Bluebird Riders
Header-Top-Ad-Banner-small_1272224580.jpg
contact live person
Call Us At: +442081237555

 

Bike & Sail in Croatia 

 
written by Ayelet Nir for Ofanaim Magazine
Translated by Noa Zimhony, BlueBird Riders Team


There are two types of biking trips: A trip in which the traveler moves between hotels every day, as he proceeds along the biking course, and a trip in which the traveler stays in the same accommodation for the entire trip, and leaves daily to bike in the area.
Last year, a new idea formed in the mind of Asaf Mohr, an entrepreneur from the high-tech industry, who decided to organize a biking trip along the beaches of Turkey, using a high-end gullet for accommodation.
In May of 2010, after founding BlueBird Riders Ltd, a pilot trip was held to examine the option of conducting a similar trip in Croatia. I too was invited to partake in this adventure.

What could there possibly be in Croatia?

Croatia has been an independent country since 1991, after gaining its independence in the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia. Croatia’s neighboring countries are Slovenia (which managed to separate itself quietly from Yugoslavia), Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, against which Croatia waged bitter and bloody battles, Montenegro as well as Italy (bordering on the other side of the Adriatic Sea).
The citizens of Croatia claim that when the breakup of Yugoslavia took place, Croatia received most of the nature parks and tourism sites, among them eight nature reserves and ten national parks, some of which were declared UNESCO world heritage sites, as well as narrow beaches (over 1800 kilometers) and many islands. Although the Croatians invented the tie, the atmosphere is laid back and casual. Street vendors cover their wares with a blanket at the end of the day, without locking it away, the markets are stocked with goods, and the people are hearty and kind.
The country was conquered many times in the past: Following the descent of the Roman Empire, ruins from which can be found in all Croatian cities, the Slavic tribes arrived, however they did not get to rule this area for long. Among the conquerors of Croatia are the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which integrated the Schnitzel into the local cuisine, and the Italians, thanks to whom the local writ is Latin, instead of the Cyrillic writ used most of the neighboring countries.
The establishing of Yugoslavia after the crumble of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the First World War did not bring about a true unification of the southern Slavic states and following the death of Tito, a breakup was imminent. This breakup was not gentle, to say the least, however since the Dayton Agreements signed in 1995, the Balkan has seen relatively quiet times and resources can be used to attract tourists. Many tourists come to Croatia to enjoy the Adriatic Sea, with prices that are still relatively low when compared to the rest of Europe.
Andro, the driver who picked me up from the airport in Dubrovnik, raised his eyebrows wonderingly when he heard I was in Croatia for a biking trip. “Are you crazy?” he asked. “Look at those mountains!”
In order to try to convince me that I was better off enjoying Croatia not from a bicycle saddle, he recommended I visit Dubrovnik’s old city, which was badly shelled by the Bosnians. He recommended the right local wine and gave me some Croatian lessons. I soon learned how to say “Good Morning” (Dobro jutro), “Thank You” (Hvala), “Please” (molim), and so forth.
A thirty minute cab ride brings me to Dubrovnik and after a mandatory visit to the old city (if anyone’s into stairs, this is the place for them!), all of which’s roofs were replaced after being shelled during the last battle against the Bosnians, I take a bus to Dugi-Rat, north of Dubrovnik (from which the gullet will embark the following day). The view from the window is wild and makes me wonder about the biking trails here, and the mountains by the road look as if they were not meant even for the best mountain biker. Steep boulders, which remind me of a similar trail near home where a biker must walk carefully bike in hand line the road. I see a series of serpentine trails on one of the slopes and think to myself that this trip’s gonna be a good one! We pass a few more curves and I suddenly spot a group of four bikers. So yeah, we may be crazy, but apparently we’re not the only ones…

An Island Unlike Any Other

In the town of Mali-Rat, adjacent to the ancient Roman city Split, we board the gullet, our floating hotel for the next week. Tony, the captain, a charming young man, leads the small crew (two deck hands and one pot-bellied chef), whose main concern for the next week is to see that we enjoy ourselves. During their regular journeys during the tourist season of July and August, this gullet, like many others, sails tanned tourists between the magical islands along the Croatian coastline.
The deck was covered with nylon sheets and our bikes were already waiting for us when we boarded, taken out of the cardboard boxes we’d packed them in for the flight, and waiting for us to assemble them. In the upcoming week, we would ride almost 150 kilometers, reach assembled heights of 4500 meters, travel between the Croatian Islands and bike on the mainland as well, however at the end of each day we will head back to the gullet, which would await us either at the port we departed from or a port where we would end our ride for the day.
After a light breakfast, the gullet sailed toward the island Brac, the biggest island in Dalmatia and third biggest in the entire Adriatic Sea. We did final last fine-tuning of the bikes and hit the dirt! First pedaling gently on a paved road, before a sudden turn onto a steep dirt road that demonstrated just how steep the ascents in Croatia can be. The chalk rock on the island are a source for very good marble, as the Romans found out when they used it for temples, amphitheaters and castles, and even today the locals boast that their marble was used to construct a modern castle we like to call the White House. Among ancient olive and grapevine terraces we reach the village of Nerežišća and from there curve our way to a rock dome and to the port town of Milna, while riding down to the coast town of Bobovišća and immediately ascending again, a painful and steep ascent (I swear it did not look so bad on Google Earth) before finding our technical way down. By the way, the trails were designed by Raz Goren, the man who can look at a map and have the trail jump out at him. Due to the lack of organized biking trails in Croatia, Raz based the trails on Google Earth imagery, and similar to the rides back home, which are mostly designed the same way, sometimes you reach spectacular places, and sometimes – you have to walk for a bit…

Vis – A Green Paradise

The island of Vis is a bit further from the Croatian coast and is the closest to the Italian coast. The island was conquered many times more than most of Croatia due to its location: Venetians, Austrians, French and even Brits. After Italy was conquered in the Second World War (1943) the island became the base of the Yugoslavian partisan forces and after the war the island remained a closed military base, severely limiting the residents. It appears that this seclusion contributed to the maintenance of the simple life on the island, and after it was reopened in 1989 it became a popular site for tourists who wanted abandoned beaches with clear waters and traditional vine-growers and fishermen. According to the tradition, the first grapevine to be planted in Croatia was planted in Vis by Greeks. Since then, the local wine was the inspiration for the famous Californian Zinfandel.
Every day of riding begins with an ascent from the port (and to our pleasure, each day ends with a smooth glide down). From the city of Vis we ascend the mountain, only to reach a hill back in the direction of the sea, to the “Lighthouse Single”, which although it led to a dead end, provided a great ride along a narrow bay. Three more hours of riding through vineyards and orchards, and we reach the peak of the ascent for the day and stop for a big lunch and a lecture about the island and its history. We begin our way back to Vis on a full tummy, through a challenging single full of switchbacks and stairs, and looking out at the turquoise and blue waters of the Adriatic Sea. Still full from lunch, we were in no hurry to return to the gullet, and continued exploring the island, reaching an old English fort, to see where Tito wanted to hide submarines, and to visit a local vineyard.
The next day, we departed again from Vis, to our next port: Komiza. After a climb which we thought would never end, we were rewarded with a steep descent and a single that matched the beauty of the one we underwent the previous day. The “Terrace Single” is made up of two parts, both with a rocky terrain and the view of Komiza Bay. We embarked on a short sail to the Blue Cave on Bisevo. We entered the cave in a small boat through a fissure in the rock in order to observe the bright noon light transform into a strong blue color in the darkness of the cave. On the way back to the boat, I slip and my left knee crashes into the railing. The crew quickly fetches ice and I am reminded of “the cabbage trick”, so the crew get me some green cabbage leaves as well. It appears that the local residents are familiar with this trick, since the only ones surprised at the cabbage are my fellow riders. Well, here’s a tip for you: White cabbage, bandaged for two hours (I also recommend ice) reduces infection and swelling.

A Bar in Hvar

The island of Hvar is a narrow strip with high mountains. It quickly comes to our attention that the place is a paradise for bikers, especially road bikers. After climbing a dirt road to the peak we met American, Czech and German riders. After taking a morning break in an outlook built in a chapel, we continued pedaling about a kilometer until we reached a small restaurant with a roofed terrace and a kind staff. As fitting a biking oasis such as this, this island is full of signs at the side of the road, as well as large maps. The narrow island allows us to conduct observations while riding, alternately to the south and north. The breathtaking views of the sea while riding is just one of those things we can never get enough of. The blue background enriches the stone terraces, the grapevines and the yellow color of the Spanish Broom plants that dot the scenery.
We sail back to the mainland from Hvar, to Omis. Our last day of riding is to end with a fun raft ride down the Cetina River. After a three hour ride, we exchange the biking helmets for rafting helmets, load the bikes onto a towing vehicle and instead of pedaling, we row. Despite the slow progress in comparison to gliding down on a bike, the canyon’s views, the slopes and the water’s cool are a superb end to a very enjoyable trip.

Tips and Notes for a Sea & Bike vacation: