The 23 areas of Dubrovnik

The walled city itself — polished limestone, Baroque churches, and a cruise-ship crush from 10am to 4pm you learn to dodge.

The neighbourhood immediately outside the west gate — buses, Lovrijenac fortress, and a small cove where locals actually swim.

East of the walls: Banje beach, the five-star hotels on the cliffs, and the quiet residential streets that supply them.

Where locals live, where families stay: pine-shaded promenade, a proper swimming bay, and a bus to the walls every ten minutes.

The forested headland at the tip of Lapad peninsula — big resort hotels, small hidden coves, quiet at night.

The working harbour: fish market at dawn, ferries to the islands, and the cheapest honest food in Dubrovnik.

The residential slope between Pile and Lapad — cliff villas, the cemetery-and-swim cove at Danče, and quiet family streets.

A genuinely local hilltop neighbourhood — no sights, no tourists, cheap apartments and a supermarket that's open on Sunday.

An inland valley suburb near the Rijeka Dubrovačka fjord — cheap, green, transit-dependent, honestly not for most visitors.

The furthest inland suburb, at the head of the fjord — apartment blocks, freshwater springs, and a bus to town every 20 minutes.

A pretty small town 18km south of Dubrovnik — palm-lined promenade, Račić mausoleum, and easy boats to the walled city.

A small seaside village 10km south — quiet pebble beaches, cheap hotels, and a coastal walk all the way to Cavtat.

A small bay 12km south with one large resort, one pebble beach, and quick bus access to both Cavtat and the Old Town.

A quiet natural harbour 35km north — one deep sheltered bay, a Franciscan monastery, and a genuine escape from Dubrovnik itself.

A small town on the Pelješac isthmus with medieval walls, working salt pans, and the best oysters in Croatia.

A Pelješac coast town facing Korčula island — sandy beaches, sailing captains' villas, and a car ferry across the channel.

A tiny village 20km north known for its Renaissance arboretum, two enormous plane trees, and a rocky swim below the coast road.

A quiet bay 9km north of Dubrovnik lined with 17th-century Ragusan summer villas — swimming, seafood, no crowds.

The middle Elaphiti island — no cars, one long harbour promenade, and Šunj beach, the closest sand beach to Dubrovnik.

The nearest Elaphiti island, 30 minutes by ferry — two tiny villages, one hotel, sea caves and total quiet.

The largest Elaphiti island — two harbour villages joined by a single valley road, olive groves, and no cruise crowds.

A long forested island with two saltwater lakes at its western end — a national park, quiet villages, and the best swimming in the region.

A mini walled town on its own peninsula, 100km up the coast — Venetian bones, honest Pošip wine, and a fraction of Dubrovnik's crowds.