Our ship docked early in the morning at Dubrovnik, Croatia, often called the “Pearl of the Adriatic.” Dubrovnik is best known for its remarkably preserved medieval Old City, surrounded by massive stone walls overlooking the Adriatic Sea. For centuries, the city prospered as an important maritime trading center, and much of its historic architecture remains today.
The Old City did not escape the conflicts of the 20th century entirely. Dubrovnik was shelled during the Croatian War of Independence in 1991, damaging many historic buildings. Since then, extensive restoration efforts have helped preserve the beautiful walled city that attracts visitors from around the world today.
We were up and off the ship bright and early. From the cruise port, we grabbed a taxi for the 15-minute ride to the Old City, where we joined a free walking tour.
For anyone unfamiliar with the concept, a free walking tour doesn’t have a set ticket price or required fee. Instead, you join the tour and, at the end, tip the guide based on what you thought the experience was worth and what you’re comfortable paying. We’ve found these tours to be a great way to explore a new city while learning from a local guide.
Our guide grew up in Dubrovnik but had attended school in California, so his English was excellent. He had also studied history, making him the perfect person to lead us through the narrow streets while sharing stories about Dubrovnik and the surrounding region.
During our tour, we learned about the powerful aristocratic merchant families that controlled the city, the damage Dubrovnik suffered during the Croatian War of Independence and how the city recovered in the decades that followed. Tourism, particularly from cruise ships, became an important part of that recovery. That strategy has worked almost too well. Dubrovnik has become so popular that the city has taken steps to manage overtourism, including limiting the number of cruise ships and passengers visiting at one time.
Even with those efforts, the Old City was packed with people and very warm. Despite the crowds and heat, we thoroughly enjoyed our two-hour walking tour through this remarkably preserved walled city.
One of Dubrovnik’s most popular activities is walking along the top of the ancient city walls, which offers spectacular views over the rooftops and Adriatic Sea. We seriously considered it, but at 40 euros per person (a price set to also help manage the number of tourists), combined with the blazing afternoon sun, we decided there might be a better option.
Instead, we headed upward… without all the walking.
We boarded the Dubrovnik Cable Car for the short ride up Mount Srđ, directly behind the Old City. The trip took only a few minutes, but the views from the top were spectacular. Looking down over Dubrovnik’s yellow and orange rooftops (yes, the original roofs were yellow) surrounded by the brilliant blue Adriatic Sea was easily one of the highlights of the day.
After taking some photos and enjoying the welcome breeze, we enjoyed having lunch at a restaurant overlooking the city.
Eventually, we rode the cable car back down and spent some more time wandering through the Old City, browsing souvenir shops and admiring the architecture. We all commented that parts of Dubrovnik almost felt Disney-like, with its massive walls surrounding a compact city filled with beautiful old buildings, narrow streets, and remarkably well-kept public spaces.
By this point, we were hot and tired, but we were determined to make the most of our day in port. So naturally, we decided to walk another 10 minutes to the beach.
Greg and Malik wisely found some shade while Karen, Kelsey, and Lindsey changed into swimsuits and headed toward the Adriatic. We had read that Dubrovnik’s beaches were rocky, but everyone pictured something like small pebbles mixed into the sand.
We were very wrong.
There really wasn’t any sand. Instead, our little “beach” was covered with rocks roughly four to six inches across. As soon as Karen, Kelsey, and Lindsey took off their shoes, getting into the water became an unexpectedly painful adventure.
Once they finally made it in, however, they agreed it was worth it. The Adriatic was warm, crystal clear, and an absolutely gorgeous shade of blue.
Of course, eventually they had to get back out.
OUCH!
Their painfully slow journey across the rocks provided plenty of entertainment for the locals, as well as Greg and Malik watching safely from the shade. Karen and Lindsey gingerly picked their way back toward their shoes, while Kelsey eventually abandoned all hope of walking gracefully and resorted to crawling on her hands and knees.
At least everyone watching got a good show.
Despite the painful entrance and exit, the ladies were very happy they had gone swimming in the Adriatic. It was definitely an experience they will remember, although next time we will bring water shoes!
We grabbed another taxi back to the Celebrity Ascent, where we had time to shower, cool down, and enjoy a drink before dinner. That evening, we tried Cyprus, the ship’s Mediterranean-inspired complimentary restaurant. It wasn’t our favorite of the four restaurants we’ve tried, but one of the things we’ve enjoyed about the ship is having so many different dining options.
That night’s entertainment was a British singer in the theater, followed by an ABBA sing-along in one of the lounges. After a full day of walking, sightseeing, swimming, and singing, we had no trouble falling asleep.
But before everyone headed to bed, Karen and Kelsey had one more job to do. Tomorrow would be Lindsey’s birthday, so they secretly decorated the outside of her cabin door to get the celebration started.
Next stop: Split, Croatia, and a very special birthday!
Hammond Adventures 