Tours in Dubrovnik-Neretva County

Dubrovnik-Neretva is the strip of Croatia south of the mountains, and it is barely a strip. The country narrows to a few kilometres here. Bosnia reaches the sea at Neum and cuts the county in two.

What lies outside the city

• The Pelješac peninsula. The mainland wine country, planted with Plavac Mali, and the source of most serious Croatian red.
• Ston. Five kilometres of defensive wall built to guard the salt pans, second in length only to China's.
• Korčula. A walled island town that claims Marco Polo, plausibly or otherwise.
• The Neretva delta. Flat, green and full of citrus, which is unlike anywhere else on this coast.

How it is sold

The county is bought as a day out of Dubrovnik, not as a base. Two shapes dominate.

One goes inland with a private guide, to Mostar and the Kravice falls. The other stays local. Quad and buggy routes run through the countryside behind the coast.

Why it is shaped like this

Ragusa bought Pelješac in 1333 and walled Ston to protect the salt pans. Salt paid for the state. Hence the wall above a village of a few hundred.

Practical

• The Neum corridor. The coastal road crosses Bosnian territory twice. Passports are checked, and it can add an hour in August.
• Ston oysters. Farmed in Mali Ston bay and eaten at the water. The season peaks in spring.
• Distances. Korčula is two hours plus a ferry from Dubrovnik. Pelješac and Ston are closer, about ninety minutes.
• Wine tasting. Most Pelješac cellars are family-run and want a call ahead rather than a walk-in.
• Getting around. There is no useful public transport off the coast road. This is a county for a car or a driver.
• Season. The peninsula works from May to October. Korčula keeps a little more life through the winter than the villages do.