Cavtat holidays

Renaissance sights and architecture, traditional Croatian cooking and a Mediterranean atmosphere await you on Cavtat holidays. And this dreamy harbour town’s just 30 minutes’ drive from Dubrovnik.

A Dubrovnik Riviera gem

Cavtat’s plotted on the southernmost tip of the Dubrovnik Riviera, by a horseshoe-shaped bay. The Renaissance-style old town harbour is edged by a tree-lined promenade. Add pine woods, cypress forests and a cluster of Adriatic Sea pebbly beaches to the mix, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for an authentic Croatian coastal experience.

Best beaches near Cavtat

Cavtat’s coastline’s sprinkled with sheltered rocky coves and clean pebble beaches in all shapes and sizes. If you fancy a long sunbathing session, head to Mlini pebble beach, where you can hire sunloungers for the day. It’s about 10 minutes’ drive away. Or, try Plat shingle beach, where a string of traditional coastal tavernas are tucked away under cypress trees. If you’d rather just go for a dip, you can head to one of the area’s concrete swimming platforms, instead.

Historical Cavtat old town

The 15th-century St Nicholas Church, complete with a Baroque interior, is one of the stars of Cavtat’s old town, whose Roman city origins and architecture from the Middle Ages make it a history buff’s dream day out. The Vlaho Bukovac Museum’s another must-visit here – it’s set inside the old stone house the painter used to live in. Another sight to tick off is the Renaissance-style Rector’s Palace, where you’ll find the Baltazar Bogisic curio collection – a huge exhibition of items including Roman pottery and tribal art.

Excursions from Cavtat to Dubrovnik

Cavtat’s spot – just a 30-minute drive or 40-minute boat trip from the fairy tale city of Dubrovnik – means there’s no better place to spend a day. Here, you can stroll along two kilometres of Medieval city walls, eye up Baroque architecture and the Gothic Renaissance Sponza Palace, or hit the shops in the pedestrianised Placa Stradun. If you fancy a break from the city, you can catch a boat to the nearby island of Lokrum. It’s home to free-roaming ‘Emperor of Mexico’ peacocks and a Benedictine monastery.