Hotel Laguna

This part of Croatia’s coast is among the cheapest, according to what local residents told me: Lidl prices are usually the same across Croatia, but here they’re lower because the area is remote. That seems true for most shops and services. It’s near the Makarska Riviera and roughly between Dubrovnik and Split, so it feels isolated and isn’t as crowded as Makarska. The sea is very clean. Inland, steep mountains rise behind the shore, with a remarkable view of Italy, BIH, Croatia, and Ptuj from the top of St. Ilja hill. At nearly 1,000 meters, it’s a challenging hike but suitable for hikers. Watch out for venomous snakes from August to September. There’s also a claim that the saltier seawater benefits women’s reproductive organs. I think the hotel is underrated as a two-star place and deserves more. There are two kinds of accommodation: the renovated main Hotel Laguna, with air-conditioned rooms, and the older, cheaper Depandance A and B, which don’t have air conditioning. They’re concrete buildings with a few artistic touches from the past regime in the entrance hall, but otherwise they’re modern. The main hotel even has rooms with baths, not just showers, for half the price of competitors. The kitchen is very good, and there’s a clean outdoor dining area that makes lunch comfortable. Many places here offer buffet meals in overheated dining rooms, warmed with gas heaters to keep the food hot. Children have plenty to do: animation exercises, a playground, shallow water at no extra charge, a water park, game rooms, tennis, and water sports for a fee. There’s a private food shop next to the hotel, and plenty of restaurants nearby. The hotel also offers trips to Dubrovnik, a UNESCO heritage site, and Split, with its large marine aquarium. There are excursions into nearby BIH (Bosna and Hercegovina county), mainly to Medzugorie (st. Maria miracleous view place), along with trips to natural parks and inexpensive coastal boat trips.