Summer Hiking
Sun and beach vacation is composed of three primary components; the sea, the beach, and the toasty temperature. For decades this trifecta was the winning combination for Croatian tourism. The secondary components were – and still are – fried squid, pizza and ćevapćići for dinner.
Living like a local is a genuine way to be up close and personal with your destination.
Nothing wrong with that. But when you add trails, treks, boats, islands and bivouacs, it gets active. That’s where the actual experience is. Ćevapćići, of course, are always in.
Croatia has over 1000 islands, islets and reefs, and many are lovely, but I choose where man has least disturbed the environment. Wild, beautiful beaches and tranquillity are what I am after.
Tranquillity in summer is an experience hard to find – in summer population grows by hundreds of thousands. People from all around flock to the Croatian coast. It’s not just about the crowds; there is the unbearable heat too. But, if you want to go out and the devil drives you to outdoor activities under the blazing sun, well, there are a few options worth considering.
You will be hot during the hottest days, and there’s no escape from that. Some routes are under the shade, and most are open to the sun. Hiking will make you sweat (a lot) in the summer. On multi-day hikes, you often won’t have a place to shower; you’ll be sticky, stinky and uncomfortable. You will enjoy summer hiking trips if you tolerate such a condition well.
Most routes pass at least partially through the areas where the sun relentlessly strikes. Rain is an exciting time for hiking, especially if you love the elements like I do. You just have to have good equipment on you; unfortunately, there is no equipment against the sun.
Summer has its advantages, though. Long days. Hiking in the dawn. Late afternoon hike. Warm nights and starlit sky. Sleeping outside, under the stars, with Robinson Crusoe. In summer, it is easy to travel without heavy equipment.
Especially in shorter trails, up to three hours, we get by with low weight in our backpacks. We keep most of our stuff on the boat or in a car and walk lightly. We need plenty of water, though. 1 litre per hour if the day is hot.
One of the most beautiful aspects of summer hiking is when you go down to the sea or a water pool and dive inside, refreshing your body and soul after several hours of walking. Well, that’s a liberating element.
Regardless of the season, island tours provide the opportunity to travel by boat, which improves the experience in many ways.
When you introduce physical activity and chase beautiful scenes into your vacation, the peak of summer, or the so-called summer season, is no longer ideal. Especially nowadays, when climate change is gaining momentum, and Europe is warming up, the period outside the summer is getting warmer, and the season is expanding.
Winter, spring and autumn used to be fantastic destinations for walks and enjoying nature; today, they are almost necessary because summers are too hot.
Covid-19 has kept people at home or closer to home. Indeed, the habits of travellers and travel will change, and the only direction in which habits can change is the off-season months of the year.
December, January and February are the months when people will stay at home, and for the rest of the year, they will look for destinations where it is comfortable and where there is no heat, and ultimately where it is safe.
Croatia has it.
You can enjoy Croatia all year round. Croatia is an excellent place if you are looking for outdoor recreational activities, good food and comfortable, cosy accommodation. For worldwide travellers, Croatia, like any other place in the great wide open, offers something unique and exciting.
In a way, Croatia is European Riviera, and it is within reach of Europeans and an attractive destination during all 4 seasons (what remains of them anyway).
When I set out to explore Croatia in-depth, I did it out of season and discovered several beautiful locations. Spending three days out exploring island Cres pays off, or if you want the ultimate experience of the most beautiful and magnificent Croatian mountain, a 7-day hike across the Velebit will surely meet your expectations. Many trails there are hidden below canopies, which helps in summer.
Outdoor life is fun and relaxing. Keep in mind it gets scorchingly hot in the summer. Sunburn, dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke are some of the most common health concerns related to hot-weather hikes and treks. Avoiding the hottest time of the day is vital, and having plenty of drinking water is essential. The hydration pack is a wise investment. As for the saltwater – nothing beats the moment you run into the sea after a long walk!
The bottom line is – that let’s keep our hiking endeavours safe during the summertime and toasty temperatures!
