What a treat Cavtat turned out to be. Much closer to Dubrovnik’s airport than Dubrovnik itself — Cavtat is just a 10-minute drive from the terminal — this delightful southern Croatian town is touristy, but it doesn’t draw big crowds (or big cruise ships).

My traveling companion and I spent two nights and had a splendid time wandering Cavtat’s restaurant-lined bayfront promenade, stumbling on an ancient Roman necropolis, sipping wine on the magnificent terrace of Villa Banac and burning a few calories walking up to the domed Račić Mausoleum by Ivan Meštrović that crowns the end of the peninsula. Shuttle boats run between Cavtat and Dubrovnik, but we felt no need to leave this charming little place.

Prince George, Duke of Kent, and his wife, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, made Cavtat famous in Britain after their visit in 1936. It’s still popular with Brits, but most American visitors to Croatia pass by this claw-shaped landmass reaching into the Adriatic. It’s well worth a couple of relaxing days.