Things To Do in Orasac

This rooftop bar and pizza restaurant has just a handful of tables on its water’s-edge terrace. Sip a frothy Croatian beer, or try something stronger, like the local firewater, Pelinkovac. And keep an eye out for Hawaii’s summer parties. DJs are flown in all the way from the UK.

People who like their privacy gravitate towards Hawaii Beach. The sand and pebble beach is backdropped by craggy rocks, and has grandstand views of the Adriatic Sea, with the Elaphite archipelago on the horizon. The beach is pretty deserted apart from at weekends when the villagers come for a dip. Fishing boats shuttle back and forth from Hawaii’s stone jetty to the Elaphite’s sandy beaches like Šunj on Lopud. And after a day spent catching rays, the water’s-edge bar is ideal sundowner territory.

It seems like half the village is crammed into Our Lady of Orasac for the religious service that kicks off this annual festival. Afterwards, things go up a notch or two as musicians crack open their instruments and everyone starts knocking back the local reds.

Between Orasac and the next-door town of Zaton, a 5-minute drive away, there’s a couple of great places to sample Croatia’s fine repertoire of local cooking. The fish dishes come served with Swiss chard, lima beans and peas. And since Italy is just across the Adriatic, pizza is top-notch, too. You’ll want to try the Croatian wines while you’re here. Posip reds and Kastelet whites are all the rage.

There are only a handful of shops in Orasac, including a couple of grocery stores, so for any bigger purchases, it’s worth heading to Dubrovnik. The old town has a smattering of cool designer boutiques and artisanal jewellers where coral pieces stare out from the shop windows. For a more old-school shopping experience, try the daily Gundulićeva Poljana market where award-winning olive oil and sugared oranges make especially good buys.

Nightlife in Orasac is pretty low-key – a bottle of wine over dinner and then off to bed is what most people come for. But if you’re looking for some excitement, Dubrovnik has plenty of places to go when the sun sets. Jelačića – also known as Bourbon Street – just outside the city walls, has back-to-back bars and nightclubs. And if you head to Stradun, you’ll find tables set out in the street and locals chatting over a bottle of local Croatian wine.

Dubrovnik is held in a tight embrace by its lofty stone walls, which are 6 metres thick in places. Take a walking tour around them and you’ll learn how these 13^th-century Medieval fortifications kept out generation after generation of pirates, and provided the backdrop for some legendary battles. En route, you’ll get Instamatic-worthy views of Dubrovnik’s old town and the sun-flecked sea. And if your legs begin to tire, stop off at one of the cafés along the way.