Activities and Sights near Dubrovnik and Mostar
On this page:
- Internet in Komarna
- Water Sports in Komarna and Klek
- Land Sports around Komarna
- Kravica Waterfalls - must see
- Canoe safari
- The Bacina Lakes near Ploce
- Metkovic
- Narona the ancient site of Roman administration
- Dubrovnik - The Pearl of the Adriatic
- The Trsteno Arboretum - Botanical Garden
- Medjugorje Pilgrim site
- Vjetrenica Cave
- Mostar
Visit the Komarna Sightseeing Pages - for much more information about sightseeing between Split, Mostar and Dubrovnik.
Sports
Great place to Snorkel: It is not possible to rent snorkel gear in Komarna. If you have your own, the far end of the beach is the best place.
Mask, snorkel and fins can be bought in the shopping mall on Don Radovan Jerkovica in Metkovic (Mercator - see "places to shop and eat"). Another possibility is the sports store behind the bus station in Metkovic (the bus station is behind the Citroen-dealer on the main road).
There is always a game on in the town's football pitch when night falls. Even so, activities in Komarna are primarily in the water or at the water front.
There are good opportunities for walking and hiking in the hills and mountains and along the water. Many little roads and footpaths run everywhere.
You can rent mountain bikes at Villa Bili and kayaks at Beach Bar Uvala. In Klek, there are tennis courts, mini golf and pedal boats.
Kite Surfing at the Neretva mouth. - It is great fun and instructors are available from April to November. You get there by driving towards Opuzen and turning left at the traffic light towards Blace. Then at the road fork near the sea turn right towards Camp Rio. Drive past Camp Rio and continue until there is a narrow road turning left. Now you should have seen the kites and just continue to the end of the road and you will find them on the beach to your left.
Kravica Waterfalls
A trip to the waterfalls will be one of your vacation's absolute highlights. Apart from offering spectacular scenery it is a great place to fish for children with nets, and it is an even better place to swim.
The cold, clear water falls into a small valley. From noon onwards (when the sun gets hot) some of the water particles that are hurdled into the air vaporize and put a lid of mist on top of the valley making it a pleasant shade-like feeling to be there.
Getting tired of relaxing on the sandy beach you can head out into the pool of water, which also has a sandy bottom. If you are up to it, you can swim across the pool (notice how the water gets colder), climb the rocks and jump. This is what the local teenage boys do to impress one another - and perhaps the girls. There are two coffee shops where you can enjoy the view and relax by listening to the rumbling from the waterfalls.
Not far from Kravica there are other sights worth a visit: Medugorje, Novo Selo, Museum in Humac and another charming waterfall called Kocusa.There are driving directions in Apartment Tedo and in the "Hercegovina Trip" document on the sightseeing pages.
Canoe Safari
The Trebizat River which forms the Kravica Waterfall continues and meets the Neretva River 15 km further down-stream. It runs through an interesting karst landscape. The Canoe safari starts in Bozjak near Studenci just after the Kravica waterfall and ends at the meeting point in Struge near Capljina.
The route is 11 kilometers long. The beginning of the trip is quiet and calm and towards the end when the river runs a little faster it gets a bit more exciting with small and fun cascades. It is easy and quite safe even for beginners. The canoes are very stable and easy to handle.
With the help of the instructors, you will soon learn how to handle the canoes. If your children are under eight years of age they should be used to swimming. If in doubt – ask when you book. Each canoe will only take two persons so if you are accompanied by a child you may have to do all the paddling yourself.
Crystal clear water, waterfalls, birds, fish and a picnic lunch served at the end of the trip will make sure that you will not easily forget this day.
Link to website for "Adventure Trebizat" where you can read all about the canoe safari.
More information about canoe safari
The Bacina Lakes
The Bacina Lakes at Ploce is a beautiful sight. The six inter-linked lakes lie about half an hours drive north of Komarna. They are visible from the coastal road and have the same colour as the brochures that advertise diving trips to The Maldives.
The lakes are a favoured spot for the locals. It is not The Maldives but there is an abundance of fish in the water anyway.
From Summer 2012 it is possible to rent boats to explore the lakes. When you drive down from the coastal road keep to the left road and it is a few hundred meters down that road.
Metkovic
Natural History Museum in Metkovic is a small modern museum for the geology and biology of the area. They have much educational information and examples of the wild life you may meet in the Neratva River Delta and in the mountains. You will not regret if you spend some time here. The museum is situated in a building that used to be part of a tabacco factory and behind the museum there is a good restaurant and a pub. Ask for restaurant Tabakera. Then you will also find the museum.
Jama u Predolcu outside Metkovic towards Bijeli Vir is a cave that is home to a small beautiful clam (congeria) who is seriously threatened by extinction. It has survived as a species for millions of years, but now there are only a few places where it still lives. The area around the cave's most decorated like a place where schoolchildren can come and be educated, but all guests are welcome and will be shown around and explained about the cave and its biology.
The Norin Tower close to the Metkovic-Opuzen road was built by the Turks in the beginning of the 16th. century. The tower was where the River Norin met the River Neretva. The purpose was to keep the Venetians away from the valley and to have a stronghold where the Turkish possessions in Bosnia Herzegovina could be defended from. The Turks did not quite succeed. Already in 1685 the Turks had to give in to a Venetian siege and leave the tower.
However, with the towers strategic importance the Turks wanted it back. And they got it. Several times, in fact. During the next centuries, the Venetians and the Turks succeeded one another in being masters in the tower. This rivalry came to an end when Austrian troops kicked them out. The tower is a symbol for the locals of how they managed to stop the Otoman Empire from expanding further into Croatia.
Narona
Narona just outside Metkovic was a Greek settlement first mentioned by the Greek historian Theopompus (Historian for Alexander The Great) in the fourth century BC. The town was the most important in the area. It was eventually promoted to the rank of a colony under the Romans who used Narona as a base for attacks on rebel states and on those pirates' nests that the island-dotted waters always fostered.
The town's importance grew even further once rebels and bandits had been eradicated. It became the region's business centre. Its status lasted until the sixth century where it began to decline after attacks by Avar tribes and it became completely abandoned in the mid seventh century.
Excavation and restoration is still going on and do not expect to see the like of Rome. Keeping this in mind a stroll past the Forum and along the remains of the once magnificent defensive walls is a nice break from lying around getting grilled on the beach.
The museum is well worth a visit. It is a so called "museum in situ" which means that it is placed on top of the excavation so you can see the ruins when you walk through the museum. The museum houses the largest collection of statues of Roman emperors found outside the city of Rome. Opening hours are every day 10:00 to 20:00 except Sunday where they close at 13:00.
Dubrovnik
One word: Go!
It is tempting to spend every day of your vacation on the beach. Nevertheless, do allow yourself at least one excursion.
Dubrovnik is a United Nations UNESCO Heritage Site. It is known as The Pearl of The Adriatic. Retaining its status as one of the most important Mediterranean ports from the 13th century onward rich merchants have left a city plastered with magnificent Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings. Churches being most notable of course.
Even so, you do not have to be interested in history or architecture to enjoy Dubrovnik. Being a university town it is a "young city" with numerous concerts, a theater, opera, shops, markets and greater scores of great seafood restaurants than you would expect to find in a 70.000 population small city.
A visit to Dubrovnik should start with a walk on the city walls and maybe a trip with the cable car to the mountain and fort. This will give you an overview and an idea about where to continue your exploration of this magnificent old town.
Dubrovnik is quite popular with the Mediterranean cruise ships. The old town can be very crowded when there is more than one ship visiting – and that happens frequently. Organize your visit so it does not coincide with the major cruise ships. On this page: Dubrovnik Harbour Cruise Ship Plan, you can get a list. Maybe try to go late afternoon where the ships usualy will leave again.
We recommend that you visit Dubrovnik Online Travel Guide and Link to Dubrovnik Museums.
Driving to the fort at the end of the cable car, you have to go back to the main road and turn right towards the airport. Go 1,7 km and make a sharp left turn towards Bosanka. You reach the fort after 2.8 km.
Parking in Dubrovnik:
The closer you get to the old town the more difficult it get to find a parking space. Look out for a parking meter or a kiosk with official parking attendants. Here you can buy a "Parkirna Karta". You must mark the current date and time and then place the card behind the windscreen of your car.
More information about parking and transport in Dubrovnik at this link.
The Trsteno Arboretum
More than 300 species of trees and numerous plants from around The Mediterranean and the world set around architecture from the Gothic-Renaissance period onward makes The Trsteno Arboretum widely acknowledged as one of the finest gardens in this part of Europe.
The botanical gardens at Trsteno north-west of Dubrovnik were founded in 1492 by the Gucetic-family, who resided in the splendid 15th. century summer residence in the centre of the gardens until it was nationalized by the communists.
Being able to see the gardens today can be considered somewhat of a miracle. During the civil war Serbian Navy ships and airplanes shelled the gardens with phosphorus bombs on the 2. and 3. of November 1991. Phosphorus burns and burned it did. 80 percent of the gardens went up in flames but luckily the oldest area was saved. To this day, you can still see a few Mexican palm trees that live despite their outer trunks look like charcoal.
Medjugorje
Komarna is an ideal place to stay if you want to pray in Medjugorje and also have the benefit of a beautiful scenery and The Adriatic Sea.
On June 24th 1981 a young woman bearing a child on her arm appeared on a hill outside Medjugorje. With her free hand, she urged six young people to come closer, but they did not dare to do so as they sensed something extraordinary. However, urged by a will they could not describe all of them came back the next day individually, and she revealed herself to be The Holy Virgin.
The Holy Virgin also appeared the third day and appealed for peace. All in all, she has shown herself 10 times. Everyday services in different languages are held in the church. Since 1981 millions of pilgrims have visited Medjugorje. It makes it one of the biggest Catholic pilgrim places along side Lourdes in France.
Medjugorje is in Bosnia-Herzegovina off the road between Metkovic and Mostar. You can find out more about Medjugorje by clicking the following link.
Presentation of the Medjugorje phenomenon - apparitions of the Virgin Mary. It includes detailed information and a frequently asked questions section.
Vjetrenica Cave
Vjetrenica Cave is a big cave complex in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and it will soon get status as a national park.
In the summer, there is a strong and cold wind blowing out of the entrance. The reason for this is unclear. The warmer the weather is the stronger the wind is and Vjetrenica actually mean "wind cave."
The cave has been explored to the depth of 2500 meters and has 6500 meters of galleries. The main gallery is horizontal and is open to the public.
From the cave, an underground river flows into the Trebisnjica River and from the far end of the galleries, another river seems to flow towards the sea. The total length of the cave is unknown as the far end is blocked by a stone slide.
There are several lakes and streams in the cave and a biological diversity with insects and small salamanders that cannot be found elsewhere and who have adapted to life in complete darkness.
More information on our sightseeing pages on https://www.sightseeing.komarna.co.uk/vjetrenica.html
Mostar
Mostar makes an interesting day trip. It is about an hour's drive from Metkovic along the Neretva River into Bosnia-Herzegovina. As soon as you cross the border road signs have both Latin and Cyrillic writing, and you can see church spires competing with mosque minarets to dominate the countryside as you move inland.
Mostar is at the point where the Catholic majority gives way to the Muslim population in the interior of the country. The great attraction of Mostar is the Old Bridge which was built by the Turks in the 15th. century. The bridge's span collapsed in the civil war in the early 90s, but the impressive towers on either side are the original and the bridge itself has been rebuild largely with the stones from the old one.
Both sides of the bridge are sprawling with restaurants, souvenir shops, street vendors and tourists coming the cruise ships in Dubrovnik. It's a bustling place, and many people find time flying looking at the souvenirs that are very different than the ones on the coast because they in only an hours drive have gone from the Catholic coast to the Muslim dominated inland.
There are lots of interesting sights along the way to Mostar as well. Please see the Komarna Sightseeing Section.
