Dubrovnik area interactive map:
HOW TO GET THERE
Airlines
Ferry
Bus lines
REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
Croatia has 56,538 square kilometers (plus its sea area - 31,900 sq. km.) 1,777 km of coastline (and more than 4,000 km of islands coastline), 4,840,000 inhabitants, and almost as many abroad, counting through last three generations.
Croatia is organized as parliamentary, multiparty Republic. The name of Croatia, which we call HRVATSKA, is abbreviated as HR.
VISAS
are NOT required for British, EU countries, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan passport holders. For other countries please check www.mvpei.hr and Croatian Embassy in your country.
CURRENCY
Local currency is Croatian KUNA. . Approximate exchange rate: 1 euro = 7.3 kn, 1 GBP = 10 kn, 1 USD = 5 kn
Euros, USD, GBP, both cash and traveler’s checks can be exchanged in hotels, banks and other exchange offices in Croatia. Exchange rates are normally uniform throughout the country.
Major credit cards are widely accepted and cash machines are available in most major resorts.
LOCAL TIME
Central European time. Croatia is one hour ahead of British local time year round.
VOLTAGE
Local voltage is 220V and continental adaptors must be used, and should be purchased in the UK.
TELEPHONES
Direct dial code from the UK & Ireland to Croatia: 00385 + area code + number
Direct dial code from Croatia to the UK: 0044 + area code + number
Direct dial code from Croatia to the USA: 001 + area code + number
MOBILES
The Croatia mobile telephone systems are linked to most countries.
WATER
Tap water is drinkable throughout Croatia.
POSTAGE
Within Europe holiday postcards take approximately 4-10 days to reach home.
Stamps are sold with postcards. Most hotels have a post box in the reception area.
CAR HIRE
Available in most resorts, in addition to the multinationals there are local car rental companies. A FULL British (national) valid driving license is sufficient to hire a car or a scooter.
LOCAL COSTS
Approximate costs for guidance only:
Coffee/tea ... €1.30
Soft drink ... €2.00
Medium beer ... €2.00 - €3.00
Sandwich ... €1.30 - €2.30
Medium ice cream ... € 1.30
Loaf of bread in grocery store ... €0.90
Snack lunch in local tavern (fried /grilled calamari, pasta, risotto) ... €7.50
Portion of fresh fish in local tavern ... €9 - €14 (depending on the sort of fish)
3-course dinner ... €20.00
*the above costs refer to reasonable mid-range restaurant and may vary according to location and type of the restaurant
CLIMATE
Dubrovnik region and Elaphite islands have typically Mediterranean climate with hot, sunny summers and mild winters. Rainfall is low but cannot be ruled out any time of the year
-Climate chart'
- click here to see 7 days weather forecast
ADRIATIC SEA
Depths
The shallowest part of our sea is in Istria, where the depth does not exceed 50 meters. From Pula, the seabed mildly drops, making a long, narrow valley which extends from Zirje towards Italy which is called Jabucka kotlina. The biggest depth there is about 240 meters. From Jabucka kotlina, the bottom rises to Palagruza reef where the biggest depth is 130 meters. Towards the south, the bottom drops steeply towards the Juznojadranska dolina, where the biggest measured depth is about 1,300 meters.
Seabed
The appearance of the underwater relief is the consequence of tectonic movements, abrasion or erosion which were active several million years ago, in times when certain parts of the seabed were land or the coastal area. Uneven areas on the bottom are constantly reduced by sedimentation of detritus from the land. That process is slow, but constant.
Tides
In the Adriatic, the high and low tides have relatively small amplitudes. In the southern part, the difference is rarely above some forty centimeters, while in the northern part it is somewhat bigger, so that it comes to 1 meter in Istria and the Gulf of Trieste. In some narrow channels and bays, the high tide can grow considerably during a strong sirocco. That phenomenon is characteristic for big and deep bays of the southern Adriatic. The tides are of a mixed type, which means that their rhythm is semidiurnal during the new and full moon, and of a daily type during the first and the last quarter. Their amplitudes are very irregular.
Sea Currents
Sea currents occur under the influence of winds, the difference in pressure, temperature, and the differences in salinity. With respect to the direction, they can be horizontal or vertical. There are also bottom currents which appear as the consequence of moving of water from warmer areas to colder ones, during which the surface layer gets cold and descends towards the seabed. Currents are weakly observable in the Adriatic. The speed of currents changes in particular areas, but it also depends on time periods. The average speed of currents is about 0.5 knots, but they can also reach the speed of 4 knots.
Salinity of Sea
The total quantity of salt dissolved in one kilogram of sea water is called salinity, which is usually expressed in grams and as the permillage. The salinity of the Adriatic Sea is 38.30 per mill averagely, i.e. there is 38.30 g of salt dissolved in 1 kg of water. In the northern part, the salinity is somewhat lower than in the middle and southern part because of the influence of the Po River.
Sea Temperature
The Adriatic Sea has a very marked annual change of the surface temperature. The average annual temperature is 11C. During the winter, the sea is the coldest and the surface temperature is about 7C; very seldom, it can drop below that too. In the spring, the sea becomes warmer, and the surface temperature rises to 18C. In the summer the surface of the sea reaches a very high temperature, of up to 22 to 25C, and in the southern Adriatic and Istria up to 27C. In the Adriatic, thermoclines, i.e. parts of the water column of the same temperature, are very well distinguished. The thermocline is most evident during the summer, and, in the winter, the isothermal process arises, i.e. equaling of the temperature throughout the water column. In the summer, we can notice the first thermocline at the depth of 3 to 5 meters, the next one is at about 12 meters, and yet another one at 18 meters, while below 30 meters the temperature is mostly constant throughout the year.
Waves in the Adriatic
Waves occur primarily as the consequence of the blowing of winds. The bigger the reach, i.e. the surface across which the wind blows, the higher the waves will be. Their strength depends on the configuration and the exposure of the coast. In that way, mixing of the surface layer with water from the deep is enabled, and the interaction between the atmosphere and the sea. We distinguish the crest and the trough of a wave. The length of the wave is the distance between two troughs. Most often, heights of waves in the Adriatic are between 0.5 and 1.5 meters, and they very rarely exceed 5 meters
Average Sea Temperature
GETTING to DUBROVNIK, CROATIA
Dubrovnik area interactive map:
HOW TO GET THERE
Airlines
The closest airport to fly to is
Dubrovnik
(www.dubrovnik-airport.hr ) Scheduled flights from UK arrive
daily (www.britishairways.com
www.croatiaairlines.hr )
Arriving from: UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway...
Arriving from: UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway...
Ferry
Jadrolinija ferries (www.jadrolinija.hr) run scheduled trips
with both vehicle and walk-on passengers service from Bari
(Italy), Rijeka (northern Croatian coast) and Split (mid
Croatian coast)
Bus lines
Several companies run scheduled trips: Zagreb - Dubrovnik (aprx.
10 hours); Rijeka – Dubrovnik (aprx. 12 hours); Split –
Dubrovnik (aprx. 4.5 – 5 hours); Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina) –
Dubrovnik (aprx 4 hours)
INFO ABOUT CROATIA
REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
Croatia has 56,538 square kilometers (plus its sea area - 31,900 sq. km.) 1,777 km of coastline (and more than 4,000 km of islands coastline), 4,840,000 inhabitants, and almost as many abroad, counting through last three generations.
Croatia is organized as parliamentary, multiparty Republic. The name of Croatia, which we call HRVATSKA, is abbreviated as HR.
VISAS
are NOT required for British, EU countries, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan passport holders. For other countries please check www.mvpei.hr and Croatian Embassy in your country.
CURRENCY
Local currency is Croatian KUNA. . Approximate exchange rate: 1 euro = 7.3 kn, 1 GBP = 10 kn, 1 USD = 5 kn
Euros, USD, GBP, both cash and traveler’s checks can be exchanged in hotels, banks and other exchange offices in Croatia. Exchange rates are normally uniform throughout the country.
Major credit cards are widely accepted and cash machines are available in most major resorts.
LOCAL TIME
Central European time. Croatia is one hour ahead of British local time year round.
VOLTAGE
Local voltage is 220V and continental adaptors must be used, and should be purchased in the UK.
TELEPHONES
Direct dial code from the UK & Ireland to Croatia: 00385 + area code + number
Direct dial code from Croatia to the UK: 0044 + area code + number
Direct dial code from Croatia to the USA: 001 + area code + number
MOBILES
The Croatia mobile telephone systems are linked to most countries.
WATER
Tap water is drinkable throughout Croatia.
POSTAGE
Within Europe holiday postcards take approximately 4-10 days to reach home.
Stamps are sold with postcards. Most hotels have a post box in the reception area.
CAR HIRE
Available in most resorts, in addition to the multinationals there are local car rental companies. A FULL British (national) valid driving license is sufficient to hire a car or a scooter.
LOCAL COSTS
Approximate costs for guidance only:
Coffee/tea ... €1.30
Soft drink ... €2.00
Medium beer ... €2.00 - €3.00
Sandwich ... €1.30 - €2.30
Medium ice cream ... € 1.30
Loaf of bread in grocery store ... €0.90
Snack lunch in local tavern (fried /grilled calamari, pasta, risotto) ... €7.50
Portion of fresh fish in local tavern ... €9 - €14 (depending on the sort of fish)
3-course dinner ... €20.00
*the above costs refer to reasonable mid-range restaurant and may vary according to location and type of the restaurant
CLIMATE AND THE SEA
CLIMATE
Dubrovnik region and Elaphite islands have typically Mediterranean climate with hot, sunny summers and mild winters. Rainfall is low but cannot be ruled out any time of the year
-Climate chart'
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Rain | 139 | 125 | 104 | 104 | 75 | 48 | 26 | 38 | 101 | 126 | 198 | 178 |
| Max. temp. (C) | 12 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 21 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 21 | 17 | 14 |
| Min. temp. (C) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
- click here to see 7 days weather forecast
ADRIATIC SEA
Depths
The shallowest part of our sea is in Istria, where the depth does not exceed 50 meters. From Pula, the seabed mildly drops, making a long, narrow valley which extends from Zirje towards Italy which is called Jabucka kotlina. The biggest depth there is about 240 meters. From Jabucka kotlina, the bottom rises to Palagruza reef where the biggest depth is 130 meters. Towards the south, the bottom drops steeply towards the Juznojadranska dolina, where the biggest measured depth is about 1,300 meters.
Seabed
The appearance of the underwater relief is the consequence of tectonic movements, abrasion or erosion which were active several million years ago, in times when certain parts of the seabed were land or the coastal area. Uneven areas on the bottom are constantly reduced by sedimentation of detritus from the land. That process is slow, but constant.
Tides
In the Adriatic, the high and low tides have relatively small amplitudes. In the southern part, the difference is rarely above some forty centimeters, while in the northern part it is somewhat bigger, so that it comes to 1 meter in Istria and the Gulf of Trieste. In some narrow channels and bays, the high tide can grow considerably during a strong sirocco. That phenomenon is characteristic for big and deep bays of the southern Adriatic. The tides are of a mixed type, which means that their rhythm is semidiurnal during the new and full moon, and of a daily type during the first and the last quarter. Their amplitudes are very irregular.
Sea Currents
Sea currents occur under the influence of winds, the difference in pressure, temperature, and the differences in salinity. With respect to the direction, they can be horizontal or vertical. There are also bottom currents which appear as the consequence of moving of water from warmer areas to colder ones, during which the surface layer gets cold and descends towards the seabed. Currents are weakly observable in the Adriatic. The speed of currents changes in particular areas, but it also depends on time periods. The average speed of currents is about 0.5 knots, but they can also reach the speed of 4 knots.
Salinity of Sea
The total quantity of salt dissolved in one kilogram of sea water is called salinity, which is usually expressed in grams and as the permillage. The salinity of the Adriatic Sea is 38.30 per mill averagely, i.e. there is 38.30 g of salt dissolved in 1 kg of water. In the northern part, the salinity is somewhat lower than in the middle and southern part because of the influence of the Po River.
Sea Temperature
The Adriatic Sea has a very marked annual change of the surface temperature. The average annual temperature is 11C. During the winter, the sea is the coldest and the surface temperature is about 7C; very seldom, it can drop below that too. In the spring, the sea becomes warmer, and the surface temperature rises to 18C. In the summer the surface of the sea reaches a very high temperature, of up to 22 to 25C, and in the southern Adriatic and Istria up to 27C. In the Adriatic, thermoclines, i.e. parts of the water column of the same temperature, are very well distinguished. The thermocline is most evident during the summer, and, in the winter, the isothermal process arises, i.e. equaling of the temperature throughout the water column. In the summer, we can notice the first thermocline at the depth of 3 to 5 meters, the next one is at about 12 meters, and yet another one at 18 meters, while below 30 meters the temperature is mostly constant throughout the year.
Waves in the Adriatic
Waves occur primarily as the consequence of the blowing of winds. The bigger the reach, i.e. the surface across which the wind blows, the higher the waves will be. Their strength depends on the configuration and the exposure of the coast. In that way, mixing of the surface layer with water from the deep is enabled, and the interaction between the atmosphere and the sea. We distinguish the crest and the trough of a wave. The length of the wave is the distance between two troughs. Most often, heights of waves in the Adriatic are between 0.5 and 1.5 meters, and they very rarely exceed 5 meters
Average Sea Temperature
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Sea temp. (C) | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 15 |
| Sea temp. (F) | 54 | 52 | 54 | 55 | 63 | 68 | 74 | 77 | 72 | 68 | 63 | 59 |
