Croatia (with Montenegro)

Map of Croatia and Montenegro
Getting Acquainted with Croatia
Yugoslavia 101: It's Complicated
Naturism in Croatia
Nudity and the Law in Croatia
Websites
Govorite li hrvatski?
Hey, what about Montenegro?


Map of Croatia and Montenegro

				CROATIA      Interior, Istria & Kvarner Gulf
				CROATIA      Dalmatia
				MONTENEGRO
				Counties and municipalities of Croatia and Montenegro for which there are no listings in this guide are not shaded in the map at left.

Getting Acquainted with Croatia

Croatia is a small country of about 4.5 million people that is about twice the size of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is located on the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean), across from Italy. Croatia almost borders Italy. The two countries are separated by a sliver of Slovenia. Croatia has a rather peculiar shape, vaguely resembling the "less than" sign (<), and broadly speaking there are two long but narrow arms. Starting at the border region of Croatia, Slovenia and Italy, one arm of Croatia extends southeastward about 600 kilometers along the Adriatic, while the other arm extends eastward (inland) about 400 kilometers. Croatia is an extremely beautiful country that has long been very popular with tourists from elsewhere in Europe, but it is almost completely unknown to those of us who live on the other side of the Atlantic. For many of us, Croatia seems to have suddenly materialized out of nowhere a few decades ago. During most of the 20th century, Croatia was part of Yugoslavia, a country the size of Oregon that disintegrated during the early '90s amid a series of complicated and devastating wars. Yugoslavia consisted of six states that have all become independent countries since dissolution. Other than Croatia, these states-turned-countries are Slovenia; Serbia; Bosnia and Herzegovina (a single entity despite the two names); Montenegro; and Macedonia (often written as FYROM—Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia—to distinguish it from the neighboring region of Greece also called Macedonia). Kosovo is a disputed territory that is the de facto seventh country, but it is still claimed by Serbia. Although Yugoslavia was a communist country, it was more open to the West than were other communist states of Europe, and that openness included a tourist industry that was centered in Croatia since Croatia contains the biggest part of the former Yugoslavia's beautiful Adriatic coastline. Montenegro, a tiny country slightly smaller than Connecticut, also has a coastline proportional to its size. Slovenia's share of the coastline extends just 30 kilometers or so, and Bosnia and Herzegovina has just one port town that interrupts the continuity of Croatia's mainland coastline. From an American perspective, the idea of Croatia as a travel destination may seem a bit surprising at first. During the communist era, until circa 1990, few Americans traveled to any Eastern European countries, so the wonders of Croatia were enjoyed mostly by Europeans. Names like Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Kosovo came onto our collective radar in the early '90s in the context of war and ethnic strife, and these associations have lingered even though all the wars ended in 1995. Many Americans perceive Croatia and its neighbors as unstable or unsafe countries, which is simply wrong. There is some residual tumult in parts of the former Yugoslavia, but the tourist areas all along the Adriatic are far removed from such tensions. Tourism in Croatia peaked in the late '80s and plummeted during the upheavals of the '90s. It wasn't until 2000 that the tourism industry began a trend of steady recovery, and by 2008 tourism had rebounded almost to late '80s numbers, although the recovery has stagnated during the recent years of the global financial crisis. Big draws in Croatia include the country's national parks, the medieval towns along the Adriatic and the dramatic coastline itself. Since all eight national parks are within 100 kilometers or the coastline (some are along the coast), virtually all tourism is concentrated in the west of the county near the sea. The northern inland part of the country draws relatively few tourists, except the capital city of Zagreb. The largest, most visited and most spectacular of Croatia's national parks is Plitvice Lakes, a natural wonder like no other. Croatia is a country that is both Slavic and Mediterranean, facets which seem somehow incongruous. "Yugoslavia" literally means "southern Slavic countries," and the languages and cultures of the former Yugoslav republics are distantly related to those of Russia, Poland and a number of other Eastern European countries. The former Yugoslavia is a linguistic hodgepodge, but the languages are mostly mutually intelligible. The most spoken language in the former Yugoslavia is an umbrella language of multiple dialects called Serbo-Croatian, which is written either in the Latin alphabet (like English) or in the Cyrillic alphabet (like Russian), depending on where you happen to be in the former Yugoslavia. The Croatian dialect of the language is written exclusively in the Latin alphabet, and the Croatian word for Croatia is Hrvatska. If you know little or nothing about Croatia, it may be useful to compare the country to Greece, which may be more familiar and relatable from popular culture even if you've never been to Greece either. Both Croatia and Greece are on the Balkan Peninsula, which is the part of Europe between the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea. Both countries have similar Mediterranean climates in their coastal areas. In both countries, natives speak a language that few people in other parts of the world know, but in both countries many natives know English as a second language. About half of all Croatians and Greeks have at least a basic knowledge of English, and English is the de facto language of tourism in both countries. Finally, both countries are replete with islands. Compared to the islands of Greece, the islands of Croatia are clustered closer together and closer to the mainland (a few are even bridged to the mainland), so island hopping by ferry in Croatia is generally cheaper and less time consuming than in Greece. Finally, both countries have many coastal landscapes that are rugged, mountainous, often arid and chock full of shallow bays of gleaming turquoise water—begging you to jump in and indulge in Mediterranean splendor. The coastal areas of Croatia can be divided into five general regions: Istria, the Kvarner Gulf, North Dalmatia, Central Dalmatia and South Dalmatia. Istria is the peninsula at the most northwestern part of Croatia, bordering Slovenia and very close to Italy. Istria is the only coastal region of Croatia that does not have major islands off its shores. East and slightly south of Istria is the Kvarner Gulf region, which is the prominent indentation in Croatia's northern coastline. The Kvarner Gulf includes four major islands, one of which is bridged to the mainland. South of the Kvarner Gulf, the rest of coastal Croatia is known as Dalmatia (yes, the Dalmatian breed of dog is said to have originated here). Dalmatia is usually divided into three areas: north, central and south. Zadar is the principal town of North Dalmatia. Split, which is the largest coastal city in Croatia, is the tourist and commercial center of Central Dalmatia. The walled medieval town of Dubrovnik is the heart of South Dalmatia. All parts of Dalmatia are characterized by numerous offshore islands. Croatia is most likely the least familiar of the European countries that we cover in detail for many people reading this website. However, there is no reason you shouldn't open yourself to the possibilities of this beautiful country. If the natural beauty of Croatia weren't enough, the country is also quite possibly the best naturist travel destination in the world.

Yugoslavia 101: It's Complicated

As hinted in the previous section, the Yugoslav region of Europe is complex. There are eight distinct ethnic groups, three main religions (Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Islam) and several languages with multiple dialects. There are even two alphabets. Given such disparities, it seems miraculous that the Yugoslav republics were united for over 70 years. The multi-front wars of the '90s—quite difficult to follow and understand—add yet another layer of complexity to this convoluted patchwork. If you are struggling to understand this region of the world and exactly what happened during the '90s when everything fell apart, the best summary we've found is an article entitled Understanding Yugoslavia that was originally written for the Croatia and Slovenia volume of the Rick Steves travel guidebook series and is now posted on the Rick Steves website.

Naturism in Croatia

While Croatia is generally notable as a tourist destination for it scenic beauty, it is especially notable as a naturist destination for its unparalleled opportunities to enjoy that scenic beauty in the nude. The as-the-crow-flies distance from the northernmost to the southernmost points of Croatia's coastline is less than 600 kilometers. However, Croatia actually has in excess of 5,000 kilometers of coastline counting all the twists, turns, inlets, bays, peninsulas and hundreds of islands and islets. With so many opportunities for swimming in secluded coves, nude bathing has doubtlessly occurred in Croatia for as long as there have been people, but nude bathing as a tourist phenomenon dates back to the early to mid-20th century. In August 1936, during the not-quite-year-long reign of King Edward VIII of England, the king and his then-mistress Wallis Simpson visited the Croatian island of Rab, in the Kvarner Gulf. Legend has it that the king and the American divorcée (for whom he would abdicate the throne just months later to marry) were granted permission from local authorities to swim naked at Kandarola Cove. This royal skinny dip is, rightly or wrongly, the most referenced event that marks the birth of naturist tourism in Croatia. Perhaps some enterprising Croat spied on the king and his future wife and a light bulb went off: "Hey, we can parlay this into a profitable enterprise." Around 1960, camping retreats specifically for naturists began springing up in the northern region of Istria. The popularity of naturism in Croatia is paradoxical in the context of Croatian culture. Croatia is an overwhelmingly Catholic country, and Croatians tend to be more religious and somewhat more socially conservative than Western Europeans. However, the high tolerance for naturism in Croatia does not fall neatly into what may be expected for a country with such social characteristics. It is likely that the suppression of overt religiosity during the communist years diminished the capacity of the Catholic Church to thwart the growth of the naturist travel industry. Whatever the case, it is notable that naturism in Croatia (much like in Greece) is largely a tourist phenomenon. Croatians themselves are not nearly as apt to shed their swimwear as are visitors form abroad. Thus, when you visit a nude beach or naturist resort in Croatia, you are likely to be mostly among tourists from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Britain and Italy. Naturism is Croatia is also a coastal phenomenon. There is just one documented interior nude beach (on a lake in the capital city of Zagreb). Otherwise, everything is along the Adriatic. Every naturist resort in the country abuts the sea. Croatia currently has 17 seaside naturist camping and bungalow retreats. About two-thirds of these are naturist resorts per se, while the rest are resorts that are divided between naturist and textile sectors. Seven of these resorts are concentrated in the Istria region of the mainland. The rest are scattered along various islands of the Hvarner Gulf and Dalmatia. In addition to designated naturist retreats, there are also a number of textile resorts that designate part of their beach areas for naturists. Almost all resort beaches, whether nudist or textile, are available to the public. A day-use fee is usually required. Croatia has plenty of nude beaches that are not connected to resorts. Some are signed as naturist. Some are naturist just by tradition. While nudistička plaža is the Croatian term for "nude beach," naturist places are more likely to be labelled as FKK, a borrowed German term. (Click here if you do not know what FKK means.) In this guide, we have detailed about 70 nude beaches (not counting those connected to naturist resorts), but that represents just a fraction of where naturists can be found on the Croatian coastline. You can potentially find naturists on remote ends of any textile beach. Furthermore, Croatia has countless secluded niches and coves—both on the mainland and the islands—that are virtually impossible to reach without a private boat. Naturist boating is a major facet of Croatian naturism, and boaters often colonize hidden coves as nude beaches for the day. Usually, the boatload of visitors that got there first determines the accepted dress code at a particular spot. Although it is difficult to gauge naturists as a percentage of overall tourists, the most bandied-about number is 15%. In other words, it is supposed that about 15% of the 10 million or so tourists who visit Croatia each year come to enjoy naturism as part of their experience. That is such a significant number that virtually anything you'll read about Croatian tourism will at least mention naturism. The biggest attraction for travelers, whether naturist or not, is the Adriatic itself. Croatia actually has very few sandy beaches, but the water is calm, warm, shallow and gorgeous.

Nudity and the Law in Croatia

Croatia is openly marketed as a destination for naturists, and while we cannot write about specifics of Croatian law, it is safe to say the the general attitude of authorities toward naturists is friendly and tolerant. Even at places that are not specifically set aside for nude bathing, naturists who use due discretion and seek out reasonably secluded spots are within the protocols of acceptable behavior. Nude bathing away from concentrations of textiles is widespread and well accepted all along the Croatian coast. As mentioned in the previous section, Croatia's naturist places are almost exclusively along the Adriatic. Should you have the opportunity to strip down at an interior location, more discretion and sensitivity to local mores may be in order.

Websites

Croatia Naturally is a superb website that is the most comprehensive guide to Croatia's abundance of naturist possibilities, and many listings include trip reports from visitors worldwide. Just about all the listings on the Naked Places website are cross-referenced to the corresponding listings on Croatia Naturally. Croatia Traveller is a practical guide to visiting Croatia that includes useful information and advice about currency, culture, ferry connections, car rentals and lots of other stuff. This wonderfully organized site is especially indispensable for first-time visitors to Croatia. Croatia Gay Dreams is a guide to gay life in Croatia, and most of the content concerns nude beaches. All these website are in English.

Govorite li hrvatski?

Govorite li hrvatski? is the Croatian way of asking "Do you speak Croatian?" For travelers visiting from anywhere outside the countries of the former Yugoslavia, the answer is almost invariably "no." Croatian tourism, naturist and otherwise, is geared toward foreign travelers. Workers in the tourist industry are invariably fluent in one or more foreign languages, and websites pertaining to travel are almost always multilingual, with English often the default language. German and Italian are also widely known within the tourist industry. A few Croatian words you may come across when exploring naturist opportunities in Croatia are otok (island), otočić (islet), poluotok (peninsula) and plaža (beach).

Hey, what about Montenegro?
	The few established naturist possibilities in Montenegro are simply dwarfed by the comparatively vast number in Croatia, and thus for the purposes of this guide Montenegro is a brief addendum to Croatia. The page about Montenegro contains a little bit about the country and a link to an article that is a good introduction to naturism in Montenegro.