After crossing Hvar island we continued driving southeast towards Croatia’s most popular destination, the walled city of Dubrovnik. During the two-hour drive we got to pass through six miles or so of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It turns out Croatia is cut in two so that Bosnia can have some Adriatic coastline. The border crossings look official enough, but the guards at each end waved us through with barely more than a grunt and we continued on without much of a delay.

After seven nights of Airbnb we splurged and checked into the four-star Hotel Excelsior, complete with a view of the old city and a waterfront deck.

Dubrovnik was also our first stop in Croatia where the tourists outnumbered the locals. No matter though, the charm of this historic city overcame the hordes of cruise ship passengers and backpackers.We also ate the best food of the trip at several different local restaurants.

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