Alternatives to Dubrovnik on the Croatian Coast
Walled coastal towns with fewer cruise ships
Šibenik
Šibenik wasn't designed for tourists, which is exactly why it works for them. The Cathedral of St James was built without mortar in the 15th century. Four Venetian fortresses, all restored in the last decade, ring the city. The old streets are alleyways, not tourist drags, and at night the locals fill the small bars.
Trogir
Trogir is on a small island between the mainland and Čiovo, ten minutes from Split airport. The cathedral has the Radovan portal, one of the great Romanesque sculpture programmes in Europe. The whole old town is walkable in 20 minutes and is UNESCO listed.
Zadar
Zadar has a Roman forum in the middle of the old town, a sea organ that plays the Adriatic itself, and the so-called Greeting to the Sun light installation on the harbour. Sunset here was called the world's most beautiful by a famous filmmaker, and it lives up to it on a clear evening.
Should you still go to Dubrovnik
If you've never been, do half a day, early, ideally outside July and August. The walls walk is genuinely worth doing. Then leave for one of the towns above. You'll get the same Adriatic atmosphere without sharing a 2-metre alley with 200 cruise passengers.
Suggested itinerary
- Days 1 to 3: Zadar, with a Kornati boat day.
- Days 4 to 6: Šibenik with a Krka National Park day.
- Days 7 to 8: Trogir, with beach time at Čiovo.
Local highlights
- Šibenik's four restored fortresses
- Trogir's Romanesque cathedral
- Zadar's sea organ at sunset
- Krka waterfalls day trip from Šibenik
- Pasman and Ugljan islands from Zadar
Nearby destinations
Other places worth combining with this trip: Krka, Kornati, Primošten, Split.
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