Konavle

The Konavle region stretches from Cavtat to the border with Montenegro. The village of Čilipi close to the airport is one of the cultural centres of Konavle, and on Sunday mornings you can witness the traditional songs and dances of Konavle and performers dressed in colourful folk costume. Konavle consists of a fertile valley plus upland and coastal parts, all with stone villages that would reduce real estate agents to tears. In the central valley, you’ll find traditional rural restaurants where you can enjoy delicious home grown food - locally reared meat and trout, sometimes served by waiters and waitresses in traditional costume (see our “Where to eat” pages). If you come in spring, you can try dishes made with wild asparagus and see almond orchards in bloom. The upland section borders with Herzegovina, for centuries the dividing line with the Ottoman Empire. Its highest point is the Snježnica (“snowy”) peak, 1234m high. The village cemetery at Brotnice has unusual gravestones (stećci) of the Bogomil sect, featuring vivid primitive carvings and lettering in the ancient language of Bosnia. There are well-marked hiking trails, and organised trips include a hearty meal as part of the deal.
The coastal part of Konavle is unusual for Croatia in that it is characterised by limestone cliffs. There are very few settlements, and the only people on the shores are locals looking for a little solitude. At the village of Močići there is a second century stone carving of the pagan god Mitreus, and scattered around are old houses with unusual conical chimneys. Molunat, the largest coastal settlement, is a quiet fishing village in a pretty cove. The Prevlaka peninsula is the southernmost point of Croatia and there’s now a Nature Park here, from which you have views over the Gulf of Kotor in Montenegro, with wild mountain ranges behind. Prevlaka was until recently a military zone, so don’t be surprised to come across barracks now used as a realistic venue for paintball games. Military enthusiasts will also be interested to see the islet which used to be an Italian prison in WWII. There is a strange Cyrillic-inscribed monument within the Park, apparently containing the bones of prisoners who died of hunger. More cheerfully, there’s also a petting zoo, an excellent climbing wall, mountain bikes are for hire and you can feast on grilled meat and have a dip.