An orientation day. The plan was to head north along the Adriatic Highway and explore the coastal villages, ideally finding a waterfront restaurant for lunch.


Our route out of Lapad necessitated a drive through Gruz, the port area, lots of boaty activity and a couple of cruise liners in, might be worth an explore on foot another time.

Rather than take the direct route north along the main coast road, the Jadranska Magistrala and across the spectacular Dr. Franjo Tuđman Bridge (we will do this on the way back) we took the scenic route alongside the south side of the river Ombla inlet, crossing at the small bridge at Komolac, returning on the North side and eventually picking up the Jadranska Magistrala to head North for spectacular views of the Elaphiti Islands and the Dalmatian Coast.

The first few villages were very small and possibly not yet ready for the season, Slano had a little more to offer and then continuing North aiming for the tiny fishing village of Mali Ston on the Peljisǎc peninsula. The main industry of this idyllic little village is Oyster farming, with a couple of restaurants on the waters edge, serving the freshest seafood.

Taking in the scenery we were reminded strongly of our first visits to the Greek Islands many years ago, before the days of mass tourism. Unspoiled hillsides rolling down to a beautiful crystal clear waters and houses covered in Bougainvillia.

it turns out that Mali Ston sits at the Eastern end of a defensive line constructed in the 14th-15th Centuries.

The wall was built to protect the lucrative Salt Pans situated at the western end in the town of Ston. Some post lunch exercise was definitely needed so…

The walls have undergone restoration over the years and it is now possible to walk the 1½ Km along the wall taking in the defensive bastions and fortresses along the way. The walk is hard work, rising from sea level to over 200m high, climbing steeply over a combination of rough sloping platforms and uneven steps, followed by an equally steep descent to the town of Ston. The views are, however, spectacular.