Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(but still strong—Bora winds blowing through the “funnel” near Dubrovnik's airport
occasionally force incoming flights to divert to Split).
The Bora is not constant—it's strongest at midday and made up of intermittent,
fierce gusts that can reach 150 miles per hour. Young children have been known to
“fly”throughtheairforshortdistancesbecauseoftheBora.TheKvarnercoastalroad
is closed several times each year to trucks, buses, and other high-profile vehicles,
which can be tipped over by the gusts. Occasionally, Kvarner Gulf ferries (such as
the Stinica-Mišnjak connection to Rab Island) must wait patiently for the Bora to die
down before they can sail safely. After a day or two of a stiff winter Bora, everything
is coated with a thin layer of salt, like ash after a volcano.
The good news: As the Bora rushes toward the coast, it sweeps bad-weather
clouds away with it—leaving in its wake clear, cooler air and sunshine.
In summer, the much milder version of this wind—which usually bathes the coast
in a refreshing breeze each evening, when the interior cools faster than the sea—is
called a Maestral. Sporadic mini-Bora gusts at night are known as Burin.
TheBora'sunpopularcousinisthewindcalledJugo(YOO-goh,meaning“south,”
asin“Yugo-slavia”).TheJugooriginatesasamoistairmassgatheringovertheAdri-
atic, which creates a low-pressure vortex. Finally it blows northward toward Croa-
tia,bringingwithithot,humid,andstormyweather.Becausehumidconditionsfoster
disease, an ancient superstition considers the Jugo wind evil, and the refreshing Bora
wind good. The Bora and the Jugo are the yin and yang of Croatian winds, blowing
in opposite directions and with opposite effects.
Whenallelsefails,youcanalwaysfallbackonthereliableoldsaying,whichalso
exists in Croatian: “Red sky at night, sailor's delight.” If light from the sunset is able
to leak through the bottom of a bank of clouds on the western horizon, it's a sign that
clearer weather lies just beyond...and should arrive by morning.
Of course, these adages are highly generalized. Croatia's coast is made up of a
series of microclimates. Each island has its own very specific weather conditions,
which is why one island may excel at growing olives, the next one lavender, the next
redwinegrapes,andthenextwhitewinegrapes.Ifyoureallywanttoknowwhatsort
of weather is on the way, ask a local.
Near Opatija, in Volosko
JusttothewestofOpatija—envelopedinthatcity'sresortsprawl—isthereal-feelingvillage
of Volosko, with a busy fishing harbor surrounded by restaurants and cafés. The best-re-
garded is
Le Mandra
ć
,
named for the enclosed, square fishing harbor that it sits on. With a
