Southern Dalmatia
Dubrovnik
The Pearl of the Adriatic, and how to see it without the queues.
Introduction
Dubrovnik wears its UNESCO listing like an old velvet coat: a little heavy in summer, but unmistakably regal. Inside the 1.9 km of city walls, limestone has been polished to a glow by six centuries of footsteps. Outside them, a coastline of pebble coves, cypress hills and Game-of-Thrones panoramas stretches all the way to Cavtat. This guide is built around one stubborn principle: see Dubrovnik when the cruise ships don't.
Highlights
What you came for.
01
City Walls Walk
Enter at Ploče Gate around 7:45 am for a near-empty 90-minute loop. Tickets are €35; the Pile Gate queue at 10 am will eat an hour of your life.
02
Lokrum Island
A 15-minute ferry from the Old Port lands you on a wooded island with peacocks, monastery ruins and a saltwater lagoon. Pack a swim.
03
Mount Srđ Cable Car
Sunset, not sunrise. The light hits the rooftops at golden hour and the photo you came here for takes itself.
04
Buža Bar
A literal hole in the wall on the seaward side of the Old Town. Order a Karlovačko, watch swimmers leap from the cliffs.
Sample itinerary
A trip, written out.
Practical
The bits that make it work.
Best time
Late May, early June, or all of September. Avoid mid-July to mid-August unless heat and crowds are part of the appeal.
Getting in
Dubrovnik Airport (DBV) is 20 km south. Bus 11 (€7) or shuttle (€15) into town. No train station, Dubrovnik is the end of the road.
Where to stay
Old Town for romance and stairs; Lapad for beaches and breeze; Ploče for sea-view balconies and a 5-minute walk to the gate.
Skip
Anywhere advertising a 'Game of Thrones tour' on a sandwich board. The free walking tours from Pile Gate cover the same locations better.