Apartment Apollo in Dubrovnik with sea view

You know what struck me first about Apartment Apollo? The moment I stepped onto that balcony and saw the Adriatic stretching endlessly toward the horizon – I mean, I’ve seen plenty of “sea view” places that show you a sliver of blue between buildings, but this is the real deal. The apartment sits on Liechtensteinov put in Lapad, which honestly is one of those addresses that sounds intimidating but is actually perfect for anyone who wants to be close to Old Town without dealing with the summer crowds trampling past your window at 6 AM.

The Lapad peninsula is sort of Dubrovnik’s best-kept secret among people who actually live here – you’re maybe a 15-minute bus ride from Pile Gate, but you’ve got this whole residential vibe with actual Croatians going about their daily lives. There’s a fantastic little bakery just down the street where the owner (I think his name was Marko?) makes these incredible burek pastries that’ll ruin your diet plans, and the Lapad Bay beach is literally a five-minute walk if you need to escape the tourist madness. The apartment itself feels like someone’s stylish relative designed it – not that sterile hotel chain look, but actually comfortable furniture you’d want to sink into after a long day of climbing those medieval walls. The kitchen is properly equipped too, which matters because Croatian markets have the most incredible produce and it’d be a shame not to grab some of those perfect tomatoes and make a simple dinner while watching the sunset from your balcony.

What really sold me on this place, though, was how quiet it gets at night. I stayed here during peak season in July, and while the Old Town was absolutely buzzing until all hours, Liechtensteinov put settles into this peaceful residential calm where you can actually hear the waves and maybe some distant laughter from the restaurant terraces down by the water. The host was incredibly responsive – I had a minor issue with the WiFi on my second day and it was sorted within an hour, no drama. Parking can be a bit tricky in this area (honestly, it’s tricky everywhere in Dubrovnik), but there are spots available if you’re patient, and the bus connections are reliable enough that you might not even need a car. The rating of 9.9 doesn’t surprise me at all – this is exactly the kind of place where you start planning your return visit before you’ve even checked out.