Budget Beach Breaks in Dubrovnik
The City in South Croatia has all the Ingredients for Great Getaways
The medieval fortified town of Dubrovnik lies at the southern trip of Croatia surrounded by scenic beaches and the Adriatic coast. With ferries and buses bringing in travelers daily, this small and picturesque city is transformed into a surprisingly lively resort, making it a fun and affordable place to spend a few days of the long university holidays!
Dubrovnik Hostels
Budget accommodation is particularly easy to find in Croatia as, on top of dorm beds in traditional backpackers’ hostels, cheap stays can also be found in private guesthouses and B&Bs called sobe. Rooms in Dubrovnik are cheaper outside the Old Town but, as the city is relatively compact, everywhere is easily accessed on foot.
The Beaches
With hot weather throughout spring and summer, the sandy beaches and clear water of the Dalmatian Coast, Dubrovnik is a great sunbathing destination.
The main beach can be found just to the east of the city walls. Although it can become noisy and crowded in summer months, bars and cafés along the edge of the sand make it the most fun stretch to spend the sunny hours of the day.
To find a spot away from the crowds -and for the peace to recover from a heavy night out – you can take a ten minute boat ride from the city jetty to the secluded island of Lokrum which is home only to a great many pine trees and another monastery (this one Benedictine).
Further out lies Lopud, a larger, bustling island with shops and restaurants along the harbor. With no traffic on the island, though, it retains an enjoyably laid-back feel. On the opposite side to the harbor is the horseshoe beach of Sunj – a paradise of palm trees and white sand which is one of the best coastlines in Croatia.
Eating and Drinking
The morning fruit and vegetable market at Gunduliceva poljana has cheap fresh ingredients but if you’ve had enough of cooking all term there are still some value-for-money eateries even with the tourist influx.
Kamenice (just off Gunduliceva poljana) has exciting al fresco seafood for reasonable prices and the homesick undergraduate can find slices at Pizzeria Oliva on Lucarica which are, thanks to Dubrovnik’s historic Italian roots, pretty awesome quality.
British students missing their endless cups of tea will be happy to discover that Croatians are also big fans of caj (tea) and it can be found in almost any café in the city served in large glass cups without milk.
Dubrovnik at Night
The Latin Club Fuego on Street Brsalje (just outside the Pile Gate) is the biggest nightclub in Dubrovnik and has lots to offer student travelers looking for an evening out. Open until 4am, it’s free to enter before 11pm and has monstrously-sized cocktails on special offer during happy hour. With a predominately young crowd hailing from all over Europe, and British tunes popular with the DJs, it’s a pleasant imitation of student unions across the UK.
In the same way, the Irish Pub Karaka on Izmedu Polaca will make British visitors feel at home. But, despite the cliché of an Irish-themed venue abroad, it’s actually a decent place to meet other backpackers and chat with friendly locals.
The more authentic nighttime scene, however, revolves around a pavement café culture similar to other European cities. With the sheltered squares and narrow streets of the Old Town even more crowded and popular in the evening, the city becomes loud and vibrant.
Most cafés and bars sell local pivo (beer) and vino (wine) at student-friendly prices -yet they tend to be of much better quality than low-cost English drinks! The cheapest place to drink in the Old Town is Café Bar Rio, to the left of the Pile Gate.
