Cavtat by private boat from Dubrovnik.

What to see ashore on a Cavtat boat trip from Dubrovnik.

A Cavtat boat trip from Dubrovnik lands you in a town older than Dubrovnik itself. Cavtat stands on the site of the Greek and Roman settlement of Epidaurum, and refugees from it are traditionally said to have founded Dubrovnik in the 7th century. The name comes from the Latin Civitas Vetus, the old town. The town has two bays, Luka and Tiha, and the palm-lined promenade runs along the first.

• Račić Mausoleum: a white stone chapel by the sculptor Ivan Meštrović in the cemetery at the top of the peninsula, about ten minutes’ walk uphill from the harbour.
• Vlaho Bukovac House: the birthplace of Croatia’s best-known 19th-century painter, now a small museum a few streets back from the promenade.
• Franciscan monastery: the church of Our Lady of the Snow at the end of the harbour, with paintings from the old Dubrovnik school.

If you would rather walk than sightsee, a footpath runs around the wooded Rat peninsula, with flat rocks to swim from on the seaward side. The coves south of Cavtat are in our guide to quiet coves near Dubrovnik. The mausoleum and Bukovac House charge a small entry fee paid on site, and both keep shorter hours outside the summer season.

When to go.

The route runs inside sheltered water along the coast, so it is often still comfortable in spring and autumn when the open-sea routes to the islands are choppy. In July and August a morning start gives you the promenade before the midday heat.

Changing the route.

On a private boat the trip can run the other way: guests staying in Cavtat can board there and cruise north to see the Dubrovnik walls from the sea. You can also add the Konavle coast south of Cavtat for a longer look at the cliffs, or finish with lunch in town and travel back by road. Our Cavtat and Konavle day trip covers the countryside inland, and the boat transfer to Cavtat suits a one-way trip with luggage.

The calm water makes a small speedboat perfectly comfortable for this route, even for grandparents and young children. Prices are on request because they depend on the boat, group size and date; we send an itemised quote by email or WhatsApp.