Croatia is definitely near the top of the list when you think of Euro Summer and given that I currently live in Austria, a long-overdue first visit to Croatia, just across the border, was in order. Entering Croatia by bus marked my 65th country and it felt so good to finally be exploring a tiny bit of this gorgeous European gem. I took the bus to Dubrovnik from Mostar, just across the border in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
While there is much more of Croatia I want to come back and visit, I think I started off on a really high note and can say hand-on-heart that I adored my time in Dubrovnik. I'd heard many warnings from fellow travelers on how busy and expensive Dubrovnik is and, while it was expensive, there are absolutely ways to budget travel (grocery stores instead of restaurants, hostels instead of hotels, hiking instead of cable cars...) and I honestly didn't find it that busy considering it was the final week of summer and perfect weather - it could have seriously been a lot worse!
I spent four nights in Dubrovnik and made it my mission to spend as much time beachside during those days as it was in the high 30ºCs and even breached the low 40ºCs and being in the water was the absolute best place to be. So, here are all the beaches I visited during my time in Dubrovnik:
1. West Harbour
On my very first day in Dubrovnik, after a hot and sweaty hike up Mount Srđ, the West Harbour just outside the Old Town Walls was the perfect spot to end the day with a picnic and a dip. This is also where all the kayaking tours start so you'll probably spot plenty of kayakers heading out into the sea.
2. Porporela
This 19th century pier on the eastern side of the Old Town Walls creates a bit of a sheltered swimming spot near Porat Dubrovnik, the main port of the city.
3. City Beach
We stumbled across this one totally on accident and seriously loved it. It's such a lovely spot for a swim, sunbathing and there are also cool places for cliff jumping from various heights as well. I'd argue this was way nicer than the much more popular Buža Beach which is more of a bar with some cliff jumping spots. We spent an entire afternoon reading, snoozing and swimming at City Beach.
4. Danče Beach
A short walk west from the Old Town, this gorgeous beach is actually the best spot for seeing the sunset in Dubrovnik, as well. The other beaches are angled a bit too far away from where the sun sets, but from Danče Beach not only do you have a massive bay to swim in but also the perfect angle for golden hour.
5. Banje Beach
The closest proper "beach" to Dubrovnik is the popular Banje Beach. Featuring both sand and stones, this gorgeous beach has some seriously surreal Croatian water to swim in and cool off after dozing in the sun. There are also sun loungers available for rent, and beach bars serving up refreshments. The beach does get quite busy given its vicinity to the Old Town, so I recommend coming early for a good spot.
6. Beach Šulić
7. Plaža Sveti Jakov
Find the exact location of Plaža Sveti Jakov on Google Maps.
8. Hotel Belvedere
Find the exact location of the abandoned Hotel Belvedere on Google Maps.
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
