your idea of a good time is a little party, you can find your party in Croatia especially the sea side regions that are known for summer celebration.

Are touristic attractions open and what should you visit?

YEESS! Most of the touristic attractions are open and working normally. Of course there are some that we still don’t know if they will be opening for summer season 2020. We would advise that you check for any specific attraction online as you can find all the information there. We would recommend not to spent too much time indoors or in crowded areas, and the best way to do so is to go enjoy outdoors activities and nature.
Outdoors activities are the best option while traveling right now as there is less chance to contract the Coronavirus.

There are many attraction you can enjoy while traveling and still keeping a safe distance to make sure you stay healthy, such as kayaking, biking, stand up paddling, hiking, sailing, enjoying adrenalin parks where you can find zip lines and other fun daredevil ventures.
If this sounds appealing to you, that means you appreciate nature and love to spend time outside doing sport activities just as us.

Here at Jistira we can offer you many tours and guided excursions.

  • If you are a bike enthusiast or just someone who loves to hop on a bicycle and ride from time to time you will love our FUN E-BIKE RIDE AT CAPE KAMENJAK tour. A licenced bike guide will take you trough untouched nature of significand landscape Kamenjak to the southernmost point of Istria where you can experience a breath taking view on the blue horizon. There will be enough time to spent in Safari, you can see for yourself why this bar is one of the most loved bars among locals and tourists. On this link you can find other information about the tour as well how to book it.

  • Want to enjoy the sun and experience most of what the Adriatic sea has to offer, a Kayak tour with cave experience is the right choice for you. Kayaking along the coast you can soak in the sun while being active. This is the best fun you can have on the sea while still keeping a distance from others. All of us want to stay safe in this times of Coronavirus, so its important for us to provide activities that minimise the risk of infection. If you have a big family and children, we provide kayaks for pairs where you will be seated close to your family member. And if you are a solo traveller do not fear we also offer single kayaks where you will be distant from others joining your tour around Cape Kamenjak to the incredible hidden caves. Other information can be found here.

  • For all our love-birds out there that want a romantic get away. We got something for you too and it might me of the most relaxing and zen tours off all. It is the SUP wine sunset tour where you can have a light pace of paddling under the sunset to the small island. After which you can enjoy a glass or two of wine while chilling on the sea and watching sunsets. If this tour sound like heaven to you, here you can find booking info.

  • If you are someone who doesn’t want to be bothered by a bigger group of people, and you want to experience the connection with nature and the wavy sea on your own without distractions. We got your back, there is an option to rent a kayak, bike, E-bike or a SUP without guides, and joining a tour. That way you can be sure to be able to relax and find serenity.

 

  • On the other side if you are traveling with a group of friends and you are not the most sporty group of people, or the romantic SUP tour sounds like fun but you want it without the romance part. You can rent the Big SUP now this big boy can fit more people than a regular SUP, so four of five people can hop on together and try to control the Big SUP by paddling. This option is a lot of fun and perfect for friend groups that are searching for something more slow paced.
    For more rental information click here.

And on the end if you are not a sporty type at all you will surely find pleasure in the biggest selling point of Croatia, the seaside area like the islands, Dalmatia and Istria. So there is always room to find an isolated beach and spend your days there soaking the sun and swimming in the clear blue Adriatic sea.