14 Fun Things to Do in Cavtat, Croatia

Cavtat, Croatia, is likely to be the most important shock of your journey! This peaceable seaside city within the far south of Croatia is so near Dubrovnik, and but a world away.

If you wish to go to Dubrovnik however would moderately keep someplace with a quiet, extra stress-free environment — oh, and cheaper, too! — Cavtat (pronounced SAHV-taht) is likely to be the place for you!

Cavtat is a well-liked vacation spot for Europeans — significantly vacationers from Central Europe and the Balkan nations. Nevertheless it’s not fashionable with North Individuals in any respect. I didn’t hear a single American voice all the time I used to be there.

Because of this, Cavtat is crafted to the European journey type. Cavtat isn’t about checking off issues to do and taking plenty of day journeys. As an alternative, Cavtat is about stress-free, soaking within the environment, and having fun with your self.

The good factor about staying in Cavtat moderately than Dubrovnik is that it’s less expensive and far much less crowded — nevertheless it’s a straightforward boat trip away! Discuss one of the best of each worlds.

Cavtat was based by the Greeks as Epidaurus and later renamed Epidaurum underneath the Romans. One in every of a number of theories behind the Croatian title is that it might come from the verb captiti – “to flourish.” Maybe Cavtat would be the place the place YOU flourish!

This submit was printed in September 2024 and was co-written by Adventurous Kate and Hannah Cooper.

Issues to Do in Cavtat, Croatia

Discover Previous City Cavtat

The Previous City of Cavtat is a small, walkable space the place you’ll discover all the primary sights in Cavtat – you’ll see extra on every of these under. There are good eating places and cafes lining the waterfront. It’s pretty to take a seat out right here people-watching, ideally with a Schweppes Tangerine in a bottle (my Croatian favourite!).

Apart from roaming the streets, you may put your title down for a images tour on this lovely small city. In contrast to Dubrovnik and Hvar, you gained’t be elbow-to-elbow with vacationers the entire time.

This personal images tour expertise in Cavtat is managed by a neighborhood photographer. The exercise combines alternatives so that you can take your individual artsy pictures in addition to having photoshoots with an expert.

Picture excursions final for round two hours and also you’ll obtain a digital file of round 30 pictures.

Stroll the Cavtat Strolling Path

The Cavtat Strolling Path is my favourite place in Cavtat! This seaside promenade is a flat, pedestrian-only strolling path that circles the perimeter of the Rat Peninsula, making a quiet escape from the city.

Nearly all the path is generously shaded from the pine timber, making it a spot for a cool, nice stroll when the solar is at its fiercest. Benches are dotted alongside the trail. Be at liberty to cease to learn a ebook, make a pit cease at a seaside bar, or go for a swim!

In case you’re staying in Cavtat a number of days, I extremely advocate strolling this path a part of your each day itinerary.

Go to St. Nicholas Church

You’re by no means removed from a stupendous church in Croatia, and in Cavtat, you possibly can’t miss St. Nicholas Church, proper by the harbor. The foundations date again to the fifteenth century and it was constructed utilizing native white stone. It’s pretty typical of a Croatian church with a cross-vaulted apse and Baroque parts.

St. Nicholas Church went by way of a transforming within the 18th century and the bell tower was added the next century. 

Step inside to see the gorgeous picket altars and the altarpiece crafted by the Silcilian-born Carmelo Reggi. There are extra work to ogle, a few of which got here from the palms of native artist, Vlaho Bukovac. Extra on him to come back!

The Church of St. Nicholas is free to go to, although be sure you keep away from it throughout companies.

See the Rector’s Palace

To not be confused with Dubrovnik’s extra well-known Rector’s Palace! Cavtat’s former Rector’s Palace is a way more modest constructing containing the personal artwork assortment and library of Baltazar Bogišić. 

Bogišić was born in Cavtat in 1834 and went on to turn out to be a jurist and sociologist. You’ll spy a statue of him exterior the property. The villa is sometimes called the Bogišić Museum. 

The villa peeps out from the inexperienced forest and has photogenic colonnades and a courtyard pool. Works by the Croatian artist Vlaho Bukovac – one other Cavtat celeb – adorn the partitions as does considered one of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”. 

The museum is open Monday by way of Friday, 09:00 AM-1:00 PM. Tickets value 4 EUR (simply over $4 USD) and are offered on the door. You’ll be out and in throughout the hour.

Swing by the Franciscan Monastery

Devoted to Our Woman of the Snows, the Franciscan Monastery and Church is considered one of Cavtat’s most lovely landmarks. It’s one other harborside constructing set in a cloistered backyard with the church positioned within the jap wing.

After being constructed within the fifteenth century, the advanced was rocked by an earthquake and sacked throughout unrest. It went on to function a storage unit and a submit workplace earlier than being returned to its authentic goal.

Vlaho Bukovac gifted his canvas of the Madonna to the church in August 1910.

Lots happen each day, often at 08:00 AM on weekdays and eight:00 PM on weekends. Elements of the compound are open to the general public exterior of those occasions. 

Go to the Home of Vlaho Bukovac

Now often known as the Bukovac Home Museum, that is the place the Croatian artist was born in 1855 and spent his youth. Even when his work took him across the globe, it remained his residence.  

This 18th-century stone townhouse is split into two wings. Bukovac embellished the jap wing with murals as a present to his father. After his loss of life, his daughters remodeled a part of the home into an exhibition area. 

It comprises 200 sketches, work, and private results that hint how his artwork progressed and reveal how he lived. I knew nothing about Bukovac after I visited, however I actually beloved it!

The Bukovac Home Museum is open each day between April 1 and December 31. Its hours are 10:00 AM-6:00 PM Monday to Saturday and 10:00 AM-2:00 PM on Sunday. Through the winter, it’s open Tuesday to Saturday 09:00 AM-5:00 PM and Sunday 09:00 AM-12:00 PM. Admission is 5 EUR ($5.50 USD). 

Go to the Shell Museum (Glossus Humanus)

Whether or not you’re a science fan, fascinated by all types of creatures, or the form of one that appears to be like for the proper shells to take residence, this museum is for you. Glossus Humanus is a family-run museum containing 3,500 forms of shells from all seven oceans. 

The exhibition additionally comprises work, sculptures, and gastropods.

Admission is 7 EUR ($7.50 USD) for a self-guided/audio tour. Teams of 5 see this drop to ($5.50 USD). Actually, I believe this place is a bit overpriced for a way small it’s, however I’m glad I visited.

In case you’d choose to ebook a tour with a “human” information, these value 40 EUR ($43 USD) for as much as 12 company. You’ll must pre-book these excursions. 

The Shell Museum additionally runs a each day guided tour free of charge at 11:00 AM when you seize a ticket earlier than 10:50 AM.

It’s open Monday to Saturday 10:00 AM-4:00 PM in summer season and by appointment solely in winter. 

Stroll the Sustjepan Peninsula Path 

Sustjepan is the smaller (and wilder) of the 2 peninsulas, positioned south of Cavtat. There aren’t any homes or shops on Sustjepan and it’s cloaked in an fragrant pine forest that nearly smells like a sauna. It’s one of many absolute highlights of Cavtat for outdoorsy explorers. 

There are paths winding by way of the greenery and alongside the shoreline supplying epic bay views towards Cavtat’s three islands. The paths are slim and rocky so that you’ll want sneakers. 

It takes round an hour to finish the Sustjepan loop. Take water, snacks, and a towel and permit further time to benefit from the peaceable nature. 

Observe that when you full the loop counterclockwise, you’ll find yourself within the grounds of Resort Croatia Cavtat. It’s a bit complicated however far simpler to chop by way of the lodge. 

Go to the Račić Household Mausoleum 

Also referred to as Our Woman of the Angels, this household mausoleum is a part of the Saint Rocco Cemetery. It’s discovered on the highest level of the Rat Peninsula on the location of a former church, and it’s immediately recognizable in pictures of the city.

Captain Ivo Račić was a sailor and transport entrepreneur who died tragically concurrently his two youngsters after contracting Spanish flu. His widow, Marija, commissioned a comparatively unknown Croatian sculptor, Ivan Meštrović, to design the mausoleum. 

After finishing the household memorial in 1922, Ivan Meštrović went on to turn out to be a distinguished architect. There’s a museum devoted to him in Cut up.

The mausoleum is an octagonal design with a coffered cupola and two chapels on the north and south sides. No matter whether or not you go inside, the eye-popping views alone justify a visit to the cemetery. 

It’s free to go to the cemetery and 4 EUR (simply over $4 USD) to enter the mausoleum. 

Veg out at a seaside membership

As there isn’t a ton to see and do in Cavtat, that’s all of the extra motive to get cozy in a seaside bar consuming up the Adriatic coast environment. Seashore golf equipment open from Could till across the finish of October.

Seashore Bar Little Star has an ideal location on the Cavtat Strolling Path with an ideal view of the Cavtat islands and killer sunsets. The bar serves cocktails and beer — meals could be very restricted right here, so don’t come hungry. Carry euros – it’s money solely.

Off the peninsula, you’ll discover a cluster of golf equipment close to Seashore Žal. The extremely laid-back Seashore Bar Paradisum mixes wallet-friendly cocktails that hit the spot on a sizzling afternoon. They often have stay music. 

Lounge Bar Eve is your one-stop store for morning espresso and cocktails with a view. It has an ideal vibe fashionable with {couples} and households alike. They’ve a stellar collection of non-alcoholic drinks as properly. 

A reasonably related choice, Seashore Bar Cool is Žal’s northernmost watering gap. Because it’s farther from the city heart, it’s a patch quieter. 10/10 for the views, drinks, and costs. 

Chill out on the seaside

Cavtat’s seashores are scattered throughout the peninsulas and the mainland. These are typically small coves with light waves and, being Croatia, it is best to anticipate rock slabs and pebbles moderately than sandy seashores.

However don’t let the dearth of sand put you off: Croatia is residence to among the clearest, most inviting waters in Europe. Simply carry your water footwear for consolation.

Apart from, you possibly can lease deckchairs for simply few euros, which is UNHEARD OF in Dubrovnik!

Different seashores have huge stone slabs which are fairly cozy with a towel they usually provide the feeling of a sizzling stone therapeutic massage as soon as heated by the solar.

Preserve a watch out for indicators that say swimming shouldn’t be permitted — you generally see these because of rocks and currents. 

Hike the Prevlaka Peninsula Path

Climbing past the city heart is without doubt one of the greatest issues to do in Cavtat when staying longer than a day or two. There are clifftop trails connecting Cavtat with the coastal cities of Močići, Čilipi, and Radovčići. The vacationer workplace within the Previous City can advise you on the newest routes and situations. 

When you’ve got a automobile rental, you possibly can go all the best way right down to the Prevlaka Peninsula. Croatia’s southernmost peninsula is a 35-minute drive (21 miles) from Cavtat and is strewn with deserted bunkers and the stays of a fort. You’ll get an ideal view of Montenegro and the Bay of Kotor. 

These roads may do with a little bit of TLC, however they’re completely drivable in a daily sedan. 

By the way, Cape Oštro in Prevlaka marks the tip of Croatia’s Through Adriatica Path. This long-distance trek originates at Cape Kamenjak in Istria so that you may encounter weary but jubilant adventurers. 

Take the boat to Dubrovnik for the day

In case you’re making Cavtat your base in southern Dalmatia, you possibly can simply plan a day journey to Dubrovnik. 

Boats join Cavtat and Dubrovnik’s previous city throughout summer season (April 1 by way of November 1), and take round an hour every means. The boat prices within the neighborhood of 20 EUR ($22 USD) round-trip.

Taking the boat is way extra enjoyable than the bus and it spares you from having to park a rental automobile in busy Dubrovnik (please don’t try this; driving in Dubrovnik is hellish and it is best to keep away from it). 

I like to recommend getting the primary boat of the day to maximise time and stroll round Dubrovnik’s partitions and plazas earlier than it will get crowded. Strolling the partitions of Dubrovnik is a should, and I like to recommend doing that both early or late, as there isn’t a whole lot of shade and the noon solar could be fairly oppressive.

Go to the Cavtat Islands

Three islands bob simply off the shore of the Rat and Sustjepan Peninsulas: Mrkan, Bobara, and Supetar. Again when Cavtat was Epidaurus, Greeks would have surveyed and managed motion out and in of the port from these isles. 

There’s not a lot to see on the islands these days, bar a few ruined monasteries and watch towers. Nevertheless, they’re a whole lot of enjoyable to sail round by boat. 

Over on the jap aspect of the Rat Peninsula, Gabriel Watersports is your first port of name for plotting a day at sea. You’ll be able to both constitution a non-public boat with a skipper or lease a VEZ boat to go to the Cavtat archipelago.

Leases value 100 EUR ($109 USD) for a half day or 150 EUR ($163 USD) which isn’t unhealthy in any respect when cut up between a pair or small group. 

There are a number of different businesses close to Seashore Žal operating three island and cave boat cruises within the excessive season. 

How A lot Time To Spend in Cavtat, Croatia

You solely want sooner or later to see the sights of Cavtat — two when you wished to discover at a languid tempo, or when you wished to do one of many greater hikes. Though, when you’re searching for a mellow place to put low for a number of days in Croatia, contemplate spending longer right here.

Every thing is walkable and you’ll take pleasure in leisurely mornings strolling the peninsula trails and swimming within the sea. Your euros will go a lot additional right here in comparison with different Adriatic coastal cities — even cities in Montenegro like Kotor, Perast, and Budva.

I’ve spent a LOT of time in Croatia during the last decade, visiting over most summers. And I discovered Cavtat to be an absolute delight. THIS is the place to chill out and relax in Croatia.

How To Get To Cavtat, Croatia

Cavtat is well accessible by way of street or boat from Dubrovnik. And guess what — it’s even nearer to Dubrovnik Airport than Dubrovnik itself! 

Due to this, some vacationers like to finish their journeys in Cavtat. (Do you NEED to remain in Cavtat to be near the airport? I don’t suppose so — it solely saves you, like, 20 minutes of driving. Selecting Cavtat is a life-style alternative.)

Bus quantity 10 from Dubrovnik’s bus station in Gruž takes 40 minutes to achieve Cavtat. Departures depart each half-hour throughout summer season; test for updates on the Libertas Dubrovnik web site. 

Boats depart from the Previous City Port from April 1 till November 1. These are operated by Adriana Cavtat and often cease on the island of Lokum. Sailings take between 45 minutes and one hour and value 15 EUR (round $16 USD) every means. 

Dubrovnik Airport (formally Ruđer Bošković Airport) is simply an eight-minute drive from Cavtat. Public buses and shuttle companies function between the airport, Dubrovnik, and Cavtat.

Taxis value round 20 EUR ($21.50 USD) every means.

The place To Keep in Cavtat, Croatia

Cavtat, like most cities within the Balkans, is extra about trip leases and aparthotels than accommodations themselves. There are a few boutique accommodations thrown into the combination, with new ones popping up each summer season. 

The nearer to Cavtat’s previous city and the waterfront, the costlier your lodging will likely be. It can save you cash by staying a brief stroll away, however remember it’s a considerably steep uphill climb out of city!

• High-Rated Luxurious Resort in Cavtat: Splash out on a keep at Resort Cavtat which has an unimaginable infinity-edge pool watching over the bay. Preserve prices down with a regular room, or splurge on a sea-view balcony. All charges embody breakfast and the city heart is a brief stroll down a manageable hill. 
• High-Rated Mid-Vary Resort in Cavtat: Flats Villa Lukas includes 12 sunny studios with kitchenettes and personal balconies. The way in which again is steep, however not the worst, and you’ll cool off within the pool anyway. This upscale aparthotel additionally has a sauna, sizzling tub, and fitness center. 
• High-Rated Price range Resort in Cavtat: Only a 10-minute stroll from the harbor and bus cease, Villa Tiha is a superb base near every little thing. It’s an older property with a retro vibe and a excessive customary of consolation. Every studio has fundamental kitchenware and you’ll add breakfast for an affordable value. The homeowners are sweethearts they usually have free bikes. 
• Try all accommodations in Cavtat right here.

Finest Time To Go to Cavtat, Croatia

Like all of Croatia, Cavtat could be very a lot a summer season vacation spot. Summer season is longer in southern Dalmatia so that you’ll discover balmy climate from late Could till the center of October. 

The majority of the crowds sweep in between late June and early September. Cavtat isn’t anyplace close to as busy because the hotspots of Dubrovnik, Hvar, and Cut up, nevertheless it’s fashionable with vacationers from the Balkans and Central Europe. Costs escalate in peak season.

Late Could and early June is usually a nice time to go to for a quieter expertise in Cavtat. I’m a fan of late September and even early October because the water is hotter at the moment of yr.

Winters are fairly chilly in Dalmatia, and the boats between Dubrovnik and Cavtat come to a detailed. You’ll be able to nonetheless get round by street and Cavtat has extra happening compared with the islands. I’d come right here for a quiet workation, however don’t anticipate a lot to be happening!

Learn Extra: Finest Time to Go to Croatia

Is Cavtat Value It?

I’m so glad I acquired to spend this time in Cavtat! After visiting so most of the extra fashionable elements of Croatia — most of them busy, research-oriented journeys — Cavtat was the place I did Croatia the best way most vacationers do.

I chilled. I strolled. I loved the sundown with an ice cream in hand.

Isn’t that how a summer season journey needs to be? Cavtat gave me the present of leisure.

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Have you ever been to Cavtat? Share your ideas!