CROATIA - Starigrad, Luxury Villa Calma 5*

30/05/2024

If you prefer peace and privacy to a crowded hotel, try this luxury villa with private pool and SPA

Address: Luxury Villas Calma, Ul. dr. Franje Tuđmana 61A , Starigrad Paklenica, Croatia

Location

These luxurious 5* villas are located in the quiet village of Starigrad Paklenica in northern Dalmatia, about 40 km from the famous city of Zadar, at the foot of the Velebit mountain range. Paklenica is a karst river canyon and National Park in Croatia. Near the entrance to the Velká Paklenica canyon, there is a complex of tunnels that served as a shelter for Josip Broz Tito during the split between the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia at the turn of the 1940s and 1950s. In 2017, it was commissioned as a museum. Starigrad is the best starting point.

Anića Kuk, the highest Croatian rock (712 m above sea level), is located in the Velka Paklenica canyon. In its vicinity, there are many climbing terrains accessible all year round. Vaganski vrh, the highest mountain of the Velebit mountain range (1757 m above sea level).

You can either come to the villa by car or fly to Zadar, and it is possible to arrange a pick-up from the airport directly with the owner.

Calma Luxury Villas

There are a total of 2 villas, right next to each other, Calma I and Calma II. Calma I is in the foreground, so it has a nicer view. They have a garden for joint use, it is separated from the first villa by greenery, but we did not use it, the space by the pool was more than enough for us. Each villa sleeps a total of 8 people and has 4 bedrooms with private bathrooms. Although we were not in Villa Calma II and only looked at it from the outside, I dare say that it has the same equipment, just arranged a little differently.

So let's go to the description of our villa Calma I.

The villa has 4 bedrooms on the 1st floor with double beds and each bedroom has an en suite bathroom with a separate toilet, so each guest has their own privacy. Spatially, they are all similar, 2 have a free-standing bathtub in the room in addition to a shower. All rooms have large wardrobes in which there is a safe, an iron and an ironing board. Blackout curtains and blinds are controlled electronically with a button. One wall of each bedroom is fully glazed with access to the terrace. In the bedrooms you will find a kettle with a selection of teas and instant coffee, bottles of water, a sufficient number of sockets, TV, wifi, air conditioning. The beds are extremely comfortable. In the luxurious bathrooms, you will find bath and pool towels, a hairdryer, a magnifying mirror and a complete set of hotel cosmetics - shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, nail file, tooth set with toothbrush and mini paste, hand soap, vanity kit, shower cap and a sewing kit. For your comfort, there are also bathrobes and slippers. Just the comfort of a hotel, but with complete privacy. Cleaning does not normally take place here, only during longer stays, however, you can order the service, as well as, for example, a cook. The villa also has a concierge service if you would like to find a trip or perhaps a restaurant.

Bedroom No. 1 - we chose this because it has the best separate bathroom from the bedroom. The room is spacious, with a carpet. Sea view from the side of the bed, if you go out to the terrace, then of course the frontal view. Just outside the door on the terrace is a hot tub (also accessible from the other two bedrooms). The room faces west, so it was the least hot and the sun didn't shine here in the morning.

Bedroom No. 2 - has a frontal view from the bed directly to the sea. Right behind the head of the bed is a glass wall and behind it is the bathroom. The toilet is of course separate. There are the largest wardrobes of any bedroom and a plush carpet.

Bedroom No. 3 - the so-called master bedroom. Again, you can see the sea directly from the bed, the bathroom is also separated by glass behind the head of the bed, and there is also a free-standing bathtub next to the bed, from which you can see directly to the sea. There is a tiled floor.

These 3 bedrooms are connected outside by a common terrace.

Bedroom No. 4 - it is the only one facing east and towards the mountains, it has its own balcony and you can see the sea from the side. The shower is directly opposite the bed and is again glazed, the sink is behind the wall and the toilet is completely separate. There is also a free-standing bathtub next to the bed. The floor is tiled.

The living room is very spacious with a large comfortable sofa, dining table, TV, coffee tables, electric fireplace. Perfectly equipped kitchen for full-fledged cooking - oven, microwave, refrigerator including freezer, coffee machine (bring your own coffee beans), hot plate, dishwasher including tablets, sponge, rag, basket and bags, all dishes, pots, grater, champagne bucket and much more. There is a toilet and a shower on the ground floor.

Pool and SPA

The pool is heated, in the morning the service comes to roll up the tarpaulin and in the evening the pool is covered again. If you don't want someone to go there, you can do it yourself, it's not difficult. Directly from the living room you come out onto a spacious terrace made of luxurious travertine, and there are two coffee tables including armchairs and couches, a large dining table, comfortable sunbeds, umbrellas and a great heated pool, in which you can swim decently even in the off-season, including a waterfall. Below the villa there is a garden with gazebos where you can relax, guests from villa no. 2 also have access to this garden. There is also a grill on the terrace. You have to import (or buy in local shops) charcoal.

In addition to the swimming pool, there is also a sauna with a shower on the ground floor and a massage table if you are interested in booking a masseur. The hot tub is located on the terrace on the 1st floor, with a luxurious view of the sea.

Sea and beaches

The sea is directly opposite the villa, just cross the road. Beaches are public, smaller, pebbly or concrete. Shadow is limited here. For me, it's best to go for a swim in the sea, but to lie in the garden or by the pool. We visited the villa at the beginning of May. The weather was good for sunbathing and swimming in the pool, but the sea was still cold for swimming.

Top services for ordering

If you arrive in Zadar by plane and do not have your own car, your stay includes the rental of a luxury sports BMW, which is parked next the villas. I wished we had not our own car :)

You can also order room service or a chef who will prepare a tailor-made menu for you, or perhaps a masseuse. If you don't want to google which restaurant to visit or where to go on a trip, the villa also has a Concierge service that will take care of your entertainment. We were in contact directly with the owner, and from his kind behavior and actions I deduced that nothing was a problem. Whatever we needed, we could contact him, for example in the chat, and he answered immediately. Here you will really feel like valued guests.

Shops, restaurants

There are two grocery stores a short walk from the villa (one is even bigger than a supermarket, it is better to go there by car). Attention! All shops far and wide are closed on Sundays, so if you come on a Saturday night, expect that you will not shop on Sunday. A short distance from the villa is also a nice outdoor cafe with a view of the sea and opposite it is a restaurant. Further in the village there are a number of restaurants (not all were open in May). During the season, cruise ships also depart from the port.

Trips

You are right next to Paklenica National Park, so if you like hiking and nature, up the hills!

You can go on a trip to Zadar, 50 km away, where you can visit, for example, the Sea Organ, the Roman Forum, the Church of St. Donát, Cathedral of St. Anastasia, National Square, Pevninska brana and some museums. You can also walk around the sea along the peninsula on which the ancient city center is located and if you are lucky like us, one of the huge cruise ships will be at the port. You can park along the sea, the parking fee is paid in a machine, it was also possible to pay by card.

From Zadar, we took a trip with GetYourGuide to Krka National Park, which is famous for its waterfalls. It also included a wine tasting and a tour of the town of Skradin, where it is recommended to try the local specialty - Skradin risotto, which is cooked for several hours. And it was very good!

From Zadar, you can also go on a trip to the more famous National Park - Plitvice, also through GetYourGuide, we have already been there twice and it is of course beautiful.

Summary

You will love this stylish accommodation in a luxury villa in beautiful nature. Divine peace, heated pool, top design, sunshine, sea in front of you, mountains behind you, what will you miss! And if you love luxury, you can also order top services.

I recommend going to this villa outside the high season, when the sea is cold, so it is difficult to swim in it and you prefer to use the pleasantly warm pool, surrounded by palm trees. If you don't like hotels full of people, but prefer privacy and peace, definitely choose this villa. No one screams, runs, or plays music here. It's a bit of a road, but it's not extremely busy, almost nothing drives here at night, we had a room facing the road and an open window every night. There was no need to use the air conditioner in May.

This place is also very suitable for corporate rental, for example for team building, for 8-16 people in case of ordering both villas, which are right next to each other. The villas have large tables for 8 people, so large work groups can hold various training sessions or do business together. And enjoy a well-deserved relaxation after work.

The owner is very helpful, he personally welcomed us upon arrival and came to say goodbye upon departure, whatever we needed, he was always on the phone and always willing to give advice, so we thank you very much for a wonderful stay and for the opportunity to explore this villa in detail and write this article.

My rating - 10/10

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