Dubrovnik vs Dalmatian Coast – Where To Stay

Can’t decide which slice of Croatia will float your boat? We pit Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian Coast against each other in a Croatian north-versus-south battle… Whether you’re after a culture-filled city break or a veg-out-by-the-beach kind of trip, you’ll be catered for wherever you up in Croatia. 

Tempted? Check out our Croatia holiday deals. 

The big city 

Dubrovnik 

No prizes for guessing that the main hotspot down here is Dubrovnik itself, AKA the Pearl of the Adriatic. UNESCO gave this place a World Heritage listing 35 years ago and your Instagram posts will show why. It’s looped by chunky stone walls and criss-crossed with marble streets lined with fortresses and palaces. And its terracotta roofs have graced a thousand postcards, not to mention social feeds. 

Dalmatian Coast 

Up on the Dalmatian Coast, Split takes the title as the sightseeing must-do. UNESCO has also given this place its seal of approval, thanks to the Romanesque churches, Gothic and Renaissance palaces, and a cathedral that goes back to the Middle Ages. The city’s crowning glory, though, is Diocletian’s Palace – a huge 3rd-century complex that now hides cafés and restaurants in its ancient walls. 

The beach town 

Dubrovnik 

Cavtat is around 20 minutes’ drive from the city of Dubrovnik. You’ve got a handful of white-pebble coves here, plus sunbathing platforms where you can dive straight into the warm, clear waters of the Adriatic. The town fills a hilly headland, with twisting lanes snaking up the slope and a pair of harbours on either side. Once you’ve had enough of sunbathing, trace the wildflower-edged path from the northern harbour to the southern one, where you’ll find a pretty church and pavement cafés overlooking the water. 

Dalmatian Coast 

Sandwiched between the Adriatic and the Biokovo Mountains, Tucepi is a textbook Croatian seaside town. Although there are a handful of churches and Baroque villas to see, everything here tends to happen around the beach – a four-kilometre stretch of smooth pebbles. There are loads of spots to grab some lunch or a cheeky cocktail along the prom, so you can make the most of being by the Croatian waters. 

The all-important island 

Dubrovnik 

Pocked-sized Lokrum is a hop, skip and a 15-minute ferry ride from the old town harbour. It’s a peaceful little spot, with a 15th-century monastery, a botanical garden filled with preening peacocks and a skirt of pebbly coves. There are some real Hollywood connections, too – the island starred as the ancient port of Qarth in that little-known fantasy drama, Game of Thrones. 

Dalmatian Coast 

Although it’s one of Croatia’s bigger islands, Brac still has a sleepy feel. Inland, it’s all hilly countryside and teeny villages, while the coast is decorated with pine-backed bays and coves. The headline act is Zlatni Rat Beach – its white pebbles and bright blue waters have provided more than a few backdrops for holiday selfies.  

Tempted? Have a look at our holidays to Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian Coast. 

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Author: Laura Weeden and Becky Wells

Last updated: 28.11.2023