Exploring Croatia: Day 2 in Dubrovnik

After immersing myself in Dubrovnik’s history, unwinding by the sea at Lapad, and exploring its nightlife, I set out on Day 2 with an adventurous plan. But as travel often reminds us, even the best-laid plans can take unexpected turns.

Kayaking the Adriatic

Inside Betina Cave

All throughout that day you will see groups of tourists of all ages in their groups and life vests setting out to explore the hidden depths and coves of the city.

Kayaking out of Dubrovnik's Old Harbour is that kind of thing where you get to view the city in a whole different perspective. Instead of looking up at the famous walls from the streets, you're now on the Adriatic, paddling under them with sea spray in your face.

Most tours head out to Lokrum Island, circling its rocky coastline and stopping at tiny hidden coves en route. The highlight for me was driving into Betina Cave Beach; a little cove accessible only by sea. It's the sort of place that makes you wonder how on earth you've discovered something that seems so hidden.

The tours are beginner-friendly, usually lasting about three hours, and the guides blend historical and mythical stories of Dubrovnik with plenty of time for swimming and snorkelling.

Take it in the evening, and the payoff is huge with the Old Town's orange glow in the background as you float on the water. Truly one of those experiences where the experience and view intertwine so beautifully.

I chose the X-Adventure Half Day tour which lasted 3 hours, kayaking hte perimiter of Lokrum and stopping off for snornkelling and cave diving (both totally optional) at Betina Cave. The price for this was €40 but the prices differ year round.

Slightly regretting my decision to Kayak but the views were 10/10

X- Adventure Tour Review

Previous kayaking experience wise- I had never kayaked before, but I was intrigued by the idea of it. Chloe had, she told me she loved it and was pretty good at doing so. Sold!

This was my first mistake.

Being a 5'2 teeny tiny twenty-one-year-old girl, my kayaking powers were minimal, if even there. Never have I had a task make me feel so weak and useless!

The kayak barely moved when I rowed, my arms were burning within 10 minutes, our kayak became a one woman effort for Chloe, despite trying my best to be useful. The group was so far ahead of us, we missed all stories of history and tales of the seas from our guide.

To power through the pain (hopefully unbeknownst to the rest of the group) Chloe and I began to recite our favourite musical numbers from Hamilton. Sailing very slowly around Lokrum Island, anyone in ear-shot would've heard our painful renditions of the likes of 'Satisfied', "Say No to This" and "Wait for It".

Dinner and Drinks

After our day of exploring, and getting defeated by a kayak, we stepped through the Old Town for some ice-cream (I became obsessed with their cheesecake flavour found at most parlours) and a wander before heading back to get ready for dinner. Take extra care to observe the street artists who paint different renditions of the Old Town, I wish I had brought some but I decided against it. However they would make a perfect souvenir for yourself or a loved one.

For dinner, we ate at Bura Bistro & Bar. It is one of those places that feels both stylish and relaxed at the same time- just the vibe we were searching for. It’s set just outside the Old Town near Pile Gate, with a modern, open design that makes it easy to slip into holiday mode. The menu balances Mediterranean staples with a fresh twist being plenty of seafood, light bites, and a few heartier dishes if you’re hungrier.

The atmosphere was casual but lively, with great cocktails that make it just as much a spot for a late afternoon drink as for a sit-down meal.

The only faults I found with Bura Bistro were their small portion sizes for the meals we chose, and the small glass of wine I was served for what would've been the price of a large in London. But the classy atmosphere made up for the lack of sustenance in the main meals; as well as the AMAZING orange cheesecake which made mine and Chloe's whole day worth it.

After dinner, being sure to avoid Club Revelin we strolled The Stradun to find a bar with a better atmosphere.

We stumbled upon MILK which was -to our joy- an LGBT bar! If you know anything about nights out, the queer ones usually tend the be the best, with the least judgemental vibes and the most friendly people. Nevertheless, it seemed to slip my mind we were in Croatia and not Soho, so the only thing queer in this space was the people there.

DJ playing NO queer tunes or bangers, I do expect most staff in these spaces to also be queer but from a quick scan around it became clear the queerness of this space was more for marketing to a niche audience rather than being a safe space. But who am I to judge? Maybe MILK is as good as it gets for the Croatian queer scene. However the vibes were not there and most attendees looked bored- hence we stayed here for one pretty decent €16 cocktail and left.

These are some takes from our photoshoot on our digital cameras before we left to go out for the night, enjoy!

two girls one in black one in white selfie