Dalmatia boasts one of Europe’s most dramatic coastlines, featuring towering mountains that sweep down to glistening shores lined with golden-sand beaches, palm trees, and olive plantations.
Set on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, the Dalmatian Coast runs from the Croatian town of Zadar in the north to the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro in the south, and includes historic cities such as Split and Dubrovnik.
The Dalmatian Coast is eye-wateringly beautiful. Over the past several decades, it has emerged as a major luxury travel destination.
The cuisine there is fantastic—think traditional Eastern European food with a strong Italian influence. And then there’s the history and architecture—Roman palaces, temple ruins and amphitheaters…mosaics and statues…ancient vineyards and stone walls…
I made my first visit to this coast way back in 1997. Still a college student I was looking for adventure. I found a flight from Cork, Ireland to Trieste in the north of Italy. The plan was simple: Rent a car and drive the coast down through Slovenia and Croatia.
Croatia had fought its way out of the old Yugoslavia from 1991 to 1995. I remember seeing bullet holes in the buildings, fresh from the conflict. But tourists were already returning to this incredible stretch of coastline.
Even then, I could see this coast had potential. But it wasn’t until 2005, when I was a full-fledged real estate investor, that I returned to Croatia.
By then it was buzzing, on the cusp of a boom. Infrastructure was being developed, historical sites were being restored, and tourists arriving in their droves. High-end resorts, boutique hotels, and luxury villas were popping up and luxury marinas were attracting wealthy yacht owners from around the world. It was hard to believe that a little over a decade before this had been a country at war.
On that trip in 2005, I found opportunities in Dubrovnik and Split, two of my favorite spots. Instinct (and history) told me that in the coming years Croatia would be the next hot-spot for the rich and famous. Tired of the overcrowded French and Italian Rivieras, they’d move on, and with so much to offer, Croatia would be an obvious choice,
And I was right. By the time the country joined the European Union in 2013, real estate values had trebled or even quadrupled, and the country was focusing its tourism efforts on the affluent.
In the past 20 years the country has seen €5.5 billion in foreign investment in real estate. Prices have soared and coastal property is at a premium. More than 18 years after I recommended buying in Croatia, the Dalmatian Coast is thriving. Anyone who bought in is sitting pretty.
So where does this leave the real estate market here in 2024?
It’s no longer somewhere where you’ll find bargain real estate in advance of a major transformation. But there are still incredible properties and some interesting opportunities to be found along this spectacular coastline.
I asked my team to research real estate opportunities along the Dalmatian Coast, this is what they found… (Note: we haven’t visited or done due diligence on these properties.)
A Mountain-View Condo in the Center of Split for €385,000
Split is one of the key towns on the Dalmatian Coast with a historic center containing ancient Roman palaces and lots of great restaurants and cafés.
It was founded by Roman Emperor Diocletian, who built his palace there at the end of the 3rd century. A renowned soldier, he came to Split to relax and enjoy fjaka, the Dalmatian art of doing nothing.
Fjaka is a state of mind found throughout Dalmatia. Split’s Riva, a wide seafront promenade lined with restaurants and cafés, is the ideal place to enter into a state of pleasant lethargy.
Split is the largest city on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea and was the location of the vacation home of a Roman emperor.
You can find better value away from the Old Town, but the demand from tourists and investors means real estate throughout Split can be expensive.
My team found this spacious apartment just over a mile from the coast for sale at €385,000 ($419,000).
Set over 1,152 square feet, the ground-floor property features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an entrance hall, and a living room with an open kitchen. The apartment has mountain views.
This spacious three-bedroom apartment is close to the beach as well as the many amenities of Split. It’s for sale for €385,000. Listing here.
A Cozy Home with Sea Views in Ston for €210,000
The Croatian town of Ston is known for its impressive defensive walls, sometimes called the “European Great Wall of China.” The walls stretch for about 3.4 miles, making them the longest fortress system in Europe. It’s also famous for having some of the best oysters on the continent.
The famous 14th and 15th century stone walls are a major attraction in the small town of Ston.
My team found this second-floor apartment for sale, less than 50 feet from the coast. The apartment is in an old stone house on the seafront. The asking price is €210,000 ($228,550).
The home features a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and two bedrooms. The garden has parking for two vehicles. There are two additional first-floor rooms that could be converted into extra bedrooms. This property does require a decent amount of renovation work, including roof repairs. The home has sea views from an outdoor terrace and is in a quiet part of town.
Priced at €210,000 this second-floor apartment is less than 50 feet from the sea. Listing here.
An Affordable Three-Bed Condo on an Island for €100,000
Look outside the major destinations on the Dalmatian Coast, in quieter, more rural settings, and you’ll find some surprisingly affordable options.
My team found this three-bed apartment for sale, on the upper floor of a house in Veli Rat.
Veli Rat is the northernmost town on the island of Dugi Otok, off the center of the Dalmatian Coast. The town is quiet, though there are a few modest amenities such as a post office and some cafés and restaurants.
The home is just 500 feet from the sea and consists of three bedrooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen, and bathroom. It’s priced at €100,000 ($108,200).
If you’re looking for somewhere quiet and affordable, close to the beautiful Adriatic Sea, then this home would fit the bill. But if you want to experience the glamor of the Dalmatian Coast and enjoy easy access to big amenities and the best places to eat and drink, you’ll need find somewhere in one of the bigger cities…
This three-bed apartment on the top floor of a house is just steps from the Adriatic Sea. The price is €100,000. Listing here.
A Three-Bed Condo with Magical Sea Views in Dubrovnik, Croatia for €385,000
Dubrovnik is known as the Pearl of the Adriatic. Once a powerful city-state rivaling Venice, it’s better known today for being used as the fictional city of Kings Landing in the TV show Game of Thrones.
The success of that show led to a tourism explosion in Dubrovnik. Airbnb has become a major income stream for the locals. As soon as the tourist season begins, they find alternative living arrangements and rent their homes to tourists.
Although the TV show Game of Thrones brought Dubrovnik to worldwide attention, this historic city has been popular with European tourists for decades.
Dubrovnik is the hottest destination on the Croatian coast (it has seen nearly 600,000 arrivals since the start of 2024). There’s an abundance of high-class restaurants, bars, cafés and amenities. This is where people want to be and be seen.
My team found this stunning three-story house up in the hills with panoramic views across the city and bay. It’s over six miles outside Dubrovnik’s center, and is listed at €385,000 ($416,600).
The first floor features a garage, storage area, and a large parking space. An external staircase leads to a spacious living room, dining room, kitchen with balcony access, bathroom, storage area, bedroom, and hallway.
Above this are three bedrooms, two of which have balcony access, and a bathroom. The house is fully furnished and equipped and requires little modernization.
This spacious three-bed apartment offers magical views across Dubrovnik and the bay. It’s for sale at €385,000. Listing here.
A Stunning Luxury Townhouse in Kotor, Montenegro for €550,000
The Dalmatian Coast ends in the Montenegrin town of Kotor, nestled between steep mountains and a pristine bay. This area is the jewel in the crown.
This part of Montenegro offers miles of jaw-dropping coastline. Think pristine beaches, charming villages, and crystal-clear waters.
The real estate boom happened later here than in Croatia, and with the right deal there’s still an opportunity…
The heart of Europe’s “Hidden Riviera,” the town of Kotor is steeped in centuries of history.
As is often the way, the jet-set were among the first to catch on to stunning Montenegro.
Luxury yachts sailed into the marinas, while high-end boutiques appeared on the streets. In 2012, the Saudi royals moved their entire fleet of yachts here.
Tourists and “ordinary rich” (this is a term I use for professionals who earn well…not super rich, but well off) are now beginning to follow…
Prices in Kotor can be expensive. It’s not called the “new Monaco” for nothing.
Here’s an example of what I mean…
My team found this two-bed townhouse in Kotor with sea views. It’s listed at €550,000 ($595,000). The historic townhouse covers around 1,875 square feet. The bedrooms are on the first floor, along with the kitchen/dining area, a living room with balcony access and a bathroom. One of the bedrooms has a spacious rear terrace.
Outside there’s a stone terrace which is shared with other residents of the townhouse that offers stunning views of the mountains and across the bay.
This spacious townhouse is located close to the water and boasts picturesque views of the sea and the mountains. Priced at €550,000. Listing here.
Despite the hefty price tag, this property needs renovation.
It’s a great example of the gap in the market that currently exists in Kotor. Outside the center you can find more affordable small condos, but they’re a long way from the action.
Close to the center, there are large homes in need of restoration or ultra-luxury villas and condos aimed at the jet set.
But affordable condos in well-located, best-in-class communities with good amenities—the kind of real estate that appeals to the ordinary rich—are hard to find.
This is why I’m so excited about our upcoming deal in Kotor, where members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group will soon be able to buy condos like these at an incredible price.
Our opportunity is so special that I’m predicting gains of €201,643 five years after delivery. (That’s $215,587.)
RETA members have already gotten their report on the incredible transformation taking place in Montenegro and my full briefing on the RETA deal there will be dropping in members’ inboxes very soon.
If you want to get in on this deal, you need to be a RETA member. All the details for joining are here.
Ronan McMahon, Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert
P.S. Have a question about owning in Montenegro or the upcoming RETA deal there? Or do you have a more general question about owning overseas? I’d love to hear it. Share it here. Any and all questions and comments are welcome.
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Your Daily Dream Home
Aubusson , Creuse, France
This charming two-bedroom house is set over three floors. On the ground floor there’s a large retail space, a laundry area, and a separate shower room. The first floor has a bright living room, a fitted kitchen with a skylight, and a WC. On the second floor, there are two good-sized bedrooms and a WC, which could be converted into a shower room.
A fully boarded attic space with a skylight, accessible by stairs, has potential for a third bedroom. The property also includes a garden with an orchard and is located a 5-minute walk away from the town center.
Aubusson is located in the Creuse River valley surrounded by the picturesque French countryside. The small-town features medieval and Renaissance buildings. It’s world-renowned for its tapestry and carpet making tradition, dating back to the 14th century. In 2009 the Aubusson tapestry was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Remember, we don’t make money from any listing shared here in the Your Daily Dream Home section. We have no dog in the fight. We’re just sharing cool properties we’ve found.
I haven’t visited this property or done due diligence on it. If you’re interested in the listing, you should hire an attorney and do your own due diligence.
