Top 6 Caves in Dubrovnik-Neretva

The old JNA tunnel is accessible for the brave. Everyone should bring a special event light, otherwise you won't be able to see your hand in front of your face.

Great view of surrounding islands, Lastovo, Vis, Hvar, etc.

The cave is nice, although closed for public. The trail leading to it is not long or steep, but the terrain is rough and good shoes are needed.

An old military bunker was allegedly built by the Jugoslav National Army JNA in 1969 as part of the Total National Defence Force to guard sea lanes along the Adriatic after the Soviet invasion of the Czech capital ending the Prague Spring. The bunker is super dark (even during the day) and a bit creepy, so having a flashlight is a must. There are several corridors and rooms inside and halls leading to the other side. If you go to the end of the hall and then turn left and go to the end of that hall you will find a way out that leads to the old (and still "functional"!) cannon. Try controlling it, everything still works and is pretty easy to move. It's really cool!

There is a small kind of improvised bar near the Odysseus Cave where you can chill (they have hammocks) and grab a beer. It's usually open during summer, and they serve only beer in cans.

Legend has it that a man named Odysseus, after surviving a shipwreck, found shelter in a cave on the shore of an island. There he was amazed by the beauty of the island and the nymph Calypso who kidnapped him and kept him in that cave. He stayed on the island for seven years. The path to the cave begins in Babin polje, on the opposite side of the road from the Tommy store (also the best store in Mljet). Near the road is a sign pointing to Odysseus' Cave - if it seems like the only way to the trail is down the hillside on a path that maybe three people have come down in the last 10 years, you're on the right track. After that, the road climbs until you get to the view of the cave from above (which is not that grand) and the rocks from which you can swim in into the cave. The best time to catch a blue glow is from 10 am to 1 pm. Also, nearby on the rocks is the small improvised bar where you can chill (they have hammocks) and buy beer during the summer months.

Vela spila is located on the southern slope of the Pinski rat mountain, 130 m behind the Kale bay in Vela Luka and is one of the most important prehistoric archaeological sites in Europe. The archaeological finds that were found provide evidence of the population and all forms of life of some prehistoric groups of people who used the cave as an everyday habitat and as a burial place for their dead. Thousands of found fragments of ceramics, entire vessels and other objects represent a first-class importance. On them pages of cultural, social, emotional and business relationships of the users of the Vile spila with near and wide areas of the Adriatic and the Mediterranean are written. Judging by the latest research, it can be concluded that the cave has been continuously inhabited since the early Stone Age, that is, around 20,000 BC, and some finds indicate that there was even a presence of people in earlier eras - bronze and Iron Age - took place It was also used by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and many others to this day. The cave entrance is 1 to 10 meters wide, four meters high and faces south, with a wonderful view of the wide bay, the nutritious moorland, the islands of Ošijak, Kamenjak and Proizd, more distant islands of Vis, Sušac, Sv. Andrija, Biševo and the open sea. In the museum of the cultural center in the middle of Vela Luka there is the valuable archaeological collection of found objects from this area and visitors are allowed to enter the cave, up to which a road of 2.5 km from Kale Bay in Vela Luka leads, or a Hiking trail over the Pinski rat mountain. (Source: https://tzvelaluka.hr/de/vela-spila)

Easily accessible summit also with MTB suitable in all seasons. 80% of the well-marked trail is in the forest, which protects us from the hot summer sun. Below the summit (marking) there is also an interesting cave but beware because it is not protected from falling so be careful especially families with children. On the way there is also a rest area with a wooden table and benches.