Spring is here. It has brought amazing presents: sunny and warm weather, every imaginable shades of colours, especially green, blooming flowers, energy to liven up everyone. What better time to be outdoors and visit amazing places in nature! Wider Zadar region gives you so much to choose from, so wait no more, just open the door and step outside!
Impressive waterfalls and cascades, peaceful island of Visovac with a Franciscan monastery are the highlights of Krka National Park, which is simply breathtaking in spring. Even though it might still be too cool to swim under a waterfall, from April to June you needn’t worry about too many people and you can look forward to a friendlier ticket price (€15 for adults and €10,5 for children of school age and teens). The national park is easily reachable from Zaton, within 1,5 h.
Turquoise lakes, amazing waterfalls and cascades, combined with blossoming nature in Croatia’s most visited national park, Plitvice Lakes, are an amazing sight to see in spring. In addition, there are far less people than during the high season and the ticket from April to June (€20 for adults and €10,5 for children of school age and teens) is almost half the price in high season. Plitvice Lakes are an excellent choice for a stop on your way to or from Zaton, which is a 2-hour drive away.
Put on your most comfortable footwear and hike the trails, climb the rocks, explore Manita peć cave in Paklenica National Park. Famous for its extraordinary geomorphological shapes and primeval beech forests (UNESCO’s World Heritage Site), Paklenica is exceptionally beautiful in spring, when nature awakes from winter sleep. The ticket is around €3 for school-aged children and €5 for adults in April and May, and 50% more in June. The national park is just an hour away from Zaton.
Witness the remarkable force of nature along the magnificent Zrmanja river and canyon. For an adrenaline kick, explore the headwaters and preserved nature in a rafting adventure which is best in spring. Kaštel Žegarski, where rafting begins, is 1,5 h away from Zaton and the prices are around €27 for children and €40 for adults. Or go on a photo safari in the lower course of Zrmanja, from Novigrad through the canyon towards Jankovića buk waterfall. Novigrad is just half an hour drive from Zaton, and the prices range from €20 for kids to €33 for adults.
Amazing Kornati islands and breathtaking Telašćica Bay, cliffs and salt lake Mir, which form Telašćica Nature Park, are just as lovely in spring as any other time of year. Still, a sailing trip of a few hours from Zaton to reach them is more pleasant in May and June, before the summer heat and scorching sun set in, particularly for families with children. The price of an organized trip to see these wonders of nature is about €50 for adults with discounts for children and teens.
Great weather, cheaper tickets, less people are excellent reasons to visit these natural attractions in wider Zadar region in spring. Still, nothing beats the energy you get to feel while actively discovering marvelous gems of nature. Nothing can outshine how you feel at the sight of awakening nature - pure inspiration!