Stunning coastal city is food heaven with beautiful Old Town and the cleanest sea water in Europe
PORT OF CALL Stunning coastal city is food heaven with beautiful Old Town and the cleanest sea water in Europe
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WITH terracotta-red rooftops tessellated more precisely than the most intricate of Tetris puzzles, the view of the walled city of Dubrovnik from leafy Srd mountain looks like something straight off a film set.
We're 412m above the Old Town – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and with the Adriatic Sea stretching out into the horizon, it's nothing short of picture-perfect.
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Take in the stunning views of Dubrovnik's Old Town
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Take a cable car up, up and away for the best view
We stop for a pricey Coke, £6, at the Panorama Restaurant, but it's worth every delicious sip to sit for an hour and watch the world go by, before getting the busy cable car back down.
Return trips cost £23 per person.
Catch of the day
In the port below, tiny fishing boats bulging with early morning catches of squid and John Dory can be seen racing the local tour boats to the best moorings in the harbour.
Nets full of fresh fish are then delivered to the plethora of restaurants in the Old Town.
Stylish Portun, close to the entrance to the city, is where my friend Caroline and I enjoy fish smothered in garlic, with local octopus salad and Istrian ravioli stuffed with prawns.
An oozing chocolate fondant finishes things off nicely.
Three courses cost £33 (Portun-dubrovnik.com).
Dubrovnik's charming cobbled streets, baroque churches and pretty squares date back to the 7th century, and arriving at the north gate of the city walls the next morning feels like walking straight into a fairy tale.
A boat trip to the island of Lokrum, just a 10-minute ride away and home to a natural salt-water swimming lake, wild peacocks, luscious shady botanical gardens and a Benedictine monastery built in 1023, proves a great day trip.
Tickets cost £26 per person (Lokrum.hr).
Martin Lewis warns about strict passport rule that could see you board your flight - only to get sent home on arrival
Later, we find Aroma, home to Dubrovnik's best gelato – and the long queues prove it.
Luckily, a cup of salted pistachio ice cream, £5, is worth the wait.
Settling down for the evening in bustling Gundulic Square, we tuck into tasty margherita pizza, £11, and a bottle of crisp white Graševina wine, £41.50, at charming Pizzeria Castro.
Here, locals on the next table insist we watch the sunset from Buza Bar, a unique tiny cliffside place to the west of the city walls, accessed via a narrow hole in the wall (Bbuza.com).
Sitting on the whitewashed veranda, we watch local teens diving into the crystal-clear waters below from rocks on either side of us as we sip local wine from tins, £6, before wandering back to our beds.
Room with a view
Built into a cliffside to the north of the Old Town, the five-star Rixos Premium Dubrovnik is a 20-minute walk from the city walls, and our sea-view room comes with a Jacuzzi bath and walk-in wardrobe.
The buffet breakfast is a feast, too – don't miss the local sheep's cheese counter.
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A corner bedroom at the Rixos Premium Dubrovnik
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Spot pretty peacocks on Lokrum island
Croatia has the cleanest sea water in Europe and snorkelling the next morning off the hotel deck, below the main sunbathing platform, we catch glimpses of octopus and crabs.
We celebrate our finds with a pint of local Ozujsko lager from the pool bar, £6, and a grilled shrimp Caesar salad, £27, before walking along the pebbled shore of Sunset Beach at dusk.
Come evening, a duo of violinists serenade us as a full moon lights up the bay.
It's just as magical as the moment we arrived.
FYI
Double rooms at Rixos Premium Dubrovnik cost from £286 a night (Rixos.com).
UK flights to Dubrovnik cost from £56 return.
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