A dear friend of mine for 40+ years re-married a few years ago. Her new husband is from Croatia. Over the years, she and I lost track of each other–getting married, raising kids, climbing the corporate ladder, juggling all the things that come with life in the suburbs of middle-America. It’s cliche but we just lost touch. Our kids are different ages, our lives were on different trajectories. This past year I turned 60 (!). During the pandemic, there weren’t lots of big family celebrations because someone is either afraid of getting exposed to Covid, or has been exposed, or is quarantining from exposure. I decided I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate this big milestone than by bringing together some of the people I spent my wild and crazy 20s with–friends who know me at my core and are great at reminding me where I came from and what I believed in before life took over and obligation changed my perspective. Over a weekend of drinks and hot tubs and rose’ a plan formulated. Let’s go to Croatia someday. Fast-forward 6 months later and we’re in Croatia.
We traveled in June 2021, when the state department was still issuing warnings not to travel. Vaccines were plentiful and we had been in lockdown for a solid year. And, hey I’m not getting any younger here.
Traveling was the right decision. I believe we got to see Dubrovnik at it’s best, away from the cruise ship hordes that pop in and out on a day trip, away from the Game of Thrones gawkers and costumed marketers. We got to walk the walls of old town Dubrovnik, wander aimlessly through the pedestrian-only Stradun, stopping to see beautiful churches and statues and fountains around every corner. We went out on a boat to see the city walls from the water. We stayed in a magical area that was such a prime location. Restaurants were not crowded, masks were needed only in small souvenir shops and bodegas. Locals weren’t in a hurry– they were just so glad to see tourists again and so very kind and helpful and welcoming.
Surprising things about Croatia: It’s very mountainous.
Bear in mind, I’m from Texas, not from Colorado or California where you have real mountains. These are not hills either though. The drive in from Dubrovnik airport had me clinging to the taxi door. I just wasn’t prepared for it. The roads curve along the coast with vast overlooks to the sea and mountains as a backdrop. I read a lot about Croatia before I went, but it didn’t jump out at me that there would be so many cliff-hanging drop-offs. It makes sense. It’s a long, slim nation huddled up against the Adriatic Sea. I get it. I just have a heights thing and it was a surprise I didn’t plan on. As our taxi curved it’s way along the coast through a lush terrain with grey and white mountains as a backdrop, it reminded me of Durango Colorado, but with a sea butted up against the mountains. It’s beautiful.
Dubrovnik is on the southern tip of Croatia. Our plan was to spend 2 weeks, drive from Dubrovnik to Split and then from Split to Zadar and then back track and fly home from Dubrovnik. It was an amazing trip and I believe we saw the best of Croatia and such a variety of beautiful moments and places.
A few of my favorite things to do and see in Dubrovnik
STAY
Stay in Old Town or very close by. We stayed in a great airbnb just outside Pile Gate. The location was perfect! It’s so close to everything and just a short walk to Old Town (2 mins). It has a little outdoor front garden where you can sit in the shade and sip cocktails. From that patio you can actually see Blackwater Bay from Game of Thrones in case you’re a fan. Check it out at airbnb.com–Holiday Home St. George. The layout is a little quirky but it’s 3 levels. There’s a small fully equipped kitchen and double bed and bath on level 1, 2 bedrooms with double beds and 1 bath on level 2, and a room with twin beds and bath on level 3. There is no sitting or common area on level 1, but we used the front garden patio as a communal space to gather and drink wine. Our hostess Ela was so helpful. Her husband has a boat you can charter for the day and she had a friend pick us up at the airport and drop us really close to our doorstep for much less than a taxi would have cost.
Travel tip: Be careful if you book accommodations beyond the Old Town area. Some of the lodgings are built into the side of the cliffs overlooking the water and you have got quite a hike from your car to the accommodation in a lot of cases–which means dragging your bags up and down lots and lots of steps.
EAT
We loved Dubravka 1836 Restaurant. It has outdoor seating with an amazing view, it’s a very short distance from our Airbnb and they had a good variety of foods and spoke great English. I should say, we’re not foodies and this is not a foodie kind of place, but everything we had was consistently good from breakfast to dinner and we did go back a few times. They offered a discount for each visit and the prices were already very reasonable.
Dining tip: There are lots of places called Konoba. A konoba used to refer to the part of the house where food was prepared but over time it evolved to refer to a tavern or local place to dine on simple foods. Some of the best food we had was from stumbling upon a konoba when we were walking around town.
SHOP
As we were wandering through Old Town we decided to start walking UP some of the side streets to see if there was another entry to the walls surrounding the town. We didn’t find one, but we did stumble upon some lovely shops and one in particular that I can’t wait to order from now that I’m home and out of supplies. We wandered into a small shop that smelled delightful. The owner saw we were hot and sweaty from our walkabout and offered us glasses of cool water and told us to just look around and let her know if we had questions. She had a variety of things but the spices caught our interest and we wound up buying test tubes of spices (sea salt with lavender, spicy paprika, rosemary and sea salt) and some aromatic olive oils. You can find her lovely shop on Facebook at NoteBeneDubrovnik. She was lovely and even helped us with understanding some of the nuances of greetings (hi, bye) by region. What a gem! The spices made great gifts when I got home and were so easy to pack. I highly recommend. At home I use that paprika on my favorite baked chicken and it makes a wonderful broth. (Be sure to check it out: Note Bene, Od Rup1, Dubrovnik 20000, Croatia).
BEACH
Okay, I’m not a beach person… and beaches in Dubrovnik and throughout Croatia are very pebbly (aka rocky) but it does feel wonderful to soak in the Adriatic sea and gaze around at all the beauty that is Croatia. In June, the water is cold and it did take a little liquid courage so we were in luck at the beach just up the street from our Airbnb. Sulic beach is a local favorite. It’s scenic, great for people watching and has a little cove where you can swim or just soak up some sun. The best part, Beach Bar Dodo. Sit in a swing and sip a cool cocktail or 2 to get that courage up or if you’re like me, maybe just sit in that swing and people watch and enjoy the vibe. I highly recommend!
SEE
If you need a cool place to beat the heat, visit the Franciscan Church and Monastery in Old Town. It’s peaceful and beautiful, with a center garden open to the sky. It’s a nice diversion from the hustle and bustle of Old Town. You also get free admission to the beautiful church next door that has some amazing paintings and frescoes.
In fact, wander into one of the dozens of beautiful churches you see along your way as your stroll through Old Town. The art, the solitude, the beauty is just breathtaking. One of my favorite moments was walking by a church where locals were crowded around inside and out listening to the message, while their children played soccer on the cobblestones in front of the church.
TRAVEL TIPS
The Dubrovnik airport is approx 40 minutes drive from Old Town. Don’t stay at the airport unless you’re headed home the next day.
You can get rapid Covid tests at the airport that are quick and easy and cheaper than I paid elsewhere if you need one to travel home.
The Dubrovnik airport is small. Don’t arrive too early as you’ll just be stuck at an airport restaurant with only snack foods and a bar. You don’t check in through security and then go and hang out at your gate. You can’t go to your gate until an hour before take-off. This may change post-Covid but we got to the airport 3 hours early and it was a lot of time to kill in a bar with no shopping or anything else to do.
If you have a connecting flight (we flew through Madrid), be sure you have your QR code from the country you’re connecting flight is in. Read the stuff the airline sends you it was surprisingly helpful.
Be sure to have proof of paid accommodation for your trip to Croatia. They may check that at customs.
Life is a journey 