December 7, 2021 – How one small community preserves the authentic sights, scents, sounds and flavours of traditional Dalmatia by offering sustainable, all-natural holidays in the hinterland. Meet Eco-village Vrsine and inland Marina.

Everything best about a holiday in Dalmatia is a gift of nature. Whether it's the sunshine-filled days, the crystal clear seas, the fresh food on your plate or the scent of lavender, pines and herbs. These are the memories of Dalmatia that last. Timeless, inimitable, unique.

And yet, in our rush to experience Dalmatia, often we risk losing sight of these fundamental reasons for being here. Holidays in this part of Croatia are often sold by the sleek design of modern apartments, fully air-conditioned hotels and luxury villas. Here, you can choose from 50 different breakfast options and food from all around the world.

But, for those yearning to experience traditional, authentic Dalmatia, the solution is often very simple – step into the hinterland. There, you'll quite often find Dalmatia as it always was, and as it should be.

Eco-village Vrsine and inland Marina © Ivo Pervan

That's certainly the case in the small Dalmatian municipality of Marina. Lying less than 10km to the west of Trogir, less than 40km from Split, Marina is not without a classic Dalmatian coastline. In fact, it has a generous stretch of great beaches around Poljica Bay. But, that's just a tiny taste of what's on offer here.

Just a short distance north, up into low lying hills, are villages that hold the true sights, sounds, flavours and scents of Dalmatia. It is a natural landscape, marked by telltale signs of agriculture – rows of vines or olive trees, dry stone walls. Of course, in these times, not everyone here still works in farming. But, many do. And, those who don't still live in harmony with this environment. They might not plough the fields or grow their own food, but everyone in Eco-village Vrsine and many in inland Marina live at one with nature. And, that's how they market themselves as a destination. This is what's on offer just a few minutes back from the sea.

Eco-village Vrsine and Inland Marina

Eco-village Vrsine and inland Marina © Ivo Pervan

Learn the A to Z of Mediterranean olive oil at OPG Šalov (Šalov Family Farm)

Eco-village Vrsine and inland Marina: OPG Šalov

The abundance of sunlight and gently rolling slopes make this part of the Dalmatian hinterland perfect for olive groves. Three generations of the Šalov family live and work on the Šalov family farm, looking after their 650 olive trees. Some of them are over 200 years old and the family has deliberately diversified to include 50 different varieties of olives from across the Mediterranean.

This is the opposite of intensive farming, a sustainable endeavour that much reduces the farm's footprint on the environment.

You can visit the farm to learn about olive trees and how the family make their award-winning olive oil. Of course, you get to try the finished product and in October and November, you can even help out with the olive picking – it's all done by hand.

You can learn more about OPG Šalov here

See superfoods in miniature at Jakus Family Farm

Eco-village Vrsine and inland Marina: Jakus Family Farm

Usually, you don't see very much of the produce from Vesna Jakus's family farm. Well, the microgreens, herbs and edible flowers she grows are very small. And also, they're in high demand.

You'll see leaves and flowers from Jakus Family Farm on plates at some of the fanciest hotels and finest restaurants in Dalmatia. They're full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and flavour, making them a chef's favourite.

Vesna grows everything using only organic and GMO-free seeds and all-natural methods. She doesn't use energy-burning lamps. Instead, her greenhouse harnesses sunlight, retaining the heat of the day so the microgreens stay warm at night – even in winter. Some of the varieties she grows are green pea, red beets, mangold, red radish, beans, adzuki beans, sunflower and basil, all of them fed by the rainwater she collects.

You can learn more about these natural growing methods by visiting Jakus Family Farm and you can see more of what Vesna does here.

Reconnect with You at a holistic wellness and Yoga retreat

Eco-village Vrsine and inland Marina: Holistic Wellness and Yoga

Brazilian Yoga and wellness instructor Sylvia Nunes left behind a high flying city career in order to move to Vrsine, where she lives with her partner Mario. But, before the move, a lot of thought went into the relocation and the repurposing of her life.

First, she visited ecovillages around the world and learned how they combined community, sustainability and wellness. The result is the holistic wellness programme that visitors can experience when staying in Eco-village Vrsine with Sylvia.

Held during the spring and autumn seasons, guests at Sylvia's retreats will experience many aspects of the life of the village. They'll connect with the community and the nature that sustains its members. Visitors might take part in tree planting/reforestation programmes and other ecological projects locally. Before every day's endeavours, there are guided yoga sessions held in the peace and calm of the village's nature.

Discover the scents, flavours and wellness properties of Dalmatia's traditional herbs at Rozga Family Herb Farm

Blizna Gornja in inland Marina: Rozga Family Herb Farm

If your Dalmatia stay keeps you in restaurants on the coast, you might not encounter many of Dalmatia's herbs. Maybe some rosemary or parsley on your plate, or the scent of lavender from nearby? But, if you travel further back from the shore, up into the foothills around the village of Blizna Gornja, many secrets will be revealed.

Here, herbalist Mira Rozga keeps ancient and localised wisdom alive. Her herb garden sits on the slopes of hinterland hills and in it grow many different kinds of Mediterranean herbs. These are put to use not only as flavourings in food but also in cosmetics and in health, medicine and wellness products.

You can get to know the scents of Dalmatian herbs by walking around the 30 different varieties grown in the Rozga family herb garden. And, you can learn their secret properties from Mira herself. For more information, look here.

Treat yourself to a luxurious but traditional rural stay at Eco Villa Home Sweet Home

Eco-village Vrsine and inland Marina: Eco Villa Home Sweet Home

If you want to take your time in enjoying Eco Village Vrsine and the surrounding villages, a longer stay is advised. And there are few more luxurious choices for doing so than in this traditional stone house, renovated with the specific ethos of the eco-village in mind.

Eco Villa Home Sweet Home preserves the original architecture of a centuries-old Dalmatian stone house. But, it enhances its fit into today's environment by using modern innovation. Power comes from strips of solar panelling atop the roof, there's an extensive organic garden, furnishings made by local artisans, enough WiFi to work remotely and a pool.

The villa is available to rent year-round and you can find out more here.

Immerse yourself in nature on a camping stay at Robinson Glamping Camp Marta

Eco-village Vrsine and inland Marina: Robinson Glamping Camp Marta

Holiday accommodation often feels far removed from traditional and the natural environment. At Robinson Glamping Camp Marta it's the opposite.

You'll fall asleep every night surrounded by the scent of lavender and herbs. When you wake in the morning, your first sight is the olive grove in which your glamping hut is placed.

The huts themselves are made from all-natural materials – the huts are made of wood, then sheltered from the sun by a canvas tent. The whole 12,500 m2 plot is surrounded by traditional drystone walls and there's a covered picnic area and generous pool too.

Find out more here.

Taste the full and delicious flavours of traditional Dalmatian food at Konoba Donja Banda

Eco-village Vrsine and inland Marina: Konoba Donja Banda

One of the greatest secrets to learn of a holiday in Dalmatia – but rarely one of the first – is that quite often, the further from the shore you travel, the better the food will be.

Peka at Konoba Donja Banda

You'll find the flavour, range, portion size, authenticity, cost, and quality of ingredients and cooking all improve greatly when you venture inland. Whether that's a trip up into nearby foothills or a trek to a village, town or city restaurant of the true Dalmatian hinterland, you'll discover evidence of this time after time. Taverns have to work that much harder for a reputation when the sea view doesn't sell the meal.

Nowhere is that more true than Tavern Donja Banda, where Roberto Nedeljko maintains the traditional cuisine Vrsine and its surroundings. All of their ingredients are sourced locally, including the olive oil and all of the wines. Indeed, many of their vegetables and herbs come from their own organic garden. Want to try traditional Dalmatian 'peka' – food cooked under a hot metal 'bell'? This is one of the best places in the area.

You can learn more about the tavern here.

You can find out more about holidays in Eco-village Vrsine and inland Marina by visiting Marina tourist board website here. For more great Croatia holiday ideas, bookmark Total Croatia News travel pages here.

The biggest investment in ACI history, the new ACI Marina Rovinj, which was built after a 150 million kuna investment and categorized with 5 anchors, was opened this Friday at a ceremony attended by the Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and several other ministers from his cabinet.

The new ACI Marina in Rovinj is one of the biggest marinas in Croatia, located right next to the recently opened Grand Hotel Park, the most luxurious hotel in that part of the Adriatic Sea. The marina consists of two separate parts: one for the vessels in transit, and the other one for the vessels staying there throughout the year. It has 196 berths and can accommodate boats of an average length of 17 meters. It can accept boats up to 35 meters for a yearly stay, and much longer boats in transit.

Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli, Construction Minister and deputy Prime Minister Predrag Štromar and Sea, Traffic and Infrastructure Minister Oleg Butković were present for the opening as well. Plenković pointed out that this is one of the ways to show how important Istria is to the Croatian government, as it is one of the biggest tourist destinations in Croatia.

Minister Butković complimented the combination of ACI Marina Rovinj and Monte Mulini Zone, as an example of a well-thought-out strategy for co-operation between two separate, independent companies who understand that working together brings added value to the destination.

ACI Marina Rovinj now has 1400 square meters of commercial surface area, exclusive restaurants, bars, lounge bars and similar, general stores, shops by the world famous brands, representatives selling luxurious yachts, charter agencies, service center for the boats and a lot of other things the guests coming to a destination on their boats might need. There will be 100 parking spaces in the marina's garage and 50 more in the marina itself.

A firm foot forward for Croatian nautical tourism as the country's biggest marina receives a much-deserved award for the incredible Zadar Royal Cup SUPER SERIES, according to eZadar.

As Morski writes on the 23rd of December, 2018, at the awarding of the annual awards of the Zadar County Tourist Board, Marina D-Marin Dalmatia was awarded as a commercial entity for the Croatian nautical spectacle hosted under the title of the SUPER SERIES Zadar Royal Cup, which naturally involved the promotion of the huge nautical potential of the region.

Additionally, the Tourist Board of Šibenik-Knin County awarded the D-Marin Mandalina marina the prestigious "Zlatna boula" award during the Days of Croatian Tourism event, mainly as recognition for its contribution to the development of Croatian nautical tourism.

The prestigious 52 SUPER SERIES Zadar Royal Cup regatta, for which the D-Marin Dalmatia marina was awarded, was held back in June this year when the cream of the crop of the world of sailing took to Zadar. D-Marin organises this, as well as numerous other regattas, working hard to promote sport sailing and other forms of recreational yachting, as well as the destinations in which such activities are held. Such moves are of paramount importance for the stronger positioning of the Republic of Croatia as one of the most beautiful sailing destinations in Europe.

"The acknowledgments that our marinas have received, as well as the fact that their contribution to Croatian tourism is being recognised by the profession, are an incentive for us in our further efforts to provide tourists in Croatia with new and better content, along with the best service. I'd like to thank our tourist boards for their continued support, cooperation, and their efforts to promote the destination,'' said Božidar Duka, regional director of D-Marin Croatia.

D-Marin Dalmatia is otherwise the largest marina in Croatia and one of the largest in the whole of the eastern Mediterranean, and has been the proud bearer of the Blue Flag for almost twenty years now. It has a large capacity of 1200 berths in the sea, and an additional 300 moorings on the land, and can accept yachts of up to 80 metres in length. Located at the very centre of the marina is the Portus Beach Club, which offers its guests numerous facilities and services, enriching its overall offer and placing special emphasis on the massive potential of Croatian nautical tourism.

D-Marin Mandalina is the only marina in the whole of Croatia designed to accommodate mega yachts and has 429 berths in the sea, of which 79 are built for mega yachts of 30 to 140 meters long. Thanks to its position, the depth of the sea and the lack of boat height restrictions, this marina in particular is a more than ideal place for super-yachts.

D-Marin Mandalina also contributed to the positioning of the historic Dalmatian city of Šibenik as a tourist destination through the organisation of numerous sporting events. In June next year, thanks once again to the D-Marin group, Šibenik will host the ORC World Championship which will be the biggest sporting event ever organised in Šibenik's long history.

Make sure to follow our travel and lifestyle pages for more. If it's just sailing in Croatia and Croatian nautical tourism you're interested in, stay up to date with absolutely everything you need to know with Total Croatia Sailing.

Click here for the original article by eZadar

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