Plitvice Lakes – Paradise in Croatia

I don’t remember where I first heard about Plitvice Lakes. I think once I had decided I was going to Croatia, a YouTube search showed me the wonders. Plitvice Lakes National Park holds a UNESCO World Heritage status. It’s the only reason Zagreb was on the itinerary. 

We took an early afternoon bus from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes. The ride itself was smooth with the exception of an older man rubbing his crotch behind one of us. After napping a couple hours we were dropped off and took a quick taxi ride up to our hotel, Hotel Jezero, one of the hotels within the park. It’s a decent hotel but full of Asian tourists – you know the ones who travel together in large groups. But enough of that. The purpose of staying in the hotel was to have immediate access to paradise.

Plitvice Lakes. What can I say? What is there not to say? First a hint. If you stay at the hotel, they can extend the validity of your park entrance for the duration of your stay! We arrived late afternoon and went to get information about how to hike the grounds. We bought our tickets, and went to rest. However if I had known we could see the falls without using the tickets I would have done that right away.

As it was, we were told that the first ferry was at 8am. We weren’t told that they would wait to have a good crowd on the ferry before going across. Groan! We walked the upper lakes first and it didn’t take us long to lose the people who had crossed over on the ferry with us. We then took the bus over to the lower lakes. By this time it was mid-late morning and there were far more people. We had eaten most of the fruit and vegetables we had brought with us, bought at Dolac market in Zagreb, and drank almost all our water. By early afternoon, we had to line up in the hot sun to wait for the ferry to take us over the large lake back to our entrance and back to our hotel. This was the only time we showed our tickets aside from when we boarded the first ferry. It was a bit crazy. I wouldn’t want to be out there with the crowds coming in by the bus-load. Can you say mob-scene?

We rested in our hotel. After the sun went down a bit and the day trippers left we ventured out again. This time it felt much more intimate. We knew where we were going and took our sweet time with no one to rush us along. We only went to the lower lakes this time. I can’t say which I prefer.  The upper lakes are scenic for sure.  But the lower lakes are just gorgeous. They are wider and the falls seem higher. The views are much more dramatic. So breathtaking. The water so pristine and crystal clear.

The best part was having the lakes all to ourselves. We spent hours being silly, taking photoshoots of ourselves at Veliki Slap (the largest waterfall) and in some pretty caves. I apparently need to learn how to pose. We took hundreds of pictures of trout, dragonflies, and of the falls. It was the best. If I wasn’t so lazy I would have been up early the next morning to take in the sights one more time before leaving. Staying at the hotel was so worth it, especially since three of us split one room, making it affordable for each of us.

If you like listening to waterfalls, seeing the beauty of our world, walking, you’ll love Plitvice Lakes. Spectacular. Just remember, the earlier the better or stay close-by and come when the crowds are leaving. Don’t forget a good camera, comfortable shoes, snacks, and plenty of water. The only negative I can think of is that you are not permitted to swim in these lakes.