Gruž with kids: a family base for Dubrovnik without the old-town crush

Gruž gives families space, ferries and a local market ten minutes from Dubrovnik's walls, and it costs a good deal less than sleeping inside them.

Why Gruž works for families

Gruž is Dubrovnik's working harbour, wrapped around the bay at the western end of the city, roughly 3 km from the Ploče Gate and about 10 minutes by bus on lines 1A, 1B and 2. It is not a pretty walled town and does not try to be. What it has is flat ground, pavements wide enough for a pushchair, a supermarket or two, a pharmacy and a covered market on Obala Stjepana Radića, and apartment blocks where a family can spread out. The old town, by contrast, is car-free, stepped and often shoulder to shoulder between 10am and 4pm in July and August.

Ferries to the Elaphiti islands — Koločep, Lopud and Šipan — leave from Gruž harbour, which is the single best argument for staying here with children. You can be on a boat to a sandy bay at Lopud's Šunj beach before the day-trippers arrive from the old town. Buses into the centre run frequently, taxis are short and cheap in distance, and the walk along the water towards Lapad's beaches at Sunset Beach and Copacabana takes around 20 minutes.

Where to sleep and what it costs

Most family beds here are in private apartments and small guesthouses rather than big hotels, and the price bands reflect that. Expect roughly EUR 90–160 a night for a two-bedroom apartment in high season, against EUR 200 and up for comparable space inside the walls. Hotels cluster towards Lapad and Babin Kuk, a 15-minute walk or five-minute bus ride west, with pools and family rooms. If you want a pool and breakfast, book there; if you want a kitchen, a washing machine and a second bedroom, stay in Gruž itself.

Aim for streets set back from Obala Stjepana Radića — the harbour road carries early ferries and some traffic — and look for anything within a few minutes of the market or the bus stops on Iva Vojnovića. Check whether the apartment has air conditioning in every bedroom, not just the living room, and ask about stairs: many buildings here have no lift. Late May, June and September are the sweet spots, with sea temperatures still comfortable in the latter and far fewer people on the ferries.

Days out that suit children

The obvious trip is Lopud, where a golf-cart taxi from the harbour takes you over to Šunj, a shallow sandy bay that is rare on this coast. Go on the morning boat and come back mid-afternoon. Closer in, the Franjo Tuđman bridge and the Ombla river mouth at Komolac make a short half-day, and the cable car up to Mount Srđ from the old town's northern edge gives children a 4-minute ride and a view over the whole bay.

Skip the City Walls with very small children in high summer: there is no shade and no way down until the next stairway. Do them at 8am in June or leave them until they are older. Also skip the crowded old-town beaches and take the bus or a 25-minute walk to Lapad instead. The Marojević wine cellars in Gruž are a fine adult evening but not a family outing.

Getting around and practical sense

Dubrovnik airport at Čilipi is about 20 km away, roughly 30 minutes by car and longer in July traffic. Gruž is a better base for a hire car than the old town, where parking is close to impossible and expensive; several garages and open lots sit near the harbour. The main bus station is in Gruž too, which makes day trips to Cavtat, Split or Mostar straightforward without dragging luggage through the walls.

Buy a Dubrovnik Pass if you plan on the walls and a couple of museums, and keep ferry tickets for the Elaphiti run separate from it. Cash is still useful at the market and on the boats. Book the ferry a day ahead in August, keep children shaded on the water, and treat the harbour edge as what it is — deep water with no railings in places. For families, I would book a two-bedroom apartment in Gruž over a hotel in Lapad: the kitchen and the ferry steps are worth more than a pool.

Questions, answered

Is Gruž a good area to stay in Dubrovnik with children?

Yes, mainly for space and transport. Apartments are larger and cheaper than in the old town, the ground is flat, ferries to Lopud and Koločep leave from the harbour, and buses reach the old town in about 10 minutes. It is a working port, not a resort, so expect traffic and early boats.

Can you swim near Gruž?

Not really at the harbour itself, which is for boats. The nearest proper swimming is around the Lapad peninsula at Sunset Beach and Copacabana, roughly a 20-minute walk or a short bus ride west. For sand, take the ferry to Lopud and continue to Šunj bay on the far side of the island.

When is the best time to visit Dubrovnik with a family?

Late May, June and September. The sea is warm enough to swim from June, the ferries and walls are quieter than in July and August, and accommodation bands are lower than peak season. August is hot, crowded and the busiest month for the Elaphiti boats, so book crossings a day ahead.

← Croatia's page