4 nights in Dubrovnik, Croatia

I’ve always had a desire to visit Dubrovnik in Croatia because of recommendations from other travellers and the fact that one of the greatest TV shows ever is filmed here. Of course I’m talking about Game of Thrones. But this isn’t the only reason I would want to visit, the fact that it is a European city full of history is enough to make me want to grab my backpack and pop across.

So I jumped at the chance to go this year with a bunch of people I love, to attend a friends wedding on the island of Lokrum. What a privilege to be able to experience a wedding outside of England for the first time.

Whilst most of the party were heading over there for the week I decided to pop over for a few nights and flew straight from my local airport for just 4 nights. A short while longer than the 3 nights I normally choose to spend in European cities.

It was short and sweet and I loved every second of it. The city is beautiful with plenty of things to see and keep you busy if you’re choosing to visit for a short break.

So here’s some of the things we did and where you can visit if you to choose to visit Dubrovnik!

Sunset Beach

The first we did when we arrived was headed to Sunset Beach to the West of Dubrovnik – A short wander from where our apartment was located. There are a variety of bars and restaurants here and it looks to be where they host festivals on the beach.

Not my favourite kind of beach with there being no sand, only stones but a good place to go for a swim or lay on a sun lounger. We took our first dip in the sea here – The first of many dips to come! It was lovely being in the water when the weather was so humid. The surroundings were beautiful here and despite there being quite a lot of people around it was really quite peaceful. Most people sunbathe here or go for a swim as there are no shops along the beach. We walked along the edge until we reached some rocks where we could jump in and the boys could practice their flips and bombings! I just stood back and took photos of course. A beautiful place to watch the sunset hence the name Sunset Beach.

Old Town

This is the busiest part of Dubrovnik as it is swarming with tourists. To be expected really as naturally it’s the part that everyone wants to see! Unfortunately you could even describe this as overrun with tourists. It is however a beautiful part of the city worth visiting and there is plenty to do here. There are various shops, bars and restaurants and whilst it’s majorly busy during the day it quietens down at night.

My first experience of Old Town was on the first night in Dubrovnik. There is an ice cream cafe that for some reason serves takeaway Mojito’s which is a nice treat to walk the historical streets with. I wandered to the top of the town where the famous SHAME walk was filmed for Game of Thrones. If you head towards the top end this gets fairly quiet as this is where the locals live. I prefer to wander to the parts less explored as there are always still things to see.

In Old Town you’ll find a variety of Irish bars, nightclubs and even the bar that we practically lived in during our time in Dubrovnik – Exit Rock Cafe. A great dingy place for anyone wanting a reasonably priced drink and some good rock tunes.

During the day there are many tours operating in Old Town and with the heat, it’s quite unbearable to be around so many people. One handy tip however, take a water bottle with you as there is a large fountain where the water is drinkable and a life saver when you’d dehydrated.

Unfortunately during my busy time in the city I didn’t get chance to try out the cable car or city walls but I hear that these things come highly recommended even if they do cost a few pennies.

Old Town Pier

On our second day we wandered over to the pier located in Old Town. This is where the boats travel to the island of Lokrum. If you keep walking towards the right besides the city walls you’ll find a whole bundle of rocks where people have somehow managed to perch their towels and practically set up camp for sunbathing, swimming and back flipping in to the water.

We spent quite a few hours here swimming in the ocean and again jumping off the rocks (not me included). This place is great for a swim however there is absolutely no shade so be mindful of that if you plan on attempting to get out of the sun at some point!

Swimming in Dubrovnik

Lokrum

On Day three we headed to the island of Lokrum where we would watch our friends get wed! You can reach this island via a short boat ride for 150 Kuna (around £20 at time of writing). Once you reach the island there is plenty to explore and the beautiful wildlife is a great addition to your trip. I only visited here for the wedding so didn’t get to explore as much as I might have liked but my friends were able to go cliff diving and kayaking here so there is plenty to do! I saw peacocks and rabbits wandering the island which was pretty cool too.

Cruise Port

When travelling now that I have improved on my fitness I always try to get out and about on a jog. Despite the sweltering humidity, Dubrovnik was no exception. I set out early morning but it was still 31 degrees Celsius so it wasn’t pleasant at all. I braved it though and jogged from the cruise port all the way to the bridge that leads into Lozica. It was definitely worth the trek! I climbed up to the bridge through a passageway and walked the length of the bridge on both sides for far reaching views.

Kupari

Kupari was where I spent my last day in Croatia. I enjoyed visiting this piece of history and I had a really great experience here actually. The beach is superb and a lot of locals come here for swimming despite the wreckage of Kupari Beach Resort. I wrote a very long article about this place as I felt it needed it. You can read it here.