TRIP DOSSIER
Dubrovnik and “Marco Polo” Island CROATIA • 300 days of sunshine per year • Explore historic Dubrovnik • Island walks and Konavle countryside
Self-Guided Departures Walking Grade: B – Moderate
Trip Code: TCRO For dates and prices visit www.walksworldwide.com
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Date of issue: 03 Dec 2015
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Dubrovnik and Marco Polo Island
Route Notes - Help keep them up to date
Introduction The beautiful, romantic island of Korcula lays its claim to being the birthplace of the explorer Marco Polo. Hotly disputed by the Venetians, this jewel of an island in the Adriatic with lovely coves, beaches, cliffs, forested hills, traditional villages, olive groves and vineyards is certainly worthy of exploration in it’s own right. Next you’ll visit medieval Dubrovnik, the “pearl of the Adriatic” and the iconic coastal city of Dalmatia, before a spot of island hopping takes you over to the Elaphiti island of Sipan. Cultured and relaxed, the waterfront community of Cavtat then provides the perfect base to explore the delights of the Konavle countryside with the option of time on the beach too. Enjoy pleasing, sunshine walking by the beautiful Adriatic.
Your holiday Life on trek On this self-guided holiday you can of course dictate your own schedule to a certain degree. The walks are mostly of a moderate nature and there will usually be ample opportunity to enjoy a leisurely lunch along the way. Each walk is from your overnight accommodation, to which you return after the walk. Private transfers between the walking locations are provided.
Walking conditions Throughout you’ll be mostly following roads and paths mostly with good conditions underfoot. Some of the routing is marked, whilst some isn’t so you will rely solely on your route notes at times and be aware that currently only simple tourist maps are available. This trip will best appeal to those seeking moderate walking at a leisurely pace. Some sections involve moderately steep ascents and descents, although these are rarely sustained whilst other sections will be relatively straightforward. Each day you will be walking between 5-6 hours. A full explanation of the trip grading can be found in our brochure or online at www.walksworldwide.com. You should ensure you are comfortable walking at this level of grading and are physically prepared for the trip.
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Things can and do change along the routes that selfguided walking holidays follow. A sign may have been changed, or even removed, a path may have been obstructed, even re-routed, a landmark the route notes refer to may simply no longer exist. It is clearly impossible to keep track of all the changes that may occur outside the local tour operators control and knowledge. It may be the route notes translation can be improved (they are translated into several languages by the local operator after all) too. Clearly a case of “last person to walk the route” has the most up to date information. In the spirit of camaraderie amongst walkers and in an effort to constantly keep route notes updated and improved upon, the local operator (contact details in your final joining instructions) will always welcome notification of any changes along the way/recommendations for improvement if you would care to forward any useful and specific information to them. Alternatively, send to Walks Worldwide and we will forward accordingly.
Detailed itinerary Day 1 Arrive Dubrovnik and transfer to the island of Korcula Arrive at Dubrovnik International Airport and transfer to Korcula (See How to join and depart this trip section later in this trip dossier). With a population of just over 1,000, Lumbarda extends around a small bay and the surrounding hills and bordered by sandy vineyards. There are several good places to eat including Restaurant Maslina that is reputed for its fish dishes, Restaurant Zure, a winery in Lumbarda bay that specialises in local cuisine and Torkul, a pizzeria. Pension, Lumbarda
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Date of issue: 03 Dec 2015
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Dubrovnik and Marco Polo Island
Day 2 Circuit walk through pine woods, beaches and olive groves to Korcula town A nice moderate walk as a warm up to walking in Croatia. Leaving Lumbarda you walk to the village of Javic and follow a quiet road that passes fields, cultivated olive groves and vineyards of the famous Grk grape variety and affords mostly level walking. The road then starts to rise uphill before levelling out once more reaching the outskirts of Korcula town. Here you descend to the Bay of Us and follow a path past the marina to Korcula. If you leave at a reasonable time this morning you should have plenty of time to explore Korcula. There is a great deal to see in Korcula including the ‘House of Marco Polo’, St.Mark’s Cathedral, the town’s ancient walls and towers, the Bishop’s Treasury and Hober Park. The return journey to Lumbarda is to retrace your outbound route. Walking duration: 4 hours / 11km (excluding Korcula exploration) Pension, Lumbarda (breakfast)
Day 3 More Korcula exploration with open views to Lastove island Today is a return walk to Cape Raznic. There’s also the option of adding around 3km to the distance today and incorporating Glogovac and Usa Luka bays too. Perhaps undulating is the best way to describe the walking as you follow backroads through vineyards to the large sandy beach at Przina. Walking across the beach you continue through fields and forests to reach Cape Raznic, a great place for a picnic and a swim. Returning to Lumbarda you follow a footpath along the coastline of Lumbarda bay. Walking duration: 4 hours / 12km Pension, Lumbarda (breakfast)
Day 4 Free morning, afternoon transfer to historic Dubrovnik The morning is free to relax and enjoy Lumbarda. Perhaps take a stroll along the coastline or just soak up the laid-back atmosphere. In the afternoon you’ll transfer to the historic city of Dubrovnik and after checking into your pension a local engish-speaking
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guide will provide you with a walking sightseeing tour of Dubrovnik. Walking duration: 2.5 hours Pension, Dubrovnik (breakfast)
Day 5 A walk on Sipan Island Today you walk on Sipan island. The biggest and to many, the most beautiful of the Elaphite Islands. To make the most of your day visit to Sipan Island please take into account the boat journey is around 1.5hrs in each direction. From Dubrovnik you take the ferry (ticket price included) to Sipan arriving at Sujuradj. Heading up and out of the village you are heading to the highest pint of Sipan Island, Velji Vrh, which is only 234m above sea-level. All the same it is the highest point and affords fine views over the island and the Peljesac peninsula. You then head down to the port of Sipanska Luka and follow the coastal path back to Sujuradj. Along the way there are ancient churches (the 11th Century Church of St.Peter) to see and in Sipanska Luka there are ruins dating back to Roman times. Of course there is the natural beauty of Sipan Island itself, however the Skocibuha Castle on the edge of Sudjuradj is a good optional visit along the way. Recommended places to eat on Sipan are Restaurant Kod Marka and Tauris in Luka and Stara Mlinica in Sudjuradj. Return to Dubrovnik by ferry. Walking duration: 6 hours / 17km Pension, Dubrovnik (breakfast)
Day 6 Transfer to Cavtat, walk in the Konavle countryside It’s a short 10km transfer to Cavtat in the Konavle region renowned for its plantations of vineyards, fruit orchards and olive groves. Cavtat is a charming small port in a sheltered bay on the Adriatic and actually closer to Dubrovnik Airport than Dubrovnik itself. Today’s walk, which explores the Konavle countryside is waymarked and on a mix of asphalt and gravel surfaces. From the old church of St.George in Cavtat (there’s a shop opposite if you want to buy water/trail snacks/picnic) a sign points you in the diretion of the starting footpath. After around 800m asphalt turns to gravel and initially it’s all very easy going. There are
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Date of issue: 03 Dec 2015
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Dubrovnik and Marco Polo Island
nice views out to sea and to the Cavtat Islands. The route steepens a bit as you head to the village of Pendovo Sedlo. Heading under trees and the route is lined with traditional dry stone walls you head towards the village of Cilipi, there is a tempting option to take a detour to Zagon Bay on the way to Cilipi/on the way back. Heading through the odd tiny village the bell tower of the church in Cilipi is clearly visible and serves also as a useful navigational aid. You continue your walk to Cilipi, perhaps the best known regional village and noted for its beautiful folk costumes, as well as the colourful folk dance the Lindjo (performances every Sunday morning by the church). The main square here is very attractive with it’s monument to King Tomislav, the first Croatian King. You can return by the same route or take a bus/taxi back to Cavtat. For fine Dalmatian seafood in Cavtat the Restaurant Leut is a good bet. The Jakanovi Dori 5km from Cavtat (taxi required) specialises in local organic produce and healthy Mediterranean cuisine if you fancy something high-end. Another excellent option (although 20km from Cavtat) is in the village of Pridvorje, the Restaurant Vinica Monkovic serves traditional food including it’s home-made prosciutto, cheese, local meats including lamb cooked ‘under the bell’. The Monkovic family whom own this restaurant have a fine collection of folk costumes. Ask them nicely and they’ll show you. Walking duration: 4 hours / 16km Pension, Cavtat (breakfast)
Day 7 Explore Cavtat or relax on the beach There’s an optional and easy short walk today, although you can of course just spend the day at leisure by the sea, or explore Cavtat itself a little more. There are several operators offering boat excursions from the harbour here to nearby islands and various villages along the Riviera too.The optional walk is an easy, circular walking tour of the Cavtat peninsula and is perhaps best enjoyed by taking your swimwear along with you and finding somewhere peaceful and secluded en route to stop and bathe/enjoy a picnic and some peace and quiet. From the waterfront of Cavtat Bay you follow the line of the bay itself underneath the palm trees to the church of Our Lady of the Snow. Here there’s the option of ascending the footsteps and visit the Racic Mausoleum built by the famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic. From the Mausoleum you head www.walksworldwide.com
back down to the church you simply continue walking around the peninsula along a path that hugs the coast line as it winds its way through pine woods. Along the way there are several small bays and beaches, so you may just find one to have all to yourselves. Walking duration: 1.5 hours / 4km Pension, Cavtat (breakfast)
Day 8 Transfer to Dubrovnik Airport Transfer to Dubrovnik International Airport. (breakfast)
Practical Information How to join and depart this trip The joining point for this trip is Dubrovnik International Airport arrivals hall on day 1 of the Trip Itinerary above. A private transfer is provided on day 1 from Dubrovnik Airport to Lumbarda on the island of Korcula. This transfer will be timed to coincide with your flight arrival. You are advised to arrive at Dubrovnik Airport no later than 1900hrs, as the transfer takes around 2.5hrs-3hrs and uses the public ferry service. If your inbound flight arrives late, you may prefer to have an additional night in Dubrovnik before starting this trip (please contact us if you want us to arrange this for you). The departure point for this trip is Dubrovnik International Airport on day 8 of the trip. Transfers are included in the trip price from Cavtat back to Dubrovnik Airport (journey time 15-20mins). This will be coordinated to coincide with the check-in time for your departure flight.
Flight Inclusive We recommend that you book this trip as a 'Flight Inclusive' package. Booking your international flights through Walks Worldwide guarantees you peace of mind and provides 100% financial protection under our CAA ATOL licence. What's more, if you book your flights with us as well as your ground arrangements, we will manage these flight arrangements both before and during your trip. As an ATOL Licence holder, we are able to secure and arrange competitively-priced airfares with most major airlines from the UK as well as the option of regional departures too.
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Dubrovnik and Marco Polo Island Land Only If you would prefer to arrange your own international travel you can book this trip as a 'Land Only' package, where the price does not include international flights. Please note that if you are booking your own flights there are certain risks you should be aware of. Many airline tickets purchased directly are non-refundable and often do not provide you with any financial protection (unlike booking your flights with ourselves where you would be 100% protected under our CAA ATOL licence). For this reason we strongly advise that you check the rules of any flight booking you make, and check the limitations under any insurance policy you may have in relation to cancellation or date changes. We cannot be held liable for any losses incurred or consequences of any flight bookings or related travel arrangements you have made yourself, such as if your international flights were delayed or cancelled and you could not join or depart your holiday on time. If you do decide to book Land Only, we strongly advise that you do not book international flights or make other travel arrangements (especially if there are financial penalties for cancellation or change) until your chosen holiday is guaranteed to run. Please also ensure when making your own international travel arrangements that they enable you to join and depart this trip in accordance with the criteria specified in the How to join and depart this trip section of this Trip Dossier.
Travel by train If you would prefer to travel by train www.raileurope.co.uk provides an online booking service for European rail services, including Eurostar. You should not book your International rail tickets or make any other travel arrangements until your chosen holiday is guaranteed to run.
Local transport Airport and all land transfers will be by private vehicle. The visit to Sipan island involves the use of the public ferry service (tickets included in Land Only price).
Roughly speaking temperatures decrease by approx. 1ºC for every 200 metre increase in altitude.
Altitude The altitudes on this trip are modest and you should not anticipate any problems.
Baggage Please make sure that your baggage is clearly marked with your name, inside as well as outside, in case the labels get detached. As your main baggage will be transported by vehicle in which you also transfer between locations a normal suitcase can be used for your main baggage. You should restrict your main baggage to one piece per person.
Vaccinations & health We always recommend visiting your doctor and dentist for a check up before travelling. Your doctor will also have access to the most up to date information on vaccinations and medical precautions for the country you are about to visit. In general, no vaccinations are necessary for Croatia. A useful travel health online resource is www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk Please make sure that you obtain form EHIC either online www.dh.gov.uk or from your local post office – you will need to produce this if you have to see a doctor.
First Aid You should always carry your own small, personal first aid kit. This should consist of the following: A general anti-biotic, throat lozenges, painkillers, plasters (bandaids), blister treatment, insect repellent (DEET), rehydration salts, antiseptic cream, diarrhoea treatment (e.g. Imodium).
Security
Accommodation Accommodation will be reserved for you on a twin share basis unless you have already requested a single room. Throughout the trip you will stay in a variety of small, friendly and very hospitable family-run Pensions.
Food Meals included in the trip price are indicated in the trip itinerary. There are several restaurants and cafes in each of your overnight locations serving local cuisine.
Climate Dubrovnik and the surrounding region enjoys one of the sunniest climates of any southern European cities. But, it is of course impossible to predict the precise weather conditions you will encounter during the course of your holiday. However, we do schedule our holidays to coincide with what should be the most suitable weather periods for walking. Dependent upon when you travel daytime temperatures may be between 18ºC-27ºC+. July and August are far too hot for walking. Although most rainfall usually falls during November and www.walksworldwide.com
December, the dry-season is considered to begin around mid-June. However, you should always be prepared for inclement weather conditions. For climate statistics visit www.worldweather.org
Whilst the vast majority of travellers never experience anything untoward it is worth taking precautions particularly in urban areas. You should take sensible precautions in crowded areas such as street markets and airports, where pick-pocketing is common, and keep clear of any street disturbances. Don’t wear jewellery, or leave your bags unattended, keep large amounts of money, cameras and mobile phones out of sight when walking in town centres, and avoid walking in city centres after dark. Keep copies of important documents, including passports, in a separate place to the documents themselves, together with details of credit cards. Leave copies at home with a friend too. Safeguard valuables, important documents and cash and deposit them in hotel safes, where practicable.
Currency The Croatian currency is the Kuna. Please refer to www.xe.com for up to date rates. There are ATM machines at Dubrovnik Airport, Orebic (where the ferry
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Dubrovnik and Marco Polo Island to Korcula sails from), Korcula town, Dubrovnik and Cavtat.
Language In Croatia the language is Croatian. Although you will find that some English is spoken by some Croats, we recommend you take along a phrase book and also try to learn some simple Croat phrases and greetings. The local people will of course especially appreciate any attempt to speak their language and is all part of the fun.
Tipping It is customary to leave a small tip at your discretion for services in bars/restaurants.
Maps We recommend Stanfords at 12-14 Long Acre, London WC2E 9LP (Tel: 0207 836 1321) www.stanfords.co.uk.
Travel Insurance It is a condition of booking any of our holidays that you have comprehensive travel insurance. It is your to responsibility to ensure you are covered for medical and personal accident risks for the part of the world you intend to travel and the activities involved. This cover should include repatriation costs, air ambulance and helicopter rescue. It is also advisable to take out cancellation insurance as all deposits paid are nonrefundable. You may arrange either single-trip or annual multi-trip travel insurance through Walks Worldwide. Please call us on 01962 737 565 for a quotation.
Passports & Visas
Important Note Due to the specialist nature of our holidays, day to day itineraries should be taken as a guide only, and as statements of intent and not contractual obligations. We regularly update our trip dossiers to take into account changes to trekking routes, accommodation, local transport etc. Such changes are a factor of this type of holiday and when made are out of necessity. Other factors such as adverse weather, unforeseen circumstances and other matters entirely out of our control etc can also lead to enforced changes during the course of the holiday. It is not possible to guarantee that any of our holidays will operate exactly as per the anticipated itinerary. The most current trip dossier will be made available on our website. We will also send you the most up to date trip dossier with your “Final Joining Instructions” approx. 2 weeks before departure and you should carefully check this for any changes that may affect your plans. Before booking you should read our “Types of Trip” and “Essential and Useful information” sections on www.walksworldwide.com including our ‘Important Warning’.
Clothing & Equipment Please check our website for the most up to date information regarding packing for your trip. The information we provide is our suggested guide to help you with your packing based upon our many years of travelling. Using your own judgment for packing is of course important, especially with regard to casual clothing etc. but please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about packing for your trip.
British passport holders (and other EU passport holders) do not require a visa to visit Croatia for stays up to three months (please ensure your passport has at least 6 months validity). You can obtain the latest visa information, as well as book your visa either by contacting your reservation consultant, or by following the link below to our designated visa service: http://www.walksworldwide.com/information/visa.html Please allow plenty of time for your visa application to be processed. We also recommend you visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website for up to date information on the country/countries you are visiting, embassy contact details and other useful advice.
Budgeting for your trip Please refer to the detailed itinerary for information on what is included in this trip. You will need to budget for meals and drinks not included in the holiday, any optional sightseeing, souvenirs and items of a personal nature such as laundry.
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Date of issue: 03 Dec 2015
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Dubrovnik and Marco Polo Island
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