Why Croatian Cruise Vacations are Perfect for Foodies

Croatia cruises aren’t just all about the jaw-dropping scenery and fascinating history – they’re ideal for foodies too.
In fact, the country has become renowned for its cuisine, with dishes here often utilizing local ingredients for the ultimate farm-to-table experience. Of course, it also produces some delicious wines providing plenty of oenological adventures too.

There are multiple options for cruises that allow passengers to enjoy the stunning natural beauty of Croatia while highlighting some of the best food and wine from Dubrovnik to the Istrian Peninsula and beyond. These are just a few of the reasons these vacations are perfect for foodies.

Dining On-board and In Port

While you’re on a Croatia small ship cruise, you can expect to enjoy gourmet meals prepared by the on board chef, with ingredients often hand-picked in the destinations that you’ll be visiting. But that doesn’t mean that you’ll always be dining on the ship.

These cruises were designed specifically to include evenings that allow you to take advantage of family-run traditional restaurants in port too. Look forward to sampling plenty of local cuisine for unique food experiences that include specialties like fish stew, or Brujet, made with a variety of different types of fish like sea bass, monk-fish or group, occasionally with shellfish such as mussels added too. You won’t want to miss sampling the black risotto – just about every seafood eatery includes it as part of their traditional Croatian menu. Squid ink, which is considered a natural antidepressant, is used to paint the rice black, and it also contains seafood like clams, mussels and other shellfish. Savor delectable desserts like the traditional Dalmatian pudding, rozata, which gets its name from a rose liqueur called Dubrovnik Liqueur Rozaline.

Wine enthusiasts will want to enjoy meals complemented by some of the local wine, perhaps Dobricic, a red made with an indigenous grape using traditional methods that help to infuse it with such tasty flavors. Posip is Dalmatia’s superb white grape variety, known for producing rich white wines that pair perfectly with the local cuisine. It was the trademark of Korcula island, but in recent years it’s managed to thrive elsewhere in the country too.

Enjoy a delicious and tasteful trip on our Croatia Food & Wine Tours>

Cooking Classes

Croatia cruise tours often include cooking classes. You may be able to take the opportunity to pick out ingredients for a meal in a local market with an expert guide before getting a lesson on the traditional cuisine and creating some of the classic Dalmatian dishes. Family-run farm-to-table eateries can be visited in charming local villages where you can watch your homemade meal being prepared and join in to help too.

The 10-night Croatia Food & Wine Discovery Tour, for example, includes a culinary excursion of the markets, cafes and restaurants in the capital city of Zagreb and a Dalmatian cooking class where you’ll learn about the traditional cuisine and then cook up some delicious signature dishes. In elegant Opatija, dive into gastronomic delights with cooking lessons based on the city’s traditions, discovering secrets like how to make the local version of goulash, žgvacet, traditional grilling and fish filleting, and Istrian pasta before tasting the mouthwatering results.

Truffle Hunting and Tasting

There are Croatian cruises that visit the renowned Istrian Peninsula which include truffle hunting and tasting tours from the enchanting walled town of Motovun like the 14-night Slovenia, Croatia & Montenegro Luxury Cruise & Land Package.

You’ll visit authentic local wineries and hunt for truffles in the Motovun forest, a fairytale-like region is famous for this rare treasure that’s often found on restaurant menus here, blended into creative dishes like pastas, mini-cheese cakes and more. Head out with the experts and their specially trained dogs who have their secret spots for finding them in the dense forest. You might also learn how to prepare them before sampling them in a dish.

Harvest and Sample Fresh Oysters

You won’t want to miss tasting fresh oysters on a Croatia cruise, and many itineraries include a visit to one of the hottest stops in Croatia for these delicacies, the village of Ston on Slano Island. The clear, pristine saltwater and minerals infuse the local oysters with especially delectable flavors, and you may even be able to harvest them directly from the sea before tasting the results of your efforts.

Wine Experiences

There are many unforgettable wine experiences that can be enjoyed throughout Croatia, including options in the Tuscany-like Istria region, such as wine tasting at the award-winning Kozlovic winery. Or, you might take a wine-focused tour to visit one of Hvar Island’s leading family wineries, tasting multiple wines with the local appetizers while listening to the stories of each wine, like Prosek, the original Dalmatian dessert wine produced by Tomic family winemakers, with a tradition of winemaking dating back 150 years.

Discover the best of Croatia’s food and wine by booking one of our Croatia luxury cruises here or call our travel experts on +44 208 004 2345 and let us help you plan your ultimate holiday.