Dubrovnik

In September, I finally made my way to Croatia for the first time. I think I fell in love with Dubrovnik before I even hit the tarmac. Mountains on one side, the sea on the other. As soon as I got out of the plane the 30 degree heat hit me. I can’t believe how much I have missed that kind of hit you in the face heat, especially after this year’s cold and wet summer in Paris. While taking the airport shuttle bus to the city, I was able to watch a pink sunset over the sea. For 20 years I have wanted to visit Dubrovnik, my dream destination. I wasn’t disappointed.

We stayed in a nice little apartment (thanks to Marija, the very friendly and helpful owner) in Lapad, about 3 kilometres from the centre of Dubrovnik. At first I thought it was going to be too far from the action but it the end it worked out great. It’s much quieter than bustling Dubrovnik and its overpriced tourist restaurants. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants in Lapad, plus there are numerous beaches where you can rent lounges or lay down on the pebble beach and Dubrovnik’s old town is only a short bus ride away.

It seems most tourists head straight for the city walls and it’s not a bad idea as it gives you a great overview of the city and fantastic views of the sea and nearby Lokrum Island. We wandered around for more than two hours, admiring the cute houses and beautiful churches. Then it was off to explore the town. I would have loved to have spent hours or even days wandering around the little streets but it was so crowded in most parts that it wasn’t that enjoyable. I think later in the evening would be a better time to explore but I never got the chance to do that. Instead I left the old town and wandered up and down the coast, checking out the pristine beaches along the way.

From Dubrovnik we did day trips to Lokrum Island, Korcula, and Mostar and all were incredible. I was reading a blog post today on how so many travel bloggers exaggerate when they describe a destination but the region around Dubrovnik really is stunning and unbelievably beautiful, to me anyway. I would have liked to have gone to Mljet and some of the other nearby islands but time was running short as I wanted to visit Split and the islands up that way.

As for the food, I was a little disappointed with the lack of variety between restaurants. It seemed like 90% of places offered the same menu: grilled fish and meat, pasta, pizza, and salad. Not very adventurous but delicious nonetheless and reasonably priced.

I will definitely visit Dubrovnik again, in particular to explore the islands a little more and the nearby towns like Cavtat. Croatia as a whole was fantastic and hopefully next time I’ll be able to take it slowly and enjoy everything it has to offer.