Health & Safety

General Availability of Healthcare

Croatia provides its citizens with excellent, all-inclusive healthcare. Foreign tourists do not have to pay for medical services if there is a signed health insurance convention between Croatia and their home country. Healthcare costs for tourists from a country that does not have a signed convention with Croatia are paid directly by the user at the time of service. If you can communicate your symptoms to a pharmacist, you can buy appropriate over-the-counter medications there. In Croatia, all over-the-counter medications -- including aspirin -- must be purchased from pharmacies.

Common Ailments -- Insect bites and stings: Mosquitoes found in most parts of Croatia generally do not carry malaria. Use an insect repellent containing DEET. Bees and wasps are also commonplace, especially on some islands and where beekeeping is an industry. Be especially aware of this if you are allergic to bee venom, and always carry an epipen for emergencies.

Dietary Red Flags -- Croatian food is generally not spicy, so gastric sensitivities are rarely triggered by the national cuisine. However, if you have fish or shellfish allergies, be sure to ask about ingredients, especially when dining on the coast. Restaurants serving vegetarian choices are becoming more commonplace, especially in larger cities, but you can feed on cheese burek or plain pasta almost anywhere.

Sea Urchins & Other Wildlife Concerns -- Sea urchin needles and sharp rocks pose the greatest health hazards to swimmers, especially around Croatia's rockier beaches. It is best to wear rubber swim shoes both on the beach and in the water. These are available in most resort areas and in towns near the sea. Snake sightings are rare but can occur in heavily wooded areas. If you are bitten, immobilize the site and get medical help as quickly as possible.

Sun/Elements/Extreme Weather Exposure -- Visitors should be aware that late summer in Croatia can be very hot, especially in the southern regions. Air-conditioning is not prevalent outside of the larger cities. Sunstroke and heat exhaustion can overtake the unwary quickly, causing dangerous situations. Be sure to drink lots of water and get to a shady area or into air-conditioning when you feel dizzy and tired or if you develop a severe headache. These may be signs of heat exhaustion. Sunstroke is more serious and may require emergency medical attention. Symptoms can include fainting and/or agitation. Always carry enough sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 for all members of your party.

What to Do if You Get Sick Away From Home-- If you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your doctor before your departure. For conditions like epilepsy, diabetes, or heart problems, wear a MedicAlert identification tag (tel. 888/633-4298; www.medicalert.org), which will immediately alert doctors to your condition and give them access to your records through MedicAlert's 24-hour hot line.

Pack prescription medications in your carry-on luggage, and carry prescription medications in their original containers, with pharmacy labels -- otherwise they won't make it through airport security. Bring along copies of your prescriptions in case you lose your pills or run out. Don't forget an extra pair of contact lenses or prescription glasses. Carry the generic names of prescription medicines, in case a local doctor is unfamiliar with the brand name. All medicines, even aspirin, are sold only at pharmacies; other drugs require a Croatian doctor's prescription.

Staying Safe

Croatia is generally very safe for travelers, and theft and crimes against persons are not commonplace. However, you should exercise caution anytime you're out and about in an unfamiliar area after dark wherever you are.

In some areas, land mines left over from the last war can pose hazards to unsuspecting travelers. According to www.landmines.org, more than 700,000 land mines were buried in Croatia, mostly in eastern Slavonia, around Zadar in northern Dalmatia, and some near Dubrovnik in southern Dalmatia. The government has been de-mining the country since the end of the Homeland War in 1995, but finding and destroying the ordnance is a slow process. Usually, suspected land-mine areas are marked with red-and-white skull-and-crossbones signs (in Croatian), but you shouldn't tramp around any part of the countryside unless you have a local guide, especially in the above areas. Land mines kill a few Croatians every year. These are mostly hunters who disregard posted signs, or farmers who are impatient to till unswept fields.