SOUTH DALMATIA is the smallest and the most southern part of Croatia. This region does not have a natural backdrop like the rest of Dalmatia. Its backdrop is the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina which also has access to the sea by way of the town of Neum and their coastline is 9 km long. South Dalmatia includes the area south of the Neretva river, the Peljesac peninsula and Dubrovnik which borders with Montenegro in the inlet of Boka Kotorska.
Dubrovnik - the city of a unique political and cultural history (the Dubrovnik Republic, the Statute from 1272), of world-famous cultural heritage and beauty (inscribed on the List of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO) - is one of the most attractive and famous cities of the Mediterranean. Apart from its outstanding natural beauties and well-preserved cultural and historical heritage, Dubrovnik also offers high-quality visitor opportunities. It is also the city of hotels, of high ecological standards and tourist programs, and is equally attractive in all seasons. Its geographical isolation is compensated by high traffic and communication standards - especially through air traffic and fast hydrofoil boats. Dubrovnik is one of the most visited cities on the Adriatic Coast. The Old Town of Dubrovnik is surrounded by a monumental wall which is 1.940 m long and 25 m high. The oldest and most well-known street within the old town is Stradun.
Cavtat - is a town and port in the southern part of the Zupa Bay, 20 km southeast of Dubrovnik. Major tourist attractions include a very pleasant climate, luxuriant vegetation and nice shores. Economy is based on tourism, while chief occupations in the surroundings of Cavtat include farming and fishing. The port is enclosed by two peninsulas: the south-western Sustjepan separates it from the channel, which is enclosed by the Cavtat reefs of Bobara and Mrkan. East of the Rat peninsula is the Tiha bay. Accommodation and catering facilities are located in the background of the town port and the Tiha cove. Nice beaches stretch all the way to Cape Prahljevac. Cavtat is located on the main road (M2, E65). It is very well connected with major Croatian cities through Dubrovnik and Cilipi Airport, while local communications with the surroundings include ship and bus lines.
Cavtat Panorama
Orasac - is a village in the Dubrovnik littoral, at the foot of Vracevo Brdo (Sorcerer's Hill) (442 m) and Golo Brdo (Bare Hill) (298 m), which protect the village from the cold northerly winds, 20 km northwest of Dubrovnik. A nice beach, beautiful sea and age-old olive-groves make the picturesque village of Orasac an attractive tourist destination. Below it, at the edge of high cliffs, are the remains of a monumental castle.
Slano - is a village and small harbour in the bay of the same name; 37,5 km northwest of Dubrovnik. Farming, olive-growing, viniculture, fruit-growing, tobacco, herbs (sage, laurel, woodworm), fishing and tourism are chief occupations. Slano lies on the main road (M2, E65). Yachts can anchor in the small protected Banja cove. Anchoring-ground for larger yachts lies off the entrance in the cove, to the southwest of Cape Gornji. The area of Slano was populated already in the prehistoric period (ruins of a hill-fort and tumuli on the nearby hills) and in the ancient times (a Roman castrum on the hill Gradina; early Christian sarcophagi, today exhibited in front of the Franciscan church). In 1399 Slano fell under the rule of the Dubrovnik Republic; once the duke's seat (duke's palace, reconstructed at the end of the 19th c.). The summer villa of the Ohmucevic family is situated in the vicinity. The present Franciscan church was built in the 16th century; the main altar is adorned with a polyptych by Lovro Dobricevic. The parish church of St. Blaise from 1407 was reconstructed in the Baroque period. - The churches of the Annunciation and of St. Peter, both dating back to the 13th century, are located in Banja.
Mlini - is a small harbour on the northern coast of the Zupa Bay, 11 km southeast of Dubrovnik. The brooks and streams which flow from the nearby sources were once used for water mills; today, the natural fall of waters is used for a small hydro-electric power plant. The upper part of the hamlet (Trgoviste) lies along the main road. In the vicinity of the beach are the parish church of St. Hilarius from 1449 and the chapel of St. Roch (Rocco). Close to the church, on the way toward Cavtat, are the remains of Roman structures. In the western part of the village is the Stay summer mansion with the boat storage ("orsan"). A picturesque landscape, nice sand beaches, water sources and a small distance to Dubrovnik are major assets of the local tourism.
The lovely and peaceful Sipan Island
The Elaphite islands - lie just northwest of Dubrovnik and are part of the Dubrovnik archipelago. The Elafiti (greek for: stag islands) are closely tied to Dubrovnik and its history. They stretch in the direction of the so-called Dinaric Trench (northwest - southeast). The old historical name was first used by Pliny the Elder (1st c.) in his work Historia Naturalis, III, 152. The Greek name (elafos: deer) indicates that such game could have been found on the islands. The group comprises the following islands: Jakljan, Sipan, Ruda, Lopud, Kolocep and Daksa (some also include Lokrum), as well as several smaller islands - Olipa, Tajan, Crkvine and Sveti Andrija (St. Andrew).
Island Mljet - an island in the southern Dalmatian archipelago, south of the Peljesac Peninsula, separated from it by the Mljet channel; area 100,4 sq km; population 1.237. The island of Mljet is one of the islands with the most vegetation and one third of the island was declared as the National Park of Mljet . It was declared a national park because of its exceptional natural beauty, richness in fauna and flora, beaches, fishing grounds. The climate is Mediterranean; an average air temperature in January is 8,7 °C and in July 24 °C; the average annual rainfall is 1.000-1.500 mm; the annual insolation is 2.580 hours. Forests account for 72 % of the total island area; nice pine forests are best preserved on its north-western side. Major places (Babino Polje, Prozura, Maranovici, Korita, Blato, Ropa, Govedari) lie in the interior, along cultivated fields; the closest coves on the northern coast are used as harbours. Economy is based on farming, viticulture, production of wine, olive growing, cultivation of medicinal herbs, fishing and tourism. The regional road runs throughout the island. Mljet has ferry lines with Peljesac and Dubrovnik.
The Peljesac Peninsula
The Peljesac Peninsula - The Peljesac peninsula, along with Istria, is the largest peninsula on the Adriatic coast. It is positioned on the south of Croatia, in the immediate neighbourhood of Dubrovnik. Peljesac makes one administrative unit with Dubrovnik since the time of the Dubrovnik Republic (Ragusa). By geographic and natural characteristics, it is similar to the Dalmatian islands in the region - Hvar and Korcula, but the fact that it is connected to the mainland, gives it better travel possibilities, and better connection with Dubrovnik and other cities. The peninsula is 65 km long and its western part, called Peljesac Riviera, is very close to the island of Korcula. It is almost part of Korcula tourism. Facing the city of Korcula the Peljesac hills rise steeply to the highest peak of Saint Ilija, at 961 m altitude. This imposing mountain dominates the Channel, and under it lies three old picturesque settlements. Korcula was under the rule of Venice for almost 800 years, and Peljesac belonged to the Dubrovnik Republic. However, links between the two were always lively, and today a car ferry plies between Korcula and Orebic. From Orebic the Peljesac road leads partly down the south shore, partly down the north shore, partly down the middle of the peninsula to the small town of Ston on the strait of the same name. From there the Adriatic Road leads east to Dubrovnik, west to Ploce, Makarska and Split. The larger towns on the peninsula are Orebic, Trpanj, Ston and Kuciste.
Ston - is a town and harbor in southern Dalmatia, on the extreme northwest of the Ston Channel and the isthmus of the same name connecting the Peljesac Peninsula with the mainland, 59 km northwest of Dubrovnik. Chief occupations include farming, viniculture, olive growing, synthetic material processing, fishing, oyster farming and tourism. The restaurants offer domestic cuisine, especially oysters, as well as other seafood dishes. Ston is also known for its salt works, and the coast along the Channel and in the Prapratna cove provides fine swimming, fishing and underwater fishing opportunities.
Orebic - is a small town on the southern coast of the Peljesac Peninsula. An average air temperature in January is 9,1 °C and in July 26,5 °C. The surroundings is characterized by luxuriant Mediterranean vegetation. Economy is based on farming, fruit growing, fishing and tourism. Among the beaches, the most interesting is the cove of Trstenica. Orebic has ferry lines with Korcula. It is located on the regional road running along the peninsula. Today, Orebic is an important tourist resort, offering various accommodation facilities (hotels, apartments), long sand beaches, numerous small coves and clear seawater, as well as sports and recreational facilities and opportunities (tennis courts, football; yachting, windsurfing), outstanding gastronomic offer - especially seafood and famous Peljesac wines (Dingac, Postup) - and pleasant walks in the surroundings. The cemetery near the church of Our Lady of Karmen above Orebic, the final resting place of Peljesac-born captains, offers a beautiful view on the island and the town of Korcula, as well as on numerous islets in the Pelje-sac Channel. Below the Franciscan monastery and the church is a forest of cypress, protected as a -forest park. The ships passing through the Peljesac Channel sound their sirens to greet the church of their patron saint and the resting place of deceased captains, and are replied by sounding of the monastery bells.
Kuciste - is situated on the road to Loviste, 6 km from Orebic. This wonderful calm village with the maritime tradition has a beautiful Baroque church of Holy Trinity from 1752 - the work of the local builders - and the house of the trading family Lazarovic and also attractive captains houses. The picturesque small shelters for boats - "vlake" - will also attract the attention of the visitor. Older villages Zukovac and Bilopolje are above Kuciste. The road along the seaside leads further to Viganj, from which Kuciste is separated by Liberan - the small promontory with white pebble beach, which, under the strokes of south and west winds, twists, changes its shape and returns to its previous state again.
Trpanj - is a town and harbour on the northern coast of the Peljesac Peninsula, 11 km northeast of Orebic. Mild climate; the average air temperature in January attains 7 °C and in July 26 °C. Chief occupations include farming, fishing and fish processing. Trpanj is situated on the regional road passing along the peninsula; linked by ferry with Ploce. Yachts can berth along the embankment. Various accommodation opportunities (hotels, boarding houses, apartments), domestic food (fish and wine), sports and recreation facilities and intact nature of the island's interior famous for its quality wines attracts many regular guests. Trpanj is also known for medicinal mud.
Island Korcula
Island Korcula - is an island in the central Dalmatian archipelago; area 279,03 sq km (length 46,8 km, width 5,3 -7,8 km); population 17.038; the coast is rather indented. The highest peaks are Klupca (568 m) and Kom (510 m). The climate is mild; an average air temperature in January is 9,8 °C (in the town of Korcula) and in July 26,9 °C; the average annual rainfall is 1.100 mm; the annual insolation reaches 2.671 hours (Vela Luka). The island is largely covered with the Mediterranean flora; at some places are pine forests. The economy is based on farming, viticulture, fruit growing, fishing and fish processing, shipbuilding, processing of synthetic materials and tourism. Summer tourism has a long tradition on the island; while nautical tourism has been recently developed. Major places on the coast are Korcula, Lumbarda, Vela Luka, Raciste, and in the interior Blato, Zrnovo, Smokvica, Cara and Pupnat. The regional road connects major places on the island. Ferry lines connect the island of Korcula with the mainland.
Korcula Town - is the main town on the island, with a population of about 3.000 inhabitants. With it's numerous buildings and monuments, cafes, hotels, restaurants , galleries, cinema etc., Korcula is very popular for visitors as a central location from which they can explore the rest of the island. It is a administrative center of the area too. The town of Korcula whcih is also the historical centre of the island, has a very nice location in the Peljesac Channel. It is also known for its outstanding cultural and historical heritage and a long tradition in seafaring, shipbuilding and stone-masonry. It is the birthplace of the adventurer and traveller Marco Polo. Today Korcula is an important tourist centre. Tourism has a years-long tradition on the island. The first modern hotel, Korcula, was opened in 1912, in a building erected in 1871. Hotel guests have been enjoying the sunset at the hotel terrace for decades, which is a unique experience in the early summer.
Vela Luka - is situated on the island of Korcula which belongs to the group of the middle Dalmatian islands. The island has a surface area of 276 km2 and it is the sixth biggest island in the Adriatic. It is divided from the peninsula Peljesac by a narrow channel and it was of great importance to the maritime powers. Because of its importance, its masters changed often: the Hellens, the Romans, the Venetians, the British, the Russians and the Italians. The town developed at the beginning of the 19th century in a deep sheltered bay with tranquil inlets and tiny islets.The major part of the town spreads over the slopes of Pinski rat (150 m) and the mildly descending plateau between the Rat and Humic elevation (183 m). The surrounding hills protect it from the northerly and southerly winds. The climate is typically Mediterranean.
Lumbarda - is a village and harbor in the easternmost part of the island of Korcula, between the coves of Przina and Bili Zal, 6 km southeast of the town of Korcula. Economy is based on farming, fishing, processing of stone and tourism .A picturesque place in the easternmost part of the island of Korcula, with typical family houses (citadels), nice sand beaches and numerous islets and coves, has a long tradition in adventurous "Robinson-style" tourism. Apart from quality accommodation facilities and sports and recreational opportunities, another major attractive characteristics is the beautiful natural environment of Lumbarda. From its very centre, the way leads through an alley of mulberry-trees to beautiful vineyards on fine reddish sandy soil. Such sand is an ideal type of soil for the cultivation of vines. Lumbarda is the cradle of Grk, a sort of vine which some experts consider the autochthonous Dalmatian.
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