Villa Ana Maria near Dubrovnik

The fishing villages of Veliki Zaton and Mali Zaton, together with two smaller villages, make up the municipality of Zaton, located in a beautiful natural bay surrounded by hills, only 8 km northwest of Dubrovnik. Parts of the place that are scattered in the bay are partly connected by a coastal promenade that invites long walks. In Zaton, it is pleasant to stay in private accommodation, often directly by the sea. The beautiful Mediterranean landscape with cypresses and pines, the scents of aromatic plants such as rosemary, sage or mint, as well as the beautiful clear sea, create suitable conditions for a relaxing holiday not far from the gates of Dubrovnik. Above Zaton there is a small source of drinking water called Vrelo, which in earlier times was used to power the oil mill, and today provides a popular motif for photographs. In Zaton itself there are several small shops, a tourist information office, several excellent seafood restaurants, bars and cafés, bakeries, a post office and sports fields for football and basketball. This quiet place has several small pebble beaches. The most popular is located at the eastern exit from the bay in the part of town called Štikovica. Dubrovnik can be reached by car or bus in fifteen minutes. Other excursion destinations are the town of Marco Polo: Korcula, Mljet National Park, Ston on the Peljesac peninsula with its kilometres long walls, the fertile Neretva valley, the town of Mostar in Herzegovina and the place of pilgrimage Medjugorje.