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Adventure Tourism on Cetina River
In need of an adrenaline rush? Do you like water sports and socializing with friends, including lots of laughter and good fun? Look no further – rafting on Cetina River is a real treat for you. Cetina is one of the most beautiful and longest Croatian rivers. With its 102 km-long river flow, it offers numerous opportunities for adventure sports and active tourism. Throughout history, Cetina has played an important role in the life of the local population, as evidenced by numerous archaeological findings. Nowadays, all those adrenaline craved guests can go down its rapids, participate in rafting or just enjoy in a refreshing swim.
The adventure starts in Omiš
If you want to go rafting on Cetina, you need to know that this adventure starts in Omiš, on a large parking lot, about 200 meters upstream from the Omiš Bridge or in a popular excursions spot – Radmanove mlinice. From these two locations you can take a minibus or a van to reach the embarkation point for the rubber boats called rafts. The 25-minute ride will allow you to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Cetina Canyon, after which you will arrive to the embarkation area.
It is important to note that everyone participating in rafting have to change into neoprene suits, which provide protection from cold water. In addition, a helmet will guard your head, and you will also get a life vest and a paddle. Each raft can carry 8 tourists and 1 experienced skipper. May the adventure begin!
After a brief training during which the skipper gives the “crew” general instructions on how to roam and behave on the raft, you will be familiar with five basic rafting commands: all ahead, all back, left back, right back and all in ship or better known as “the bomb”. The rafting can now start! In the first segment, the river is not so fast and the crew has enough time to practice these basic commands. After that, you will arrive to the segment of Cetina which is technically quite demanding, so you have to pay close attention to your skipper’s commands. They call that part of the river ” the labyrinth”. When you pass through this, the raft comes to a small lake where everyone can swim and chill. It is important to note that children can do rafting too, in specially designed, smaller swimsuits and helmets. However, children must be accompanied by parents or guardians.
After the swim stop, there is a small dam where rafting participants can drink pure spring water, rest and eat fruit. During that time, skippers move the empty rafts across the small dam and descend to the dangerous rapid called Oblačnik. Only then do rafting participants return to the rafts. From that point, the fastest and most interesting part of the rafting adventure on Cetina begins and it lasts for a few kilometers.
Rafting requirements – a bit of good will and skills
To keep digital proof, during your rafting adventure, a photographer with a professional digital camera takes photos of all the rafting participants, in the most interesting segments. One of the most unforgettable photos will certainly be beneath Studenci waterfalls and “Z” rapids, a place where your heart will simply have to do backflips. Following these, there will be another dozen of interesting rapids before you reach the part called “Tisna stina”.
This is where the famous American western film “Winnetou” was shot, so you will get to feel like actors for a moment. Those more courageous among you can try their river diving skills – from the rocks. A bit more rafting and you will arrive to Radmanove mlinice. All the equipment stays on the raft and the participants will carry it out to the shore. And after a three or four-hour adventure, time has come to return to Omiš.
You will remember the unforgettable rafting on the fizzing river, no matter if you are a skillful rafter or not. Rafting demands only a good will and just a tiny bit of skill. As sugar on top, you’ll just have to enjoy the local food prepared by the skillful chefs at the excursion point Radmanove mlinice.
Photo: dalmatia.hr, Hot Spots
This post is also available in: Croatian
