Family travel to Croatia with kids – Korcula to Dubrovnik – the adventure continues here…

Last I left off on my first post, we were headed by ferry from Split to the island of Korcula.  Korcula is a beautiful island on the Adriatic sea with a fortified city center. We chose it because it’s a sleepier town than party-central Hvar next door.  Known for it’s beaches, olive groves and vineyards, we were excited to explore.  The Airbnb home that we rented was the splurge of the vacation and absolutely stunning.  Built in the 1400s and impeccably renovated, the 5 story property was up for sale when we visited.  We couldn’t help but fantasize what it would be like to own it (photos from airbnb)

We spent our first day wandering around the old town, eating amazing food, drinking their famous Grk wine, finding treasures in the sand, and meeting new friends.  We rounded out the evening with what I had read in the guidebooks as something not to miss, the traditional Moreska Sword Dance.  I truly hate to sway anyone away from something that has a ton of history and skill involved, but the general consensus in our group was that it was lackluster.  Maybe it was an off night.

Tracing Marco Polo’s exploration route (it is said he was born here),  enjoying the local humor, and breakfast in our medieval stone kitchen…

Views from our home.

The following morning we hopped on a bus to the Lumbarda area in search of a beach to spend the day (the “beach” in the town center isn’t much of anything.) Here we spent the entire afternoon in the water.  How could we not?  Look at the color of that ocean!

Walking back to the bus stop, we journeyed through a vineyard.  Next time we visit we will definitely explore the wine country in more detail as we heard from fellow travelers that there are some great wine tours and tasting dinners at the local farms.

Before we knew it, our overnight trip to Korcula had come to a close.  It was time to hop back on board the ferry to our final destination in Croatia – Dubrovnik.

And boy it was HOT.

Thankfully, the sea was just steps away from our Airbnb rental.  This brought new meaning to a “room with a view” for us.  At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I cannot speak highly enough about the value we got from staying in these amazing homes over staying in a small hotel room for the same price. If you haven’t used Airbnb before, you can click through this link to save $40 on your first trip (and i’ll get $20 off my next, thank you!)

We learned very quickly that, unlike the rest of our destinations within Croatia, tourists have caught on to Dubrovnik and its beauty in a big way.  My advice is to avoid the crowds at all costs.  We spent the first day lounging around the beach by our rental and saved the city center for the evenings after the cruise ships left.  I heard nightmare stories from other travelers about the crazy long lines to walk the walls midday (in the blazing sun).  Don’t do it.  Instead, wait until just before sunset and you will be able to savor the views with no wait, cooler temps, and room to enjoy.

Taking the same advice for Day 2, we jetted away from Dubrovnik and took a short boat ride to the island of Lokrum where we would spend the day while the cruise ships were in port.  Lokrum was beautiful – full of swimming holes and nature trails as well as a lovely outdoor cafe, a (free!) Game of Thrones museum and flocks of wild peacocks.

Come late afternoon, it was safe to come back to Dubrovnik and enjoy what the city had to offer.  The cobblestone streets are beautiful, with shops, bars and restaurants in every alleyway.  We wrapped up our evening (and our vacation) with a cable car ride to take in the stunning views from a different vantage point.  As we stood there, reflecting on our travels, there was no doubt in our minds that we will come again.  Croatia left a mark on our hearts to be treasured forever.

Family travel to Croatia with kids – Korcula to Dubrovnik is part two of a travel series chronicling family vacationing in Croatia. Kami Friday is a NH-based lifestyle and portrait photographer specializing in the photography of families, children, newborns, maternity, and high school seniors.  A lover of traveling light and not being chained to a heavy camera while on vacation, the images posted are a combination of those shot with an iPhone 6 and a Fuji Xpro2.