Situated on the coast of Croatia, facing the Adriatic Sea lies Dubrovnik; a city rich with history that today has become one of the most popular destinations for tourists to explore, due to activities on offer and the sights to see.
Nicknamed ‘The Pearl of the Adriatic Sea’, Dubrovnik has something for everyone, whatever their pastimes are. If you want to take in some of the local culture and learn the history of Croatia; there are plenty of museums and buildings depicting the story of Dubrovnik. For those who love to walk or hike will find great walking routes with stunning views at the end, or for if you’re feeling adventurous, you can go diving in the sea or even white water rafting, so you’ll never be bored in this wonderful seaport.
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If you’re looking for ideas of what to do when you go to Croatia, read our guide of the top things to see and do:
Go Sightseeing
Maybe a bit of a cliché, but if history or architecture is your thing, then Dubrovnik has it all. Firstly, you should visit the city walls, originally built to protect the city. Today they act as a huge museum surrounding the city, with four forts (Minceta Tower, Revelin Fortress, St John’s Fortress, and Bokar Bastion.) at each corner of the old town standing proud offering great views of the city and over the Adriatic Sea.
For a perfect photo opportunity, there are many gates to the old town dotted around, with the Inner Pile Gates, Ploce Gate and Buza Gate the most notable.
Alternatively, there’s also Sponza Palace, Rector’s Palace, the Fransciscan Monastery and the Stradun offering wonderful insights into Croatia’s culture and way of life, so go wild with your camera and explore the historical side of Dubrovnik.
Visit Mljet National Park
Mljet National Park is accessible via ferry from Dubrovnik should you wish to spend some time there. One of the larger islands off the coast of Croatia, Mljet is home to former Roman palaces, lakes and forests. In the summer, you can go swimming or diving in the lakes, which have banned boats to preserve the tranquillity of the park. There are walking and biking tours of the salt lakes (The Small Lake and The Great Lake), or you can rent a kayak and enjoy the area from the water.
There’s a hostel and a hotel in the national park should you wish to stay for a few days, along with restaurants offering the local cuisine.
Go Diving
Croatia holidays are not just about sightseeing and history, there are many diving locations in the Adriatic Sea that are some of the most popular in the world, so hire some scuba gear and discover the marine life around Croatia.
You’ll need a diving licence first, which should be obtained before visiting to ensure time isn’t wasted filling out forms and sorting the paperwork out. Some areas are classed as off limits, and require a special licence from the Ministry of Culture to dive around, such as the warships and other military artefacts.
A licence for the controlled diving areas should only cost around $15, and last for one year, however this is only issued to those who have completed diving courses and have qualifications from internationally accredited diving schools.
White water rafting
Not in Dubrovnik, but there are many places you can go white water rafting in Croatia. Daily excursions can be arranged from your hotel or from the local tourist information office. Trips normally run to Montenegro or to Omis, with both locations offering water rapid courses. Remember to take an additional set of clothing as you will get absolutely soaked, and you don’t want to be wearing wet clothes all day.
Water sports
Water sports are very popular in Croatia, both at the beach and at the various national parks around the country. As mentioned earlier, kayaking & water rafting are readily available, while you can still hire jet skis and speedboats at the beach. There are also parascending sessions available if you’re feeling brave enough to be fitted with a parachute and be towed along by a speedboat – great if you want to soar above the Sea and admire the view with virtually no noise.
Hit the beach
Croatia has some great beaches, especially in the summer when temperatures can hit 34°C, so why not head down there for a day out and enjoy the weather? The main beaches in Dubrovnik are Banje beach, Copacabana beach, Sv Jakov beach and the Lapad Beaches – at all of which you can hire a sun lounger and umbrella, sit back and do nothing while the kids play in the sea, while the above mentioned water sports are available too.
You will probably see a game called Picigin taking place; similar to volleyball, in which the aim is to keep the ball up for as long as possible, working in one big team rather than against each other. If you’re up to it, join in, but remember to try and pull off a few dramatic dives to endear yourself to the locals.
Go hiking/climbing
Croatia has many different climbing and hiking areas, after being one of the first countries in the world to establish a national climbing organization. The Dalmatia area of Croatia has many different mountains, so enjoy a trek up there but be careful – the terrain is notoriously rough, and there are many steep edges. In the summer months, the heat can be unbearable on the rocks, so if you’re in the height of summer, think twice before heading up the mountains. More information about climbing in Dubrovnik is available from Dubrovnik online.
Sample the local food
There’s no point in going on holiday to sit in the first pub that looks like something from home, or having every meal in McDonalds, KFC or Subway, so try and sample some of the local dishes; you may be pleasantly surprised.
Some Croatian meals are Italian inspired, you should be able to get simple pasta dishes or pizza in most restaurants, however Croatians are proud of their own recipes. Seafood comes high on menus, with the likes of Sea Bass and Frogfish available amongst the usual suspects. Other traditional meals include Fritaja and omelette, made from sausages, asparagus and truffles. If you want to try Croatian soup, ask for maneštra, made from bacon, potatoes, beans and garlic, with a side dish of chickpeas or corn.
Have a read of the menus and pick something that you can’t get back home, otherwise you’ll just get bored of eating the same dull meals over and over.
Other information
If you’re wondering what things will cost when you’re away, here is a rough guide. For your evening meal, you should expect to pay around €6 per head, although expect to pay around 30% extra if visiting built up areas aimed at tourists.
Pizza and pasta will cost around €6, while a salad is about €3. Drinks can be expensive, again depending on where you go, a glass of wine can be €4.50, while cola and beer can be picked up for €2. Try and find local restaurants down side streets, rather than ones on the beach front or main roads where they will spot you a mile off and try to invite you in.
Remember, Croatia is not part of the EU, so if you’re using a cell phone, you can expect a high bill when you get home, as there is no fixed roaming fee in place outside of the EU, so consider buying a local sim card, or instead use an internet café and communicate using Skype.
If you’re wondering how much you’re going to spend in Croatia, here is a guide to how many Croatian Kuna you get for your US Dollars:
• $5 = 27.3 HRK
• $10 = 54.5 HRK
• $25 = 136 HRK
• $50 = 272 HRK
