Croatia: Cycling the Islands of Dalmatia - Itinerary

Assembly bikes and enjoy the day exploring Dubrovnik. We'll meet at our hotel at 6 p.m. for a short orientation meeting. Welcome dinner together.

Dubrovnik's appeal lies in the old town of Stari Grad, with its marble-paved squares, steep cobbled streets, tall homes, convents, churches, palaces, fountains and museums, all cut from the same light-colored stone. Dubrovnik's 82-foot-high city walls were built between the 13th and 16th centuries and remain virtually unchanged. A walk along these walls will be the highlight of your visit to Dubrovnik.

Transfer to Maili Ston, a city located on Peljesac Peninsula, surrounded by imposing walls built in the 14th century. We'll ride the length of the Peljesac Peninsula on our way to Korèula, enjoying views of the Adriatic. Korèula is also known as "mini Dubrovnik," with buildings made of honey-colored limestone. Dinner together.

Spend the day relaxing and swimming in the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea, or join us on the group ride around the island along vineyards, olive groves and forests of pine, oak and cypress. We can also visit a local winery. Dinner together.

After a short ferry ride across the Peljesac Strait, we'll ride over the spine of Peljesac Peninsula to Trpanj. We'll take a midday ferry to mainland Croatia and ride to Ljubuski, Bosnia Herzegovina, and visit a wonderful waterfall pool. We'll get acquainted with the local culture at Gary's cousin's sheep ranch for a lamb BBQ dinner together, where we'll enjoy homemade wine and grappa! Gary's paternal grandparents emigrated from here in 1914.

Today's ride offers the best view of the Dalmatian Islands. We'll take a short ride to the beautiful coastal resort village of Makarska, enter into Croatia and traverse scenic mountain roads for a spectacular descent to the Adriatic. Dinner on your own.

Ride Option: Climb Biokovo Mountain, Dalmatia's highest mountain at 5,781 feet. The views from Biokovo are spectacular – on a clear day, you can see all the Dalmatian Islands and a large part of the coast. If you're lucky, you may even see the peak of Monte Gargano in Italy.

The Makarska Riviera stretches between the towns of Brela and Gradac. It's numerous sandy beaches, pine trees, sparkling water and peaceful bays make it one of the most popular tourist areas along the Croatian coast.

Brac, one of the largest of the central Dalmatian Islands, is known for its milky-white marble — it was used for the White House in Washington, D.C., and the Diocletian's Palace in Split. The island's unspoiled natural environment, rich cultural heritage, and beautiful beaches and bays make it a wonderful place to explore. Dinner together.

The day is yours to explore the island, relax on the beach, swim or get a massage. If you'd like to ride, we can suggest route options and recommend including a lunch stop at Luka Bobovisda and a swim before climbing 1,140 feet to Nerezisca. You can also stop in Skrip, the oldest settlement on the island. Dinner together at a local konoba (small inn or restaurant).
 

Optional Ride: Climb Vidova Gora, the highest point on the Dalmatian Islands. Enjoy spectacular panoramic views of Hvar Island from the restaurant at the top.

We'll take a scenic ride to Bol, traveling through scrub-covered uplands, cypress forests, orange and olive groves and along stone walls. Bol is nearby Croatia's most unusual and photographed beach: Zlatni Rat. The wedge of the beach extends more than 550 yards into the sea. That afternoon, we'll transfer by boat to our hotel on the island of Hvar. Dinner on your own.

Hvar is the most famous and seductive Adriatic island. Condé Nast Traveler magazine calls it one of the world's most beautiful islands, along with Bali, Zanzibar, Mykonos and Capri.

Relax and enjoy our seaside B&B, and/or take a loop ride and visit Hvar town, an ancient Greek city that boasts the Adriatic's second largest square (Saint Mark's Square in Venice is the largest). The cycling route includes a dramatic landscape of jagged limestone cliffs and rosemary and lavender fields. Final celebration dinner together.

We'll take an early-morning ferry to Split, Croatia's second-largest city and another UNESCO World Heritage site. Split is home to the Roman emperor Diocletian's retirement palace, one of the most imposing Roman ruins anywhere. Most of Split's old town is contained within the palace walls. 
 

We'll say our goodbyes in Split, where you'll either transfer to the airport for your midday departure or extend your stay in Split, Dubrovnik, Zagreb, or nearby Bosnia or Montenegro.