I hate to even admit this, but I could not have pointed out Croatia on a map prior to our cruise.

It was our first port after a day at sea, and the weather was gorgeous for our day-trip into the walled city of Dubrovnik. I didn’t know what to expect except that others had generally told me they really enjoyed their time there.

As did we, except our time was too short.

This was our first time on a cruise and while I don’t discount benefits like waking up in a new country each day or always coming back to the same room and bed each night, this mode of transport does not really allow you any time to get to know a place. If we cruise again, we’ll probably go for fewer ports and more time in each port.

We had about half a day in Dubrovnik. One nice thing about this stop is that we were docked not far from the city. It was only about a 15-minute drive into town so it didn’t eat into your time in the city, which happened a few other places we visited.

The weather was beautiful and warm, and the city itself was incredibly interesting. Our excursion was a walking tour and we wandered through the walled infrastructure, stopping in a couple of museums and being very tempted by the amazing sights and smells from all the cafes and restaurants we passed. The streets and alleys were steep and narrow, and it seemed like we were always climbing to our next destination. I wish we’d had time to actually walk the walls, or take a boat ride around to see things from a different perspective, but there’s always next time!

We bought a few items, but one of my favorites is a matching earring/necklace set featuring the folksy and intricate ball seen on traditional Croatian clothing and jewelry. I hope mine last a long time as a reminder of our stop in Dubrovnik– a city I hope to explore further some day.

Exploring Dubrovnik, Croatia