Croatian Adventure: Picnic at sundown on the island of Rab

When you think about Croatia, you think about islands, sunshine, old red-roofed towns and vividly blue beaches. A visit to one of Croatia’s smaller islands in the Northern Gulf of Kvarner, Rab, surprised me with its pine forest inlets and light spring drizzle. What better way to celebrate the reappearance of the sun (just in time for sunset) with a quick improvised picnic?

After exploring the delightful ‘Happy Island’ with its four church towers on foot and multiple cappuccino’s, Croatian kremšnita and the famous Rab cake to ward off the cold, the drizzle stopped. The island was refreshed with an intoxicating salty and pine aroma, enough to make any person jump from their boat cabin and spend time outside. So all that was left to do was find some snacks for a picnic and a perfect spot to watch the sun go down.

Conjuring up a great picnic meal is all too easy. Stop by a convenience store, supermarket or market (if possible) and buy an array of local breads, cheeses, meats, fruits, wine (we had some South African wine with us) or whatever you feel like and some paper cups/plates, etc. Pack it in your backpack with a blanket (if you have one) and off you go to explore for a great picnic spot. We had a walk through the Old Town and through a part of the beautiful lush green Komrkar Park and headed down to the edge of the water. After walking along the picturesque seaside path for a while, we found a jetty of some kind and settled there.

The views were spectacular. The setting sun danced through the clouds touching the church towers with its soft light. The food we bought at the supermarket was of great quality and this was one of the best (and cheapest) meals I’ve had in Croatia by far.