Sea Kayaking in Dubrovnik

From the water, Dubrovnik looks the way it was meant to look: a wall of pale stone rising straight out of the sea, with towers at the corners and the roofs stacked up behind. Walking the city walls shows you the city from above. A kayak shows you the walls themselves, from below, the way a ship arriving at the old republic would have seen them.

The standard route

Almost every guided tour follows the same loop. You launch from Kolorina bay, the small rocky cove in the Pile area, reached by steps next to Pile Gate that lead down beneath the old drawbridge. Fort Lovrijenac stands on its cliff to one side, Fort Bokar on the corner of the walls to the other.

From there you paddle east along the southern walls. Look up for the cliff bars wedged into the rocks below the ramparts, and for swimmers jumping off them. You pass St John's Fortress and the breakwater of the Old Port, then cross the short stretch of open water to Lokrum, the wooded island about 600 metres offshore. Most tours paddle along its rocky shore rather than landing.

The swimming stop comes next. Betina cave is a small pebble beach inside a sea cave on the mainland coast east of the Old Town, below the Sveti Jakov area, and you can only reach it from the water because cliffs close it off from the land. It takes its name from Marin Getaldić, a Ragusan mathematician nicknamed Bete, who is said to have carried out optical experiments here in the early 17th century. Guides usually allow about half an hour to swim and snorkel before the paddle back along the walls to Pile.

Morning or sunset

Morning tours have the calmest water, the clearest light for snorkelling and fewer boats. Sunset tours are shorter and usually skip or cut the snorkelling, but you come back along the walls as the stone turns gold and the city lights come on. For photographers and couples, sunset. For families and anyone nervous on the water, morning.

How fit do you need to be?

Less than you'd think. The total distance is modest, most tours use stable double kayaks, and guides stop regularly. If you can swim and can manage a couple of hours of steady arm work, you'll be fine. The crossing to Lokrum is the one exposed stretch, where a headwind or the wake of passing tourist boats makes you work.

Wind and season

Tours run from spring to autumn, and May, June and September are the most comfortable months, with warm water and less heat than July and August. Wind decides everything. The bura, a gusty north-easterly, and the jugo from the south can both make the crossing unsafe, and the afternoon maestral can pick up quickly in summer. Reputable operators cancel when the forecast is bad. Our best time to visit guide covers the seasons in more detail.

Who it suits

Active couples, families with children old enough to paddle, and anyone who wants a break from the crowds on Stradun. It suits poorly non-swimmers, people with back or shoulder problems, and anyone expecting a nature trip: this is a busy stretch of coast with ferries, taxi boats and plenty of other kayaks in summer.

Tours are sold online, through hotels and at kiosks near Pile Gate. Choose a licensed operator: the city issues permits for commercial activity in the sea off the Old Town, and unlicensed outfits do appear in summer. Compare these points:

• Group size. Smaller groups mean more time with the guide and less waiting at the cave.
• What's included. Most tours include the kayak, paddle, life jacket, snorkelling mask, a dry bag and water. Check whether a waterproof phone pouch is provided.
• A landing on Lokrum. Longer tours stop on the island. Lokrum is a nature reserve with its own entry ticket, so check whether it's included.
• Age limits. Many operators take children from about eight, some younger in a double kayak with a parent.
• Weather policy. Look for a full refund or a new date if the tour is cancelled for wind.

Book a day or two ahead in July and August, especially for sunset tours. Meeting points are usually at Pile, so there's no hotel pickup to arrange.

• Wear your swimsuit under shorts and a T-shirt you don't mind getting wet. You'll be damp from the first stroke.
• Water shoes or old sandals help on the stones at Kolorina bay and at the cave.
• Sun protection matters more than you expect. Bring a hat that stays on, sunglasses with a strap and reef-safe sunscreen. The glare off the water doubles the sun.
• Leave valuables behind. Bring only a phone in a waterproof pouch and a little cash.
• Book the kayak early in your stay, so a windy day leaves room to rebook.
• Pair it with Lokrum by boat on another day if the island catches your eye. Our day trips guide covers the ferry from the Old Port.