Plitvice Lakes in Croatia

21:49 Alyson 0 Comments

While we mainly went to Croatia to enjoy the beautiful beaches, we had also heard about the lakes there. There are a few different options to check out lakes there, including Krka and Plitvice. Paul wanted to check out Krka since it was closer, but Sarah and I ruled in favour of Plitvice so the decision was made.

We picked it because of its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The drive was further than Krka, nearly 3 hours, but it was full of beautiful scenery. We had checked the weather before we left, which predicted some rain, although we asked around and they said it usually always rained some there. About 30 minutes before we were scheduled to get to the lakes, the skies opened up and rain poured out. Add in to that the thunder and lightening, and I was getting anxious about our 4 hour hike.

We arrived at the park and saw we were not the only ones with that concern. People milled around, those prepared decked out in their own rain gear, and others less prepared (ourselves included) buying flimsy ponchos and umbrellas from the gift shot.

After we were geared up, we started our hike down into the park. Within 5 minutes, the rain had stopped.

Of course. We were happy for the weather in the end though - the rains kept the park cool & much less crowded than it usually would have been.

The park includes just over 73,000 acres and 20 lakes, meaning lots to see. Of course the primary attractions are the waterfalls (which weren't as full due to the summer), but there's lots of beautiful streams and the color of the water is breathtaking. It's so blue and clear, that from above, you can see straight down to the algae on the lake floor.



We started off with a hike on the east side of the park, stopping often to enjoy the views and catch our breath. I'd like to pretend it was for the 3 year old that was on our tour, but I probably needed it more often that he did!

Up next was the boat ride to take us to the other side of the park. We enjoyed more lake views, before finally coming upon the "train" which took us back to the park entrance.