Travelling with a baby is a question of logistics. Most of it can be prepared — and we take some of it off your hands. Here are both: what we provide and what you should think about yourself.
What we provide
On request and at no extra charge:
- Cot
- High chair
- Children's crockery
- Playpen
Everything is already set up and ready to use in the villa when you arrive. After a journey with a toddler, you don't have to assemble a travel cot as well.
Just tell us before you arrive what you need. If something isn't on the list, ask anyway — especially with families, we try to make everything possible.
The point we raise first: the pool
Our villas have private outdoor areas that can't be overlooked — but the pools are not fenced. That is the norm for holiday villas in Dalmatia, and it is the most important sentence in this text.
If you're arriving with a child who can walk, assume they will find the pool interesting. What helps in practice:
- Deliberately close the terrace door, even if it's inconvenient
- A clear agreement on who is responsible at any given moment — in larger groups this quickly becomes blurred
- Armbands or a life jacket from day one, not as a discussion on day three
We would rather say this plainly than tiptoe around it politely. A heated pool is one of the best arguments of all for families with toddlers — it replaces the beach completely, because babies and toddlers get little out of the Adriatic anyway. But it needs supervising.
Getting here
This is where Kaštel Stari has an advantage you only truly appreciate with a child: Split airport is five to ten minutes away by car.
If you've ever had two more hours of coast road ahead of you after a flight with a grizzling toddler, you understand immediately what that means. From the gate to the cot, hardly half an hour passes with us.
An Uber ride from the airport usually costs only five to ten euros. Important: child seats are not guaranteed with Uber. If you depend on one, tell us beforehand — we'll sort it out.
If you're arriving by car, the obvious applies: drive at night or very early, plan generous breaks, use sun shades on the side windows. Journey times and toll costs are in our article on getting to Kaštel Stari .
Heat — the underrated issue
From July to early September it gets properly hot in Dalmatia. For babies that is harder than for adults, because their temperature regulation isn't fully developed yet.
What works in practice:
- The daily rhythm shifts. Be outside in the morning until about 11 am and again from 5 pm. The hours in between belong to the house.
- Air conditioning in every room — including the bedrooms. They can be controlled individually, which matters more with a baby than central control does. Don't set it too cold and don't point it directly at the bed.
- Blackout curtains are provided — for the afternoon nap in glaring sun, the difference between sleeping and not sleeping.
- Look for shade on the terrace rather than creating it — the covered areas are already there.
If you're flexible: May, June, September and October are considerably more pleasant with a baby than high summer. The heated pool extends the season well beyond the summer months, the weather is mild and the seafront promenade isn't overcrowded. More on this in our article on the heated pool in the off-season .
The beach — with realistic expectations
The coast between Split and Trogir is mostly shingle and rock, not sand. For toddlers that means:
- Water shoes for everyone, including yourself. Not optional.
- Sea urchins sit in rock crevices. On flat shingle stretches they're not an issue; at rocky entry points they are.
- Shade is scarce. Your own parasol or a beach shelter tent is the only solution at many spots.
- Sandcastles are out — but sorting pebbles works surprisingly well.
From our houses, the beach and promenade can be reached on foot in about 10 to 15 minutes. With a pushchair the promenade is easy to navigate, and the way there is along ordinary residential streets.
Shopping on site
Nappies, wipes, baby food and the usual brands are easy to get in the supermarkets in Kaštela and Split — dm is widespread in Croatia and stocks largely the same range as in Germany and Austria.
What you should still bring: the one particular brand your child accepts. A change of brand in the middle of a holiday is something you can do without.
Practical: every villa has a washing machine, and we provide detergent. Most houses also have a tumble dryer; where not, we provide clothes airers — in this climate everything dries quickly anyway.
Cooking and feeding
The kitchens are fully equipped: induction hob, oven, dishwasher, fridge-freezer, kettle and a blender. That lets you prepare purée just as easily as a full dinner for everyone.
The tap water in the region is safe. If you want to be sure for bottle feeds, boil it or use still water from the supermarket — just as at home.
If something does happen
In Kaštela and Split there are pharmacies and paediatricians, several with an emergency service. In that case, contact us: several team members live right on site, know the addresses and can help with communication. In an emergency that is worth more than an internet search in Croatian.
We can usually be reached around the clock by WhatsApp or phone.
The packing list that really counts
- Water shoes for everyone
- High-factor sun protection, sun hat, light long-sleeved clothing
- A swimming aid for the pool
- Your own parasol or beach shelter
- The usual baby food for the first few days
- Thermometer and the usual medicines
- A familiar cuddly toy — strange bed, strange room
You can leave the pushchair, travel cot and high chair at home.
In short
Tell us before you arrive what you need — then it will be there, set up. Think about the pool, the midday heat and water shoes. The rest is easier than it looks from home.
To our villas between Split and Trogir — or drop us a line with your child's age, and we'll tell you which house suits best.
