LET’S SPLIT CROATIA

Sun, sea, history and amazing roads on the Balkan Adriatic coast

Why ride in Croatia?

On the Balkan side of the Adriatic, you’ll find the closest thing to pure motorcycling heaven, with stunning roads and scenery along the coast from Rijeka just across the border with Slovenia, all the way down along the coastline to Split. The glittering Adriatic lies to the right, its clear, azure waters studded with countless islands – all steeped in history; even the trees are old. The island of Pag is home, at its northern tip, to the 1500 year-old olive groves of Lun. And heading up into the interior, especially around the Velebit mountains – a spine of rocky hills running for nearly 100 miles alongside Croatia’s coastline – are fabulous loops of twisting, grippy tarmac, like something from biking’s best fantasy. The towns are usually ancient and historic — Zadar, 90 miles north of Split, is a fascinating collision of old and new with Roman ruins alongside modern art installations.

What are the roads like?

For the most part, absolute bliss. The coastal E65, even though it’s a trunk road, is single carriageway and south of Senj is lightly populated with traffic; it clings to the hillside with a tenacious zeal, and often with unguarded drops over the edge. But it’s a cracking, smooth, unwinding ride, not a hectic hairpin fight. Roads in the interior are mostly pretty good – some get a bit dusty and strewn with debris so need a little care, and the deeper you go down the squiggly rabbit hole, you can end up riding on gravel; fine for an adventure bike, not so good on a Harley. Road quality varies from jet-black, freshly-laid asphalt to light, sandy-coloured tarmac that looks a similar colour to the local stone — it’s mostly smooth and even; but mastic repairs can get slippery in the wet and in the interior, the cold winters can break up the tarmac.