Reasons to Book a villa with pool, Croatia
by Saron Lease 8th August 2026
So, what is so great about Croatia? The response to that must be, ‘how long have you got?’. Here’s a flavour to be going on with…
Croatia is a thoroughly modern EU country that is a joy to visit. It prides itself on its tourism offer whilst making great strides to ensure the amenity of the very residents that welcome tourists, and the environment that draws visitors, is preserved as far as possible.
Scenery and Environment
It is indisputable that Croatia’s environment and scenery are impressive. Croatia looks after its environment, with 444 protected areas of Croatia covering 9% of the country. Eight National Parks can be found across the country, famed for their waterfalls, mountains, and islands, some incorporating the 11 Nature parks with two closely protected ecology and landscape areas (Wikipedia). It’s all there for you to enjoy. Its very long coastline and myriad of islands fringing the Adriatic Sea grants magnificent sea views, epic sunsets, romantic hidden coves and crystal-clear water. Villages cling to the coastline offering a variety of settings for a villa with pool, Croatia.
Whilst the UK finds itself with the outrageous situation of sewage filled beaches, Croatia magnificently achieves 98% rating for bathing water quality. Very little tidal differences and currents, make it safe for swimming and there are always gently shelving beaches to be found for the little ones.
But not all is gentle and calm – head to the Orebic area on the Peljesac peninsula to make the most of the great sea conditions for windsurfing and sailing. On Brac? Head for Bol town and the shape shifting Zlatni Rat beach for off-shore windy conditions to challenge yourself. If you are into adrenalin sports, Omis might be your pick; Omis is the place for active sports as you can do canyoning, white water rafting, kayaking, zip wires etc. Head to Dubrovnik for a cable car to take you to the top of Mount Srd where you’ll get amazing views over the Old Town and Adriatic Sea. There’s a restaurant at the top as well, so book a table for mesmerising views. There are lovely beaches and opportunities for horse riding and walking too.
Safety
We can certainly attest to how safe Croatia feels. And indeed, Croatia is one of the safest in Europe with a very low crime rate. Bad behaviour, inappropriate dress and drunkenness are frowned upon. This is amplified in Numbeo’s recent Quality of Life Index, which gave Dubrovnik the top spot as Europe’s safest destination. This was based on Dubrovnik’s minimal crime levels and very low increase in crime rates over the last 5 years. The firm notes that visitors can feel assured when strolling through charming Dubrovnik that they are in an incredibly safe location, allowing them to relax and enjoy what Dubrovnik offers.
Culture
UNESCO has awarded ten sites World heritage Status to Croatia (8 cultural and 2 natural) with many more under consideration (the ‘Tentative List’). Probably the most famous protected area and Croatia’s oldest national park is the Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As you’d expect Dubrovnik Old Town heads the UNESCO list, but don’t miss others, for example both Trogir and Split old towns, Sibenik Cathedral etc.
The country loves its festivals and it’s likely there’ll be one close when you stay at your villa with pool, Croatia. The most famous are the summer festivals which celebrate culture, food, heritage and produce, to name a few. We can tell you, these are great events, large and small and we think you’ll certainly enjoy them. Advent festivals are also magical – head for the major centres of Zagreb, Dubrovnik, and Split to sample the best.
Food and Wine
Croatia’s cuisine has been heavily influenced by Italy’s various invasions over the millennia. Interestingly, you will notice the emphasis of fresh, locally produced organic foods dominating restaurant menus. We are sure you’ll enjoy Croatian food and notice that Croatians naturally eat what is in season. With fresh fish and sea food widely accessible throughout the year this is a joy. Popular dishes are numerous including Peka (usually lamb or pork) which is cooked over a fire ‘under the bell’. But they don’t complicate the freshest of ingredients… So you will find a lot of grilled or barbequed meats and fish with seasonal vegetables.
If you’re on a budget, a top tip is to head for where the locals eat to find money-saving ‘Marenda’ lunch deals on the menu. If you’re not on a budget, there are a host of Michelin star restaurants throughout the country.
If you are a fan of Italian-style food, you won’t be disappointed, as pizza and pasta are ubiquitous throughout Croatia. Croatian ice cream is very much influenced by the proximity to Italy – it’s delicious!
The People
Croatians appear to have sorted life out – much business is done over a (very long) coffee break as they believe nothing is helped by being rushed. And we can all recognise the benefit of focussing on family life rather than being a slave to emails! Croatians often do things face to face, in a convivial way – banking, paying bills, dealing with administration etc. So much nicer to develop a relationship with the people you deal with, rather than faceless on-line dealings and emails. A recent order is that as a general rule shops should no longer open on Sundays. This is to hand back family life and provide a better quality of life to residents and reflect the largely Catholic people’s beliefs – how refreshing. Don’t worry though, you won’t arrive at your holiday villa unable to buy food as shops can choose to have Sunday opening during the tourist season – most do!
The Croatians don’t take themselves too seriously, as evidenced by a previous years’ Eurovision entry with the dynamic Let 3 (who’ll forget the underpants!). Another recent entry from Baby Lasagne was in a similar entertaining vein with a catchy chorus – all about a young man leaving home for the big city – it came 2nd!
With some of the friendliest in Europe, Croatian people are grateful and proud that you respect and love their country. They will be keen to show you the best of it and delight if you make a bit of effort with their language and enjoy their customs and idiosyncrasies.
To finish…
Feel free to search through our villas. If you don’t find what you want there, just give us a call or email us and we’ll find a lovely Croatia villa for you.
More Information
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