Cavtat Holidays 2024/2025
Cavtat and its peninsula are located in the Dalmatian region in the southern-most part of the Croatian coast. It’s one of the most beautiful areas in Croatia and home to luxury hotels that offer indulgent getaways. This stunning location boasts elegant tree-lined promenades, smart waterfront boutiques and restaurants.
Cavtat Holiday Deals
Unrivalled beauty
A sloping hillside adorned with pine forests and olive groves lines the waterfront. It’s beautifully interspersed with luxury mansions, old churches, country paths and narrow, winding streets clad with white, purple and pink blossoms. And you know you’ve picked the right spot when celebs such as Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich and Jon Bon Jovi visit here on their yachting holidays to Croatia.
Along the harbour front sits a fabulous eight-kilometre promenade. Take leisurely walks to discover the many boutiques, where elegant restaurants sit beside casual cafes. Then you can take a break from the searing Mediterranean heat and find a shady spot in one of the cafes.
The light is stunning here, so it’s no surprise Vaho Bukovac loved to paint panoramic scenes of the area. You’ll also find many markets are held here including a popular fruit and vegetable market by the bus station.
Sunbathing areas and nearby excursions
Accommodation is scattered around the hills and near the marina and Tiha Cove. Many hotels offer sunbathing platforms and some even have access to their own stretches of shingle beach. When it comes to sunbathing, there are concrete bathing platforms dotted around the peninsula.
The clear blue waters are great for snorkelling, while there are a plethora of other watersports you can try your hand at. There are a few pebble beaches in the area, but if you’re after the feel of sand between your toes, head to lovely Zal, just a short 20-minute walk away. Mlini – a fishing village with lovely beach areas – is also just a short journey away.
A history that goes back to the Greeks and Romans
Originally a Greek settlement from the 4th century BCE called Epidaurus, this Adriatic location has a long history. Today, many Cavtat holidays are filled with attractions that will give you a sense of its standing in society.
Appearing a bit more Venetian than Croatian is the stunning Rector’s Palace boasting impressive Renaissance archways as well as gothic and baroque architecture. Its many facets are a result of damage and reconstruction over many years. This beautiful palace is now home to an art gallery, artefacts, costumes and ethnographic objects. There’s also a library with some 200,000 books collected by Baltazar Bogisic, a well-known lawyer and writer from the 19th century.
Just next door, in the centre of town overlooking Luka Bay, sits St Nicholas Church. It’s a small building that houses unusual wooden altars and art from famous painters such as Italian Benedetto Genarri and Carmelo Reggi, as well as Croatian artist Vlaho Bukovac. On the western peninsula you’ll also discover a Gothic-renaissance Franciscan monastery and a church with a bell tower.
Vaho Bukovac House is another popular attraction. The Croatian artist converted this property into an art studio late in his life, having already lived in New York and Paris. It’s now a public atelier museum where workshops are available. Another must before you leave is Racic Mausoleum, a grandiose mausoleum and vault of the Racic family, designed by famous Croatian sculpture Ivan Mestrovic.
Boat trips to stunning locations
Half day and full day boat excursions are available to the gorgeous Dalmatian Islands including Hvar, and to stunning Montenegro and Dubrovnik. These areas have long been a magnet for kings and queens as well as more recently for A-list stars like Kevin Spacey and Tom Cruise.