Croatia – Dubrovnik & the Surrounding Area

All week I’ve been dreaming of taking another trip to Croatia. It all started because I’m trying to recreate this amazing fish that we ate on that trip, so I started looking back through the pictures. The usual suspects and I went to Croatia a few years ago to celebrate Neal & Wendi’s anniversary. If Croatia isn’t on your list of places to visit once the pandemic travel restrictions are lifted, it should be.

Croatia is a wonderful country. The people were nice, the food was good and the old city in Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is just breath taking. But what really blew me away was the water. The Adriatic Sea was so clear, so blue, and so refreshing.

We rented a house in Zaton a short drive (or boat ride) from Dubrovnik. It is a cute little beach village and our house was walking distance down to the beach, boats & restaurants. It was a great home base since it had easy access to Dubrovnik but also provided a jumping off point to explore the Pelješac peninsula.

I hope to go back soon. Next time I want to hop on a boat and sail from one end of Croatia to the other. If you are planning a trip to Croatia, below are some of my favorite activities from our trip. I hope they inspire you to go!
 

Boat trip to explore the coast & islands I love a day on the water, but this was one of my favorite boat trips of all times. Our crew took us to an island to explore and have some beach time while they cooked us the most amazing fish for lunch. Then they took us to another little cove for more swimming, jet skiing, and exploring the shallows along the coast. Maybe it was the Pegasus float, but it was just a magical day.

Have a drink & a swim at Buza II, Dubrovnik. This bar is in the old city in Dubrovnik. It is a great place to cool off after you walk the city walls. It actually hangs on the cliff outside the walls. There is a small sign that says ‘Cold drinks with the most beautiful view’ that points you toward the door. If aren’t paying attention, you will walk right past it. In addition to an amazing view it has cold drinks and large rocks to jump off of into the Adriatic Sea.

Go to the top of Mt Srđ. Visit the top Mount Srđ for some of the best views of Dubrovnik. In a cab ride from Dubrovnik one night our driver told us about the role Mount Srđ and the fortress there played in defending Dubrovnik during the war in the 1990s. (It was mind-boggling to think of such a beautiful place being at war.)

Walk the Wall at Ston. If you like to hike, walking the wall at Ston is an adventure. It is like a mini-Great Wall, but with gorgeous views of the water. it is on the Pelješac peninsula about an hour from Dubrovnik. We walked the whole wall from Ston to Mali Ston. After the hour+ hike we had a lovely lunch at a cafe in Mali Ston. (We were starving after the long trek!) Be warned – as with the city walls in Dubrovnik, this wall is hot and there is no shade, so go early in the day and take plenty of water.