We arrived in Dubrovnik after a really enjoyable 4-hour ferry ride from Split, stopping at other coastal towns and islands along the way.
The old town of Dubrovnik is not the kind of place you’d want to get lost in, particularly in the middle of the day, a very hot day, on the VERY steep cobbled alleyways, carrying all the luggage with, it seemed, thousands of people whose sole mission it was to get in your way. But this is what we did. We took a wrong turn looking for our apartment… it wasn’t a great start.
At this point, I must thank Matty for being chivalrous and carrying my suitcase up all those steps!
It wasn’t too much of a detour, but once
we found our apartment (and unfortunately, it wasn’t one of my better choices – it was a dive!) we dumped the bags and went straight to the bar that was a few metres away and the reason I booked the accommodation. This bar sat high on the cliff overlooking the ocean and islands. Spectacular view – terrible service – no ice, luke-warm drinks and outrageous prices. Never mind – the crazy high cliff jumpers, who happened to climb and jump from the cliff right next to the bar entertained us and nearly made our first few hours in Dubrovnik worthwhile.
I know this is sounding rather negative, but things got better… a lot better. A spectacular old town, Dubrovnik obviously attracts a lot of attention, particularly from large cruise ships. We spent a lot of our time trying to avoid the crowds and by doing so found some incredibly awesome places. Around the corner from the marina, we found a peaceful and relaxing swimming spot, and again, the water was crystal clear and very inviting. The locals seemed to enjoy this area as well, as did their dogs.
On another ‘dodge the cruise tours’ adventure we found a very picturesque bay known to Game of Thrones tragics as Blackwater Bay. We kept climbing higher and higher on the hunt for the best vantage point for photos and came across an old fort with magnificent views of the walled ‘old town’. It was interesting to see so many sites around the old town that were used for scenes in GoT, particularly the ‘shame’ staircase and alleyway.
To get a different perspective and also escape the crowds, we decided to hire some jetskis. We had a ball – Matty kept hooning around and literally doing rings around us. He couldn’t get the grin off his face. We anchored a couple of times to have a swim – one into a cave – and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
We had been pleasantly surprised by how reasonable the cost of eating out was up until now. We were astounded that everything cost nearly three times the price in Dubrovnik! Also, it was obvious that the number of large cruise ships docking in Dubrovnik is causing a lot of problems for locals and tourists alike and seems unsustainable for this fascinating place. We were talking to a local who said they were very concerned. Due to our itinerary, we were unable to choose dates when there were less ships in dock, but for anyone contemplating visiting Dubrovnik, take heed.
Note: We have been on the hunt, believe me, but we have still not found a decent coffee. I guess I’m really just spoilt with what I get served at home!
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