Day-trip destinations from Croatia’s southern shores.
This story is part of our guide to traveling in Croatia, created with support from Dubrovnik, Istria, and Zagreb.
The Adriatic Sea washes right up to Dubrovnik’s preserved medieval walls, watchtowers, and fortresses. Within the UNESCO-protected Old City, limestone surrounds café terraces, and overlooks hint at pebbled coves and beaches. While the Pearl of the Adriatic stars in most Croatian travel itineraries (and, yes, in Hollywood series and movies), some of its best surprises wait on nearby islands and peninsulas. Find these five destinations within easy reach of Dubrovnik.
For Sun Worshippers: The Elaphiti Islands
Chartering a catamaran to this quieter archipelago northwest of Dubrovnik offers the freedom to enjoy Kolocep’s remote swimming spots and Lopud’s rare sandy beaches.
The biggest of the islands, Sipan grows olive trees in abundance and preserves Renaissance churches and castles. Virtuoso travel advisor Nadia Bess recommends spending the better part of a day on the island at Bowa, a beach club built into a tree-lined cove, serving seven-course seafood lunches in overwater cabanas.
For Nature Lovers: Mljet
“I’ve been to dozens of Croatian islands large and small. Few compare in beauty to this tiny gem,” says Virtuoso advisor Janet Semenova. She sends travelers on the 90-minute ferry from Dubrovnik to Mljet and recommends exploring the car-free Mljet National Park by bike; its lush forest reserve blankets a third of the 38-square-mile island.
Seek out the park’s pair of saltwater lakes, Semenova says. In the middle of Veliko Jezero (Big Lake), Saint Mary’s Island is anchored by a twelfth-century Benedictine monastery. Hitching a ride to Saint Mary’s is part of the fun: Passengers wave a small flag on the dock to summon the skipper, who ferries them over on a small powerboat. Or join Intrepid Travel’s comprehensive eight-day tour of the Dalmatian Coast, which includes a hiking stop in Mljet with an excursion to Saint Mary’s.
For Local Immersion: Korcula
Cyclists explore this 100-square-mile island on two wheels during DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.’s six-day bike tour that rolls by Korcula’s vineyards and stops for a picnic lunch spotlighting small producers’ goods. Bess also suggests visiting OPG Komparak to learn about its bee colonies and taste its honey, jam, and herbs.
In Old Town Korcula, Massimo Cocktail Bar, perched on the turret of a seventeenth-century tower, serves drinks via dumbwaiter: “You need to climb a ladder to get to the bar, but it's worth it for epic sunset views over the sea and the charm of watching your cocktail get pulled up to the tower via a pulley system,” Bess says.
For Wine Enthusiasts: Peljesac Peninsula
Peljesac neighbors Korcula and juts into the Adriatic about an hour by car from Dubrovnik. The region’s deep ruby plavac mali wine bursts with notes of plum jam, and shrimp skampi na buzara simmers in garlic, wine, and tomatoes.
On Abercrombie & Kent’s five-day Dubrovnik break, travelers venture into Ston, a small fortified town, for seafood and Croatian winetasting. Virtuoso travel advisors can also organize private tours with a family that’s been harvesting European flat oysters for generations. In the bay of Mali Ston, a mix of river water and saltwater yields mineral-rich and briny bivalves. “Learn how to open the shells to taste oysters fresh from the sea the Croatian way, with just a dash of lemon juice,” Bess says.
For GOT Fanatics: Lokrum
Fifteen minutes by boat from Dubrovnik, tiny Lokrum is home to wild peacocks and Game of Thrones backdrops galore. A sign near the dock names 20 sightseeing highlights across the quarter-square-mile setting, including botanic gardens, a saltwater swimming hole, historic forts, and filming locations.
In a nod to the island’s most flamboyant, feathered residents, one GOT garden party filmed at Lokrum’s Benedictine monastery featured golden peacock statues. Fans can tour the scene locations, perch on an iron throne for a photo op, and learn about the show’s production at the visitors’ center.