Ston, Pelješac Peninsula, Croatia

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We visited Ston during our two week holiday in Croatia. We were on the final leg of our journey and heading down the beautiful coastline to Dubrovnik. We decided to take a detour and spend some time on the Pelješac peninsula which is famous for its oyster farms, salt works, defensive walls, and wine.

Our first stop was in the village of Ston. If you are arriving by car, there is a large car park to the left as you arrive (don’t try and park in the tiny car park in the town centre to the right). We decided to begin our visit with the amazing city walls. The walls were created when the Republic of Dubrovnik purchased Ston back in 1333. They built the walls to protect the valuable salt pans that brought Dubrovnik a huge income. It’s strange to think how valuable salt was back then, but people literally fought wars over it. To protect the salt pans, they built seven kilometres of walls which included three fortresses, 41 towers and a system of moats.

These days, for a fee, you can walk the renovated stretch of wall. There are two parts, one that leads you around Ston village and a longer one that takes you from Ston to the nearby smaller village of Mali Ston. To get to Mali Ston, you need to take the path up the hill to the right. This walk takes about 45 minutes (one way) and although it does require some effort to get up the hill, you will be rewarded with stunning views. It does get hot though, so if you are attempting this in summer, try doing it early morning or in the evening when it’s a bit cooler and make sure you take plenty of water with you. Mali Ston is quite a small village with not much to see or do, however there are a couple of restaurants if you’re looking for something to eat. To return to Ston, there is a flat path that runs beside the road.

If you have the energy, then I also recommend the shorter path that takes you to a lookout above Ston. This path is to the left from the ticket office and is a good option if you are short on time or energy. The lookout offers amazing views of Ston, the beautiful Pelješac peninsula and the salt pans.

If you want to learn more about the local salt industry, then you can take a tour of the Ston Salt Works. The entrance is in the harbour beside the town. If you don’t have time, then don’t worry as you can see the salt pans from up on the hill. You could also buy some salt at the gift store as a souvenir.

Exploring Ston on Croatia’s Beautiful Pelješac Peninsula — Views of Ston with the salt pans in the distance

The ticket for the wall also included the entry fee to Fort Kaštio, which is located in the town beside the Church of St Blaise. Much of it has been rebuilt, so you can actually enter it and walk up and around the top.

After a morning of walking and exploring we were really hungry. There are lots of restaurants in the quaint Old Town, however, they all looked the same. Another tourist even asked one of the waiters if they were all the same restaurant and the reply was ‘more or less’. As the menus all looked very similar, we didn’t spend much too much time deciding which one to eat at.

This area is famous for its oysters and mussels. We love seafood, so ordered ourselves a large bowl of mixed shellfish that had been cooked in a delicious buttery, rich garlic sauce and was served with chunks of fresh bread, all washed down with a lovely glass of local cold white wine. I grew up in a fishing village in New Zealand, so I am very fussy when it comes to any kind of seafood, but I can honestly say that the shellfish tasted fresh and was lovely and juicy. It was one of the best meals we had whilst in Croatia. We had hoped to squeeze some cake or ice cream in following our meal, but we were absolutely stuffed.

It was such a beautiful day and as we knew that our holiday beach time was coming to an end, we decided to spend a few hours at the local beach before heading onto Dubrovnik. The nearest beach was Prapratno which was only a 10 minute drive away. There was a small, free car park beside the beach and a snacks bar and portaloo. There is also a camping ground here, so if you are on a camping holiday this would be a beautiful place to stay. Although most of Croatia’s beaches are pebble, this one is actually sand and has beautiful clear waters. It was a really lovely place to spend an afternoon swimming and relaxing (and trying to digest our huge lunch).

Vineyards on Pelješac Peninsula

If you have more time on the Pelješac peninsula, then there are also several vineyards that you can visit. These include:

Matuško Vina

Potomje 5A, Potomje, Croatia

Offering tastings and a restaurant that’s open during the peak season.

Vinarija Milos

Boljenovici 15, Ston 20230, Croatia

Vinarija Milos offer a wine and cheese tasting experience, including olive oil made on their own property.

Korta Katarina

Bana Josipa Jelacica 3, Orebic 20250, Croatia

Offering tours, lunch and tastings, you can also stay onsite in one of their villa rooms. In peak season Korta Katarina is open from 9am – 9pm for tastings; lunch is by reservation only.

Saint Hills

Oskorusno 20242, Croatia

At Saint Hills you can have a gourmet dinner paired with their wines. Visits are by appointment only.

Grgic Vina

Trstenik 78, Trstenik 20 245, Croatia

Owned by a world-renowned Napa Valley wine grower/maker from Croatia, they offer a tastings but no lunch option.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get time to visit any of the winery’s. If you are the same, then don’t despair, there are plenty of excellent wine bars in the cities i.e. Split and Dubrovnik, which is where we got the chance to enjoy lots of delicious Croatian wine.

Practical Tips for Visiting Ston

How long should I visit for? There is enough to keep you busy here for at least a day. However, as a wine lover I would love to go back and spend the night here to give me more time to explore the entire Pelješac peninsula and to enjoy some wine tasting.
How to get there: There is no train line. We drove, but you can also get here by tour bus from Dubrovnik. There are a huge variety of group or private tours to Ston that leave from Markarska, Dubrovnik or Split. Some tours also offer wine tasting and oyster tasting.
Language: Croatian. Although most people we came across spoke some English, do try your hand at a few Croatian words:
- Yes = Da (da)
- No = Ne (ne)
- Please = Molim (MOH-leem)
- Thank you = Hvala (HVAH-lah)
- Hello = Bok (bohk)
Currency: Croatian Kuna.
Tipping: Not required, but people usually round up.
Electricity: The electrical current is 230 volts AC. Wall outlets generally take the European two round prong plugs. However, you are better off purchasing a worldwide adaptor that can be used in Croatia as well other countries. At least then you can potentially get some further use out of it on future vacations. If you’re taking a number of electronics with you, then I would recommend purchasing a couple of these adaptors.
Navigating: We used Google’s free Offline Maps. Google Offline Maps allows you to access free maps for navigating that can be used offline i.e. you don’t need WIFI, data, or roaming to be able to use them. Follow this detailed guide on how to use Googles Offline Maps. Using your phone as a GPS will drain your battery quickly, so use a portable battery charger which you can use to charge your phone and any other USB chargeable devices. If you prefer a paper map, then purchase a Croatian road map before you go. At least it’s reliable and won’t run out of battery or malfunction like the electronic options!