Croatia | 7 Days in Dubrovnik & Beyond
Croatia is a big country filled with endless options to entertain over a multi-week stay regardless of your travel preference, be it adventure, food, beach, party, culture or a creative combination of any of the above. So, it's no surprise that most hurry through Dubrovnik as a quick stop on their way to the next destination.
On this trip, a group of friends and I chose to stay a week to take the multitude in, find a balance of our favorite things and walk away with a smattering of the best things in Dubrovnik and nearby. All without wasted travel days or - best of all - repacking!
Day 1 - R&R
After arriving the evening before, this was our day to catch up on the time zone, take a dip in the mesmerizing Adriatic Sea and relax poolside at our AirBNB, Villa Soline. The late summer temperature off the Dalmatian coast is a refreshing but warm 24C/77F; cool enough to escape the August heat but warm enough to be comfortable splashing around for some time.
What many don't know is that the beaches in Croatia are primarily rock. They are on the small side and it's still comfortable to put a towel down and sunbathe by the sea but they are not very comfortable to walk on. A major recommendation to follow is to bring water shoes for wading in and out of the sea, both for the rocks but even more importantly due to the prominence of spiky sea urchins. They have been cleared from most tourist beaches but if you venture anywhere outside hotel or beach clubs definitely bring shoes. If you despise laying on rocks, another item to bring to the beach is a yoga mat.
In the evening we washed up and ventured south to Cavtat, a small St. Tropez-like Beach town with a restaurant and yacht-lined seawall promenade. It was a Saturday and the town was lively. In a square children were performing different dances and vendors lined up to sell local foods. We opted to eat at Konaba Galija, a restaurant featuring a large outdoor grill where they cook up fresh seafood caught that day and an assortment of Croatian meats. We shared a seafood platter with an amazing amount of local lobster, fresh seabass and swordfish, tuna pate, shrimp, mussels and more. We also shared pork ribs and several bottles of local Croatian wine. We almost turned away because one side of the restaurant has a large and somewhat obnoxious lighted BBQ sign but I'm so glad we persisted, the food was simple and fantastic.
Day 2 - Coral Beach Club
Today we continued the beach theme and spent the better part of the day at Coral Beach Club just down from Dubrovnik's main port. From the beach you have gorgeous views of the Franjo Tudman bridge and along the Croatian coast. In the morning low key and low volume music plays while people lounge and take dips in the sea. As the day progresses the music intensifies with a DJ playing and more people arrive to the club.
We took advantage of some of the services including lunch - very decent food for a beach club! - and the massage services. Several from the group tried the pressure point massage which was as, if not more, intense than deep tissue and relieved some major muscle pressure of mine. But, be warned, we each had bruises the next day. It is not a massage for the faint!
Day 3 - Must-do Montenegro
I'm never a big fan of a rush-through-a-country approach but I was told countless times that a day trip to Montenegro should not be missed and I'm so glad I took the advice. Our group booked our trip through Adria Luxury Travel, a reputable company with many positive reviews, now including mine. We were picked up directly from our house at 8am and started our travel to the farthest point of our Montenegro adventure. Our driver chose the Konfin checkpoint, a smaller border crossing along the coast. This route is not used by the tour buses and is a bit out of the way of the main crossing point so is more often than not a faster option by car. The gamble, however, is that it is one lane so if there is an issue (from what I understand, typically minor drug smuggling) the road gets blocked until it's resolved. Luckily for us this was not the case!
The approach by our guide was to drive to the farthest point of our trip that day and then make our way back along the coast. The pros to this route meant less traffic in the morning to contend with and a shorter drive at the end of the day. The alternative is to start in the north and save the longer drives for hotter times of the day. I was happy with our approach so we could get the bulk of the driving over and done with, and visit our last stop at Our Lady of the Rock during the magical evening hour.
Our first stop was a viewpoint of Sveti Stefan, a small walled in village whose only entry point is across a narrow strip. A favorite of celebrities, people can only enter with a hotel accommodation which puts off paparazzi. Apparently the Beckhams were just here on holiday this past July and prefer the island for its privacy.
Up next we visited Budva, a small town with Medieval tourist center just a few minutes away. After a brief history lesson from our guide we explored the old town. We spent a few Kuna to walk through the Citadel which has gorgeous views of the larger city and seas, then wandered a few of the streets before taking a quick beer and snack break to cool off from the heat. The city could easily be explored in a half hour and makes for a nice, if brief, stopover.
Our third stop took us to Kotor, a larger and bustling walled city with walls that span up the hillside in an elaborate pattern. Kotor has a large bay and thus the cruise ships are able to come right up to the city walls. We arrived early afternoon and the city was filled with tourists. It wasn't too much to manage but was certainly on the crowded side. In cooler weather I would have loved to scale the walls up the hill to take on the coastal sights and see the city from a bird's eye view however with temperatures mid-afternoon reaching nearly 100 Fahrenheit our group opted to stay in the city center. Apparently it takes about 45 minutes to climb the stairs to the top and another 45 to wind back down the other side.
On recommendation from our guide we stopped in for lunch at Pescaria Dekaderon. While most eat on the first floor surrounded by tourists passing by, we were lead to the second floor which offered misting machines to help us cool down. For reasons unknown to us we were the only patrons on the second floor so had a lovely private dining experience for our leisurely lunch. The food was fantastic! We had the peppercorn steak, stuffed pork, octopus and shrimp. Every dish was memorable but the crowd favorite was the thoroughly tender octopus, one of the most delicate I've ever had.
For our last stop we pulled into Perast on the Bay of Kotor to see Our Lady of the Rocks, a 15th century church on a man-made island that is truly stunning. After a quick walk down the city's waterfront we boarded a small boat and were on the island in a few minutes. Our guide took us through the church and several other rooms containing artifacts taken care of over the years by the priests who oversaw it. Interestingly there were quite a few weapons apparently used to fend off the island. The stop was a quick one and after a few pics we took off back to Perast and on to Dubrovnik.
Day 4 - Supetar Island & Club Revelin
On recommendation of our AirBNB owner, Boris, we slept in and then headed out to Supetar Island for the day. After a call to the island we were picked up from the beach within the hour and off to the small private island just south of Dubrovnik. The island is small, perhaps a 10 minute walk around the exterior at most. At its center is the Fisherman's Club, a series of picnic tables with thatched coverings that make up the restaurant and bar. Upon arrival the owner, Nico, offered us shots of two local Croatian liquors, one resembling something like a smoother ouzo and another a fortified fruit liqueur. Both were delightful and as we finished our glasses he was there to pour more.
Before lunch we opted to take a swim in the Adriatic off the back of the island. With not a soul in sight it felt as if we had the island to ourselves. On the day we visited it was a national holiday and only a few dozen people were on the island. During the summer boats from Dubrovnik advertise a stop to the island and the owner allows about 100 people to visit at a time.
For lunch we had a fresh fish feast! A platter came out with fresh fish caught that morning, mussels and sardines. We were also served bread, wilted greens and a fresh slaw-style salad. It was one of the best meals of the week and easily worth the trip out to the island. The price tag was about $75/person with boat transfers, wine, food and the priceless hospitality of our island host.
While not typical, I would be remiss not to mention our return trip was on the adventurous side! The weather suddenly turned and what was a smooth sea took on an endless array of whitecaps. After waiting it out the entire island decided to call it a day and we piled into the small boat to return to shore. Though bumpy and wet, I never had reason for concern. Given the direction of the wind we had to dock in Cavtat and in an endearing gesture Nico personally drove our group back to our Villa.
Later that evening, after a long rest, we ventured out to Revelin night club, the city's only discotheque located in a part of the medieval castle walls. With our group of five we opted for a table. Considering the prices I'm used to seeing in Las Vegas it was beyond reasonable and extremely worthwhile to go in on a table. The table fee is actually a minimum spend so for $86 per person we enjoyed a bottle of champagne, vodka and mixers, private server and table, and access to the uncrowded and elevated VIP area. A few of us chose to go down onto the main dance floor throughout the night and others chose to avoid the crowds and enjoy the table area. The party doesn't start until after 1 and goes until about 6. The crowd started to thin out around 4 but there were certainly still enough people on the floor to call it a party. One note for the ladies, by 4 there was a lot of glass on the main dance floor so I highly recommend staying in the VIP area if in heels or wearing closed toes shoes on the floor if you're staying until sunrise. It was precarious in sandals to say the least.
Day 5 - Elaphite Islands
Despite the late night, we were out on the road by 9am for our private boat excursion. Once again we used Adria Luxury Travel to book a private tour of the Elaphite Islands around Dubrovnik. Our speed boat was waiting for us as we arrived to the Dubrovnik port. I had thought the boat would take off from the old town port but instead the boat went out from the actual port, same area used by the ferries, cruise ships and larger catamarans to reach further Croatian Islands.
For about $150 per person our group of five rented a boat that was supposed to comfortably fit eight (possible but a tight squeeze). There was a bathroom on board, a full table at the back that fit all five of us, as well as seating off the bow of the boat for 4-5 to comfortably sit even as the boat moved between locations.
To start our day we hit the sea cave on Kolocep island, an area where we could swim into a cave ominously illuminated by the blue seeping into the cavern. Tide timing and weather conditions are everything with this cave and we hit at just the right time; low enough time to scoot in without having to dive under and few enough tourists to have a moment just to ourselves. From the cave we followed the coast which may have been my favorite part. The island was stunning; beautiful foliage, birds diving, perfect lighting and not another boat in sight.
Up next we took a short break at Sunj beach, a rare sandy beach on Lopud. We swam up, ordered some beers and french fries and enjoyed the views. On our next stop we headed to the other side of the island and had an amazing lunch at Restaurant Dubrovnik. The fresh seafood was phenomenal. I enjoyed the fish soup as well as the octopus. The best item on the table, though, was the fresh seafood stew served table-side. It was rich and flavorful. From here we stopped at Sudurad on Sipan island to swim in the crystal clear waters, and then the small town of Sipanska on the other side of the island.
In hindsight, we would have skipped the sandy beach - it wasn't clean and was swarming with children and bees - as well as the last town of Sipanska as it was very sleepy with little to see or do aside from have a drink along the water. It was also and the farthest stop on our trip so the transport time would have been better enjoyed elsewhere.
Day 6 - Dubrovnik Old Town
Finally, after nearly a week in Dubrovnik, we ventured into the fabled old town. To best avoid the afternoon heat we started with a walk along the top of the city walls. The most startling part for our group was realizing that what felt like a 5 mile walk was under 1.5 miles. It was hot, somewhat far and certainly worthwhile, but the distance covered was surprisingly brief! The walls offered extraordinary views of the city as a whole, the Adriatic Sea, choice parts of the city and unforgettable film locations from Game of Thrones (backwater bay anyone?)
After our walk along the walls we ended at the port and made our way back into the city. We were overheated so opted for some A/C and snacks at Bistro Tavulin. This may have been one of our favorite meals of the trip! Fresh salad, oysters and handmade gnocchi with pesto. From here to we wandered the streets. We saw the old monastery and GOT favorite film location, the Rector's Palace, home of scenes from Qarth, and walked past the "shame" stairs.
After about five hours in the city we had done it all; walked the walls, had a memorable meal and explored all the main attractions. To get home we headed to the port and caught a local ferry to Cavtat.
After an afternoon enjoying the house, napping and snacks, we headed back into the city for our 10pm dinner reservation at Michelin-starred 360. The restaurant tables are organized along the old town city walls, beautifully lit with the port as your view. It was a fantastic meal deserving of its star and the price tag. We each ordered from the set menus, two were on offer, and added the wine pairings which were perfection. It was a lovely way to end the trip before saying farewell to Dubrovnik.
Highlights
- Day 1: Beach day on the Adriatic & Cavtat
- Day 2: Coral Beach Club
- Day 3: Day trip to Montenegro
- Day 4: Lunch at Supetar Island & Night Out at Club Revelin
- Day 5: Elaphite Islands
- Day 6: Old Town Dubrovnik & 360 Restaurant
