As part of Season 03 of CulturallyOurs which showcases Lifestyle and People, we are thrilled to share letters from locals all around the world as they take us along a virtual journey of their city, village or hometown. This is a way for us to get to know one another on a personal level without any ‘must see‘ lists or ‘Top 10‘ activities. Getting a local’s point of view is a fantastic way to get a glimpse into the lives of the people of a place, city or country.

Today we travel to Split. Croatia. Debora Pedroni, a content writer and translator originally from Rio, Brazil, but now living in Split for 8 years takes us along her home, her city and her adopted country in our local’s point of view series.From Debora,

What is a Brazilian girl from Rio doing in Croatia, in Split to be more specific? Well, I will try to explain how I ended up here, 8 years ago. I can start by saying that the hardest thing in life is the beginning of something new. And a new life in a new country, new friends and language, everything was scary. To be out of our comfort zone is not easy, and I could taste it when I decided to move to Split, the second largest city in Croatia, and the most important in the Dalmatia region.

When you walk along the streets of the Diocletian Palace, you truly feel as if you were part of the history of the place, more than 2000 years ago. Nowadays, locals transformed the surroundings of the palace into a lively market place and small shop stands, selling their products and handmade arts and crafts. For those who appreciate history, filled up with good food and wine, walking around the palace and tasting local cuisine is an incredible experience.If you feel like visiting Split during the summer, you cannot miss the islands, which are full of tourists at this time. However, with a lot of planning and energy, you can take a ferry or a taxi boat and end up in Solta, Hvar or Brac, for instance, the most beautiful islands I have visited here. And the best thing is that you can depart right from downtown Split, so no need to go to other towns to hop on the islands.

Solta is the nearest one (we read it “sholta”). It is not so popular like Hvar, but for those who have families and kids with them, it is the ideal. And besides, not so expensive, since during summer time you can find a bottle of water being sold for 3 euros here in some of the more popular Croatian islands.The island of Hvar is famous for the Ultra Festival, a huge electronic party that happens generally in July in Split and also on the island. So, if you are a huge fan of this kind of festival, do not miss it next time you come to Split. But, if you prefer to avoid this massive number of tourists walking around day and night, but still want to enjoy summer, then I would suggest you to come in August or September, where you can find lower prices and less crowds around.

The last island, Brac, has the number 1 beach in the world. Zlatni Rat beach, located in the city of Bol, is considered one of the most preserved and searched places by tourists who come to Split and have some time to visit one or two islands. There are many hotels and resorts around if you prefer to have an all included experience, which I did twice and really recommend.After mentioning all these islands, I gotta confess that summer is my favorite season, and sitting on the stones or in some coffee place having  a nice cup of coffee (yes, I am addicted to coffee and I can say this is the number one habit of locals around here) is a great pleasure for me. I wait anxiously for the end of May and beginning of summer season.

As I live a bit far away from Old Town, I spend most of the time near the beach and where one of the best resorts are located: the Hotel Lav. Of course that it is impossible to spend days there, since the prizes are up high in the summer, but when tourists start to leave, it is a paradise. You can even have a day use of the spa, pools and fitness area for only 140 kunas.

So, whatever you decide to do, I am sure you will have a great experience visiting Split. Thanks for coming along with for a local’s view of my adopted hometown Split in Croatia.Thank you Debora for taking us along for a virtual visit around Split Croatia. We have to admit, all those shades of blue, turquoise and green is making us long of the cool blue waters of Croatia and just sitting around people watching and sipping coffee seems like the perfect way to spend those lazy autumn days.

What about you? Are you ready to put Croatia on your must-visit-list?

{Words by Debora Pedroni; Facebook: Debora P P Katunaric ; Instagram: @debypedronik}

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