Harvest season around Zadar
Autumn is a good time to visit the Zadar region. The summer crowds leave after the end of August, the sea stays warm into October, and daytime temperatures in October are typically in the high teens to around 20°C. It is also the busiest time of year for the people who grow things here: figs and grapes in September, olives from October into November, and the first new wine and olive oil by late autumn.
Be aware that the region does not have one big, fixed harvest festival. Celebrations are mostly small and local, organised by towns, villages, tourist boards and producers' associations, and their dates and programmes change from year to year. The best approach is to know what is in season, then check the Zadar County and town tourist board calendars shortly before your trip.
Figs in early September
Figs are everywhere in northern Dalmatia, growing in gardens, along stone walls and on the islands. Zadar has hosted a fig festival in late summer, held in recent editions in early September around the Five Wells Square (Trg pet bunara) in the Old Town, with stalls selling fresh and dried figs, fig jam, fig cakes and fig brandy, along with tastings and cooking demonstrations. If the festival is running in the year you visit, it is a pleasant, low-key event and a good way to taste local produce.
Even without a festival, look for dried figs, fig jam and the traditional fig cake (smokvenjak) at markets and in food shops.
Grapes and wine in Ravni kotari
Inland from Zadar, the fertile plain of Ravni kotari, around Benkovac, Polača and Stankovci, is the region's main wine-growing area. The grape harvest usually takes place in September. Local grape varieties include the white maraština and debit and the red plavina, alongside Dalmatian staples like plavac mali and international varieties.
Several wineries in Ravni kotari and along the coast near Zaton and Nin welcome visitors for tastings, usually by appointment. Harvest season is a good time to visit, although wineries are busy, so call ahead. Some wineries in the wider region also invite guests to join in the picking; ask locally rather than expecting a scheduled public event.
Olives on Ugljan, Pašman and the mainland
The olive harvest runs from about October into November, depending on the year and the variety. The islands of Ugljan and Pašman, a short ferry ride from Zadar, are covered in olive groves, as are parts of Ravni kotari and the coast around Poličnik and Posedarje. Families still pick by hand and take the olives to local mills, and the air around the mills smells of freshly pressed oil.
Ugljan has held olive oil celebrations with fairs of island products, talks about olive growing and guided tastings. Whether one is scheduled in your year will depend on local organisers, but the island is worth a visit during the harvest in any case. Buy new-season oil directly from producers or at the markets; it has a peppery, green flavour that softens over the following months.
Martinje: St Martin's Day
St Martin's Day on 11 November, known as Martinje, is when new wine is traditionally "baptised" in Croatia. The custom is strongest in continental Croatia, but restaurants, wine bars and wineries across the country mark it with tastings, roast goose or duck and, often, live music. In the Zadar region the celebrations are generally smaller and informal, organised by individual venues, so look for posters and local listings in early November.
Markets and local products
Zadar's green market, beside the old city walls on the harbour side of the peninsula, is open every morning, and the fish market beside it is busiest early in the day. In autumn the stalls fill with figs, grapes, pomegranates, quinces, chestnuts and mandarins from the Neretva valley further south.
Other products to look for include Maraschino, the cherry liqueur made in Zadar from marasca cherries, Pag cheese from the nearby island of Pag, and honey and dried herbs from the hinterland. These are sold year-round, but the market is at its most colourful in autumn.
Planning an autumn visit
Ferries and catamarans to the islands run less frequently after the summer timetable ends, so check schedules before planning a day on Ugljan or Pašman. Many seasonal restaurants close in October, while those serving locals stay open. Bring layers: autumn days can be warm, but evenings cool down and the bura wind can arrive suddenly. Above all, plan around the harvests rather than specific festival dates, and treat any event you find as a bonus.
