This was one hell of a hiking trip and possible my favourite day in Croatia. We booked a 7am bus to Plitvice because we wanted a headstart on a full day in this gem of nature. There were several hiking routes to choose but we went for the full 20km - and I can say with 100% conviction - NO RAGRETS.
Stunning doesn't even begin to describe the national park. Water bodies were aplenty with the boldest aquamarine waters I had ever seen. The colours were so vibrant I suspected they were almost opaque so I dipped my hand in for good measure - but what I cupped in my hands was clear and pristine.
It was July in Croatia - meaning relentless, sweltering summer days were the norm. I count ourselves very lucky because we narrowly escaped a shower of rain in the morning - which fortunately cooled the entire park down. It ended up being a crisp, cool day which made hiking so much more enjoyable.
I remember walking for hours on end. The ground was extremely soft. Fallen leaves had blanketed the forest floor in shades of auburn but decay had them disintegrating into tiny remnants - like all-natural leaf confetti. With each step, they would cushion my feet with unnerving softness. I soon realised - it was unnerving because I was so accustomed to stepping on solid ground - concrete, pavement, roads, tiled floors - manicured and ultimately man-made surfaces. Oh the irony in finding something completely natural unnatural.
One moment to remember was trekking for hours but ultimately finding ourselves in front of a waterfall - a dead end. We could see the docks in sight but there was absolutely no way to cross the (very large and deep) waterfall - I legit panicked for a moment. But then we spotted a couple on a boat nearby and waved to them shouting for help. The idea was that they could row us across to the docks. Sadly they did not understand us (or perhaps were unwilling) LOL. So we just ended up backtracking pretty far and realised we had gone off the intended route (no duh).. Thank goodness there was still daylight.
By the end of the day, legs were adequately sore from all the hiking but I left feeling extremely gratified. If you ever have the chance, you have to go to Plitvice!
