Memorable Murter Island

Murter Island, Croatia
Murter Island, Croatia

After our day in Plitvice Lakes National Park we left Zadar and drove about an hour down the coast where we stayed for three nights on the Island of Murter,Croatia. You can drive to Murter as there is a small bridge at Tisno that connects the island to the mainland making it easily accessed.  We booked an apartment in the village of Betina but you can look for accommodations in Tisno, Jezera and the town of Murter which combined only have a little over 5000 residents. Many of them rent out Apartments to tourists (they call them Apartmans) and you can see signs everywhere which makes for competition and low prices. It is a beautiful island on the Adriatic with a Mediterranean climate, sleepy this time of the year (late April) but starting to gear up for the busy summer season. Many of the shops and restaurants were still closed but there were a few catering to locals and the occasional tourist.  We had the choice between plenty of grocery stores, a bakery and a few cafes that could provide everything we needed for a few days of relaxing. 

Murter Island, Croatia
Murter Island, Croatia

We had one super nice day on the island, the rest was rainy and not great but we didn’t mind doing little and enjoyed a break from scheduled sightseeing. We had a great apartment with a breathtaking view where we could sit all day with a coffee, lounging with a book or gazing at the sailboats going by. The day the sun came out we packed a picnic and went for a hike around the island, found a nice secluded spot on a peninsula where we enjoyed the sun, a nosh and a beer- hard day at the office! 

Murter Island, Croatia
Murter Island, Croatia

In the evening, we polished up a bit and walked down to the harbor to look for a restaurant, I researched on Tripadvisor and had one in mind but for the life of us we couldn’t find it.  We tripped upon another called Tic Tac and I had also seen reviews on it so we decided to give it a try.  As soon as we sat down they brought over two bottles of homemade Schnapps, one was a sweet grappa and the other herbal infused. We had a shot of the grappa and that was to start the meal off, great way to get you to loosen the purse strings when ordering I thought.  We were craving seafood which they had a substantial menu off, they brought over the catch of the day to view and we picked a whitefish called St Peters.  They cleaned and prepared it with salt and put it in the oven with fresh potatoes and vegetables and served it at our table.  It was very delicious, freshly caught that day.  With it we enjoyed a bottle of prosecco, warm strawberries soaked in a vodka sauce with ice cream for desert and cappuccinos to end the night. It was a great meal and a nice treat since we don’t eat out that often but it was a splurge and something we can’t do often while sustaining our travels!

Murter Island, Croatia
Murter Island, Croatia

Another day we spent driving around the island exploring and just took it all in at a very leisurely pace.  I’m sure we could have found more things to do but we were happy doing little. A popular excursion is a boat trip to the Kornati Islands, you can rent a boat on your own or go with a guide.  There are lots of water sports of coarse, some great beaches (Slanica, Kosirina, Cigrada, Povrsak, Lovisca, as well as many quiet spots along the coast) and tons of camping.  In the summer, they have a number off music festivals and a big one called Soundwave for all the party animals. 

Murter Island, Croatia
Murter Island, Croatia

If you want a relaxing get away from it all on one of the more laid back islands then this is the one for you.  Expect it to be busy in July and August but still more laid back than many of the other islands with lots of spots to find your own private piece of beach. If you want more pics, here is a link to the photo gallery.

 

 

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