"Where are my dragons?”

One thing I knew for certain was that I wanted to spend more time outside when I got to Split, and it didn’t disappoint! Just like Zagreb and Ljubljana, living outside is an integral part of the day to day experience - except this time it’s actually warm-ish and the ski jacket hasn’t left the apartment since I arrived.

The coffee house culture routine has continued, but this time with beaches and port-side places to enjoy it from. While I’ve personally still not taken a full on dip into the Adriatic Sea yet, it’s been calming to sit beside and a real wonder to admire. The best de-stressor for sure - and hangover cure…

Although I’ve not been quite as social as I thought I would be this trip, I’ve still had the amazing opportunity to meet some incredible new people - also on the remote path. People who are passing through, people setting up temporary bases and others in the process of securing their digital nomad visas.

In terms of sites to see, there is significantly less to do in town than normal - thanks to the global pandemonium and also low season. A lot of shops and sites of interest, like the Game of Thrones Museum, won’t be open again until April. However there is still enough to check out, including several film locations and some tours, both for a small fee and for free.

I felt like a child wandering around the Split Old Town, ducking under arches and scurrying round tiny streets that weren’t even on Google Maps! It’s so well-preserved, and I was able to find quite a bit of info online as well. Two of my favourite things to do were grabbing a coffee next to Diocletian’s Palace and heading to Marjan’s Wall for sunset.

Although it could be windy at times, it was pretty easy to set up most days both in and outdoors - except for when the rain and the odd storm rolled in! So here are a few I checked out:

D16- for the flat white lover

Taking a hidden looking side passage, I honestly wondered where I was going at first, but it’s 100% one of the nicest little hidden spots! Originally recommended to me on Instagram by a fellow creator, thanks Kieran, it seems to be where most nomads end up anyway. Most likely because of the *good* flat white coffees. Decent wifi, although a couple of times I did use my hotspot, I found myself generally wondering back here quite often!

Brasserie on 7 - for breakfast

This place first caught my attention because it was one of the few places I could get a flat white. Don’t be fooled though, it was not the best. However, the selection of all day breakfast choices is super yummy and worth sticking about for - but I got an Americano to go with it.

There is a public wifi you can connect to here, and I’d recommend sitting outside if you can because, why not? But I also found that my hotspot worked just fine also. Bring a friend here and get the Two Tier Brunch as well!

Bačvice/Očvice - a great start to the day

Even in low season, there are a few great places along this beach to start your morning - or just grab the first coffee of the day. It felt a little bit weird to have my laptop out here, especially in the heat of the day, but for a bit of writing (pen to paper writing), it was perfect.

Or just in general for grabbing a coffee first thing in the morning. As an early riser, it was actually rather nice to head out to one of the bars at 7:30am and get my first coffee there before the 9am crowd started rolling in.

Feel Green- while waiting for laundry

Unless you’ve been blessed with accommodation that has a washing machine, you’re likely going to need to find a laundrette. And as far as I could see on my Google Maps, there were only two open while I was here.

Except that that wasn’t true because when I went to my nearest one, they were supposedly on holiday… So I had no choice but to head to the other side of the Old Town. However, the service in there was incredible and gave me a great excuse to check out new breakfast places while waiting.

Cue: Feel Green, which is just around the corner from the laundrette and has some very yummy and wholesome breakfast, coffee and juice options.

I found my data and hotspot struggled in this spot, I’m not entirely sure why, but it made for a great opportunity to type this post on Notes instead.

Olive Tree- if you’re stuck

I did enjoy feeling a little fancy heading here to begin with on the Riva. Grabbing a coffee and some breakfast (the omelette was super yummy). But after a month of checking out different places, it’s kind of lost its charm to me.

Not only does the service seem to have gone down, but I kept finding bugs on the table and flying around the table, on both sides of the veranda. So, it’s one of those toss ups in my eyes…

Some honourable mentions, but not necessarily for a full laptop set up are:

• Veg - for the veggie and vegans, this was a fabulous stop for a filling lunch after a long walk.

• Handmade by Biberon: a cute little bakery that we checked out just before a tour. Lovely coffees and pastries!

• Cookie Lab - although I didn’t try a coffee from there, they’re super popular for their pastries and cheesecake.

Truthfully, when I first arrived, a friend mentioned that they stayed three weeks, and after four here I think that’s the perfect amount. I’ve loved having the beach so close and generally speaking it’s a super laid back vibe. But possibly due to it being low season, there wasn’t as much going on as there might be in high season. There also doesn’t seem to be quite as much opportunity for investment as a remote lifer, say in property or building a physical business. (As they heavily rely on tourism here).

But, for people passing through and staying temporarily, I’d highly recommend putting Split on your list. Maybe from April onwards, so you can fully enjoy the sea (which is freezing at the moment), the surrounding islands and the full offering in town. And absolutely check out the nomad groups on Facebook to meet some fabulous people from across the globe! Or just create your own event… ;)

Bring on the last stop in Croatia: Dubrovnik! Any places you’d like me to check out?

Han x