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7 Days: Cycling in Southern Croatia – Dalmatian Islands, Dubrovnik and Ston

Cycling in Southern Croatia

7 Days: Cycling in Southern Croatia – Dalmatian Islands, Dubrovnik and Ston

 

If you would like to do cycling in Croatia and explore hidden gems, enjoy sea views, swim in the Adriatic, learn about local culture, eat good food, and drink great wine, this trip is the right one for you! You will cycle some of the most scenic roads in Dalmatia, explore Dalmatian islands and Dubrovnik riviera and hinterland. Your base will be on Pelješac peninsula, in a small medieval town Ston, known for city walls, salt, and oysters!

Why us and why this tour?

Why us and why this tour?  Because we can do what everyone else can, but others cannot do what we can! We will take you to places you would not see on your own and try to the avoid crowd as much as possible!

This is a unique trip that keeps you away from the crowd and mainstream, and it is done by real local-born, experienced, and awarded licensed guides who mostly work via word of mouth! Because we care and give flexibility like no other. The trip can be done for 2 people only, and it is great for a group of friends.

All pictures are our own, 100% authentic, and represent the trips as it is!

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HIGHLIGHTS

    • Korčula island and Old town
    • Wine regions and authentic wines of Pelješac and Korčula
    • Ston with city walls and oyster farms
    • Mljet island and National Park
    • Dubrovnik

BRIEF ITINERARY

Day Activities Location Overnight
1 Let the cycling in Croatia begins - arrival and transfer to Korčula Dubrovnik Korčula
2 Cycling on Korčula island, east side Korčula Korčula
3 Cycling across Korčula Island Korčula Korčula
4 Cycling Pelješac peninsula and exploring Ston Pelješac Ston
5 Cycling island and National park Mljet Mljet Ston
6 Cycling from Ston across hinterlands towards Dubrovnik Dubrovnik Dubrovnik
7 End of cycling trip- departure from Dubrovnik or extension

FULL ITINERARY

7 Days: Cycling in Southern Croatia – Dalmatian Islands, Dubrovnik and Ston

Day 1: Let the cycling in Croatia begins - arrival and transfer to Korčula

korcula-soul-of-croatia-cycling-dalmatian-islands-coastline
Welcome to Croatia! One of the best cycling routes on the Dalmatian coast and islands are waiting for you. Today is your arrival day and you will be welcomed at the airport with your name on a sign and transferred to the island of Korčula. You may arrive in Dubrovnik or Split, we organize transfers from each destination. Korčula will be your place to stay for the next 2 days, from where you will explore these beautiful Dalmatian islands and its coastline while cycling. After check-in, at the scheduled time you will meet your guide and go for dinner, a brief orientation session, and a short talk about the upcoming itinerary. Depending on your arrival time you can have a rest in your hotel, considering jet lag might be strong, or you might go for a short walk through  Korčula. Once again, welcome!  

Day 2: Cycling on Korčula island, east side

soul-of-croatia-korcula-cycling-dalmatian-islands
Korčula is one of the nicest south Croatian islands, and as the name stands for 2 things- Island Korčula and the town Korčula. Old town Korčula is on the UNESCO waiting list, and Croatia hopes to get another member on the world heritage list soon! The name itself derives from the Greek -Korkyra, which gives you an idea that this island was inhabited in B.C in Greek times and even before as in one of the settlements, Vela Luka, archeologists found proof of human presence alder than 7000 years. Korčula today is known for its beauty, hidden beaches, and authentic indigenous local white wines, Grk and Pošip. And, of course, it is a great place for Cycling in Croatia, as the South is probably the nicest part of the Dalmatian coastline. The Old Town Korčula is one of the finest examples of Venetian architecture on the Dalmatian coast, and most likely its the birthplace of Marko Polo, since it is known that the Polo family originates from this place. Small as it is, Korčula town is great for exploring by foot! With all mentioned above, Korčula is also a great cycling destination due to multiple route options, from easy to challenging, which you will be able to choose depending on your preferences. Cycling today takes place through local villages, along the coastline, visit local wineries, and to sandy beaches!

Day 3: Cycling across Korčula Island

Cycling dalmatian islands and coastline Korcula Soul of croatia
On another fun day of cycling, you will cycle across the whole island of Korčula. This route offers some great sea views, scenic downhills, and good rides up. If you wish one of the days to be more challenging, this can be it. Island is long, and cycling across the whole island is quite attractive and scenic. You will pass through local villages, and next to the most famous wine-growing region on Korčula, villages Čra and Smakvica, known for local authentic sorts of grapes called Pošip. A visit to the local winery is an option for those who wish to taste local wines. Your route will take up to a scenic sea view ride, and finally will finish at the Old town Korčula area. After cycling, you can use the rest of the day to enjoy the Dalmatian coastline on one of the local beaches.

Day 4: Cycling Pelješac peninsula and exploring Ston

soul-of-croatia-cycling-dalmatian-coast-peljesac-tours
The next part of the Croatian coastline you will be cycling on is the Pelješac peninsula. In Croatia, Pelješac is a synonym for red wines, or as the locals call it- black wine. Pelješac is the second biggest Croatian peninsula situated in Dubrovnik county known for its natural beauty and for 2 brands, Ston and Dingač. The first one is Ston, one of the very rare 100% planned and built Croatian cities on the Croatian coast, known for the - longest fortified system in Europe, Ston city walls the oldest active salt plant on the whole Mediterranean, still active and still producing salt as they did in the 14th century and for a long tradition of growing oysters and muscles. Another thing that Pelješac is known for, is red wine. The whole peninsula is basically a wine region and Pelješac is home to the most famous red wine in Croatia, which got its name by the position where is grown - Dingač. This position of Dingač is unique for its steep slopes, up t 70 degrees, and since 1964 it is protected by the Geneva convention for its authenticity. Only the wine from these vineyards can be called Dingač and nowhere else in Croatia, or the World. It would be a shame to not taste some of that famous wine and that's why we will stop at one of the local family-owned wineries for wine tasting. Your cycling route will go through the peninsula and through one of the most scenic roads in the Dingač region with vineyards and sea views along the way, If preferred you can stop at some of the most famous local wineries for wine tasting. Our cycling will finish in the charming village where you can stop for a swim on one of the many small beaches that the Dalmatian coast is known for. If you would like to finish your cycling with use of a stand-up paddleboard, while enjoying the sea, it can be arranged with the previous announcement. You would spend the afternoon and evening in Ston. We recommend walking the Ston walls as the main attraction in town while finishing your day enjoin great local cuisine!

Day 5: Cycling island and National park Mljet

cycling dalmatian coast national park mljet soul of croatia
Today you will be cycling on  Mljet, one of the most beautiful islands on the Dalmatian coast. This scenic piece of the Dalmatian coast is great for cycling. Cycling goes around the lakes and it is surrounded by beautiful green pine forests. The cycling route goes along the sea, and it is suitable for beginners as well. Depending on time and preferences you may take a shorter or longer version. There is always the possibility for swimming options, as lakes are always at least 2 Celsius warmer than the open Adriatic sea. Mljet is often called the greenest Croatian island. According to legend, Mljet is the place where Calypso captured Ulysses in Greek mythology. Whether true or not, most of the names on the island are of Greek origin, and you can even visit Ulysses Cave. The western part of the island is a National park since 1960, and it is the first protected maritime area in Adriatic. The national park is known for its lakes inside of the island and a little islet of St.Maria in the biggest lake with the Benedictine monastery from the 12th century on it. You will visit the islet with a small boat, operated by the National Park. In 10 Minutes you can walk around the whole islet that's how small it is. You will come back to Ston in the afternoon hours.

Day 6: Cycling from Ston across hinterlands towards Dubrovnik

Croatia-dubrovnik-old-town-tours-adventure-cycling
Today you will go off the beaten path and cycle backroads and hinterlands of roughed Dalmatia. You will leave Ston and Pelješac Peninsula and cycle towards Dubrovnik. You will go to Dubrovnik hinterland towards the East, and cycle on local backroads and old Napoleon road with sea views. You can decide to take a longer or shorter version and accordingly see places along the way, such as the Oldest arboretum in the Mediterranean in the village of Trsteno.  Trsteno was discovered by a wider audience since this was one of the locations for the popular Game of the thrones series, still, it is never busy. You will spend the rest of the afternoon in Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik- as Lord Byron said: The Pearl of the Adriatic, a UNESCO site with the biggest walls in Europe. We suggest walking the city walls, the second biggest in the world. At places, the wall is approximately 75 ft high, which makes it a great sightseeing point to take photos of beautiful scenery. We are sure you would like to explore the city and do not be afraid to get lost in many stone streets, and if not tired, a guided tour in the evening might take place to introduce you to the rich history of this unique place!

Day 7: End of cycling trip- departure from Dubrovnik or extension

Croatia-dubrovnik-old-town-tours-adventure-cycling
Today is your departure day. You will be transferred to the airport in accordance with your schedule! Thank you very much for visiting Croatia, hope you had a nice time while exploring, and that you will go home with nice memories! Those who are staying extra time in Croatia will be given instructions according to their schedule. If someone would like to stay more in Dubrovnik on their own or extend their stay in Croatia, we will be happy to help or assist in any way.
Additional notes
All of our trips as private ones at the moment. Any of our trips can be customized towards individual wishes, preferences, and budget! Feel free to request a call for more details. This trip can be shortened or extended by your preference for one or more days and you can add more cycling or something different, like hiking Elafiti islands boat trip, Kayak trip, Leisure time, or anything else preferred.
Included
    • Airport transfers, to/from
    • 6 nights’ accommodation
    • Wine tastings
    • Snacks
    • National parks’ entrance fees
    • Bike and helmets – E-bikes avaliable
    • Professional licensed English-speaking local guide
    • Van support
    • Local taxes and permits
    • VAT
Not included
    • International airfare to/from Croatia
    • Drinks
    • Optional trips
    • Whats not mentioned as included
Price

    Please contact us for pricing info at info@soulofcroatia.com

    The price depends on the time of the year, number of people and level of accommodation.

Contact

Think outside the box. Your trip can be anything you choose it to be. We can customize any kind of itinerary, so feel free to choose any combination of activities or places or add something from your bucket list and contact us to create your perfect trip.







    Reviews

    Nov 9. 2023 byCindy C

    The real deal

    If you are coming to Croatia I heartily recommend Roberto P / Soul of Croatia to make your trip memorable and trouble free. Robi is an excellent organizer and very knowledgeable guide. He designed a cycling trip that gave me and my husband just the right amount of challenge and I finished feeling great. Croatia is so beautiful and he is incredibly generous with true insider info and connections. I will never forget the experiences and memories he made for us - and I have never before laughed so hard on a guided trip. I truly felt like he brought the Soul of Croatia to us.

    Oct 24. 2023 byJoanneK

    Amazing vacation in Croatia

    First time that we've been moved to make a post like this but just returned from a week long cycling trip in Croatia that is easily among the best vacations we have ever taken largely due to the expert organization and guidance provided by Robi of Soul of Croatia. Every day was truly a new adventure highlighted by beautiful rides, exceptional views, gorgeous weather, wonderful local food and people and Robi's commitment to ensuring that we fully enjoyed and appreciated the diversity and rich history that this beautiful country offers. Like everybody else in our group, we cannot wait to make a return trip and highly recommend Robi/Soul of Croatia to any others contemplating a trip to this part of the world. Thanks again Robi and we look forward to seeing you again soon. Michael and Joanne K

    Oct 24. 2023 byMaggie

    A Most Amazing Cycling Trip

    Our cycling trip with Roberto was one of the best trips I have ever taken. And this is the second cycling trip I have done with Roberto. I didn’t possibly think he could outdo the excellence of the first trip, but Roberto did. The second trip also exceeded all of my expectations. Our group of eight friends were taken on a private Cycling tour carefully customized to meet all of our needs. Roberto picked daily Cycling adventures which brought us to exquisitely beautiful places in Croatia, and each day was more beautiful than the last. Roberto’s knowledge of Croatia, his connections to the local people, his passion for the history and customs of every place that we visited, could not be replicated by anyone else. Roberto personally took us on a tour of the old city of Dubrovnik, as well as the city of Ston, and he constantly provided us with knowledge of the local areas. Roberto chose restaurants for us, which were excellent and which served traditional delicious Croatian cuisine. Roberto had personal connections to many of the restaurants and wineries we visited which meant we were provided with the highest level of service. Both before, and after our trip, Roberto assisted us with any other excursions and bookings we were interested in. After our trip was complete he personally took us on a boat tour where we swam in amazing caves. It was an exceptional trip, and I cannot recommend Roberto and Soul of Croatia highly enough to anybody who would like to experience Croatia as it should be experienced.

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