When to Go to Croatia

The tourist season in Croatia generally runs from April through October, peaking in July and August. The Dalmatian coast is busy all summer long. Early booking is essential in July and August, when most of the summer festivals take place. Roads back from the coast are clogged with returning European tourists on late summer weekends. Spring and fall can be the best times to visit, when the heat has abated somewhat at the coast and the days are long.

Climate

Croatia enjoys a long, hot summer that's usually dry. Southern Dalmatia can still be mild in October, when the first cold snap has already hit in the interior, although swimming then may be only for the brave. Wet winters are the norm for most of the country, making a trip here in January or February somewhat rainy and cold. Winters on the coast are milder but still wet. Kvarner, sheltered on three sides by mountain ranges, has a short, temperate winter and an early spring. It remains mild throughout the summer.