SPLIT - Croatia and Slovenia - page 294

guides are usually more polished and professional, the starting point—at their office on the
Riva (see map on here ) —is a little less convenient.
Local Guides
Youcanhireaninsidertoshowyouaround. Maja Benzon isasmartandsavvylocalguide;
she leads good walking tours through the Old Town (500 kn/up to 2 hours, 600 kn/3 hours,
mobile [phone], [e-mail] ). You can also hire a guide through the
guides association, whichhasanofficeontheRiva(525kn/1.5-2hours;May-SeptMon-Fri
8:30-17:30, Sat 9:00-15:00, closed Sun; off-season generally open weekday mornings only;
Obala Lazareta 3, tel. [phone] or 021/346-267, mobile [phone], www.guides.hr ,
[e-mail] ).
From Split
A staggering variety of pop-up travel agencies sell tickets for bus or boat excursions to
nearby destinations. There's no shortage of enticing side-trips: the town of Trogir; the Ro-
man ruins of Solin (ancient Salona); whitewater rafting on the Cetina River; the islands of
Bra č , Hvar, and Šolta (either separately or together; the “Blue Cave” on Vis is another fa-
vorite); the pilgrimage site at Me đ ugorje; Dubrovnik; and the waterfalls at Krka National
Park or Plitvice Lakes National Park. Because new companies come and go every year, I
can'trecommendanyoutfitinparticular.Ifyou'reinterestedinaside-trip,comparison-shop
for a tour that suits your interests.
Various tour boats line up along the Riva each morning and evening, hawking trips to
nearby islands. Popular itineraries include a combination cruise to Hvar and the “Green
Cave” and “Blue Cave” on Vis, all in one day. Aside from the standard side-trips, there are
a few more interesting or adventurous alternatives. For example, the Summer Blues cata-
maran does party-oriented “sail 'n swim” cruises with swimming stops, dancing, food, and
lots of drinks ( www.summer-blues.com ) . Various companies also offer kayaking tours from
Split.
Self-Guided Walk
▲▲▲Diocletian's Palace (Dioklecijanova Palača)
(See “Diocletian's Palace” map, here .)
Split's top activity is visiting the remains of Roman Emperor Diocletian's enormous retire-
ment palace, which sits on the harbor in the heart of the city. This monstrous complex was
two impressive structures in one: luxurious villa and fortified Roman town. My walk takes
you through Diocletian's back door; down into the labyrinth of cellars that supported the