Early Summer Family holiday to Croatia
The hotel was spotlessly clean, with pretty pastel coloured buildings and spacious grounds with trees, flowers, fountains and a park for youngsters. The Epidaurus is located directly on a small pebble beach, with some of the clearest, cleanest water you could ever wish to see! Ideal for snorkelling! The beach was raked every morning to keep it clean and clear of any seaweed.There were plenty of plastic sunloungers that you could locate on the beach or on the paths around the beach which were shaded. Further along the beach was the pool. This wasn't huge which might be an issue in the height of the season, but whilst we were there, it was easy to find space. Next to the pool is a beach bar and restaurant where the all inclusive drinks were available from 11am until 6pm. This was the most wonderful setting, looking out over the sea. The all inclusive food was exceptional! A massive choice awaited you at each meal....something for everyone, show-cooking in the evenings, and everything piping hot. The kitchen was on full display through windows and was so clean it actually looked unused! All inclusive drinks were available at self-service machines all day and from 3pm home made cakes were served in two of the bars. The dining room was big and airy, but we chose to eat out on the terrace with the wonderful views across the sea and in the evenings we experienced the most stunning sunsets. The staff of the Epidaurus were just lovely! They were helpful, attentive, funny, friendly and could all speak perfect English. The animation team were great fun and would try and encourage you to join in with their fun and games around the pool, but were not pushy if you preferred to sit undisturbed and read a book. The evening entertainment was normally a small show, singing, dancing etc...which was fun and produced with enthusiasm and enjoyment by the animation team!
Just outside the hotel was a small one-way road with very little traffic. This road runs all the way to the village of Cavtat, past the sister hotel the Iberostar Albatros and past a few bars/restaurants. There are also many boat trips that you can pick up along the seafront here. We chose to go on a glassbottom boat around the smaller offshore islands. The seabed was interesting, but eventually the movement of the boat and watching the seabed conspired to make three out of four of us feel a little iffy! We preferred to spend our time on the top of the boat taking in the stunning scenery! You could also pick up a boat here to Dubrovnik...about 30-40 minutes away. We did this one day and spent a lovely morning walking around the walls of the Old Town and admiring fantastic views. Dubrovnik is a beautiful city and offers much in the way of historical interest, great cafes and restaurants and the biggest ice-creams I have ever seen!
If you continue the walk around to the village of Cavtat, you will find a pretty little village and harbour. Perfect for sitting having a drink and people-watching. There are a few souvenir shops but it is, in the main, uncommercialised. You can take a short-cut into the village or continue around the peninsular discovering crystal clear rock pools en route.
I would recommend both Cavtat and The Epidaurus to anyone....families, couples, older travellers.The area has something to appeal to everyone (except those who like a full on nightlife!). It is relaxing and breath-taking in it's beauty and has a fascinating history.
If you would like to know anything else about our holiday to Croatia, then please give me a call!