The Elaphiti Islands

The Elaphiti chain runs northwest from Dubrovnik, and three of the islands are inhabited: Kolocep and Lopud, both effectively car free, and the larger Sipan with a road connecting its two villages. All three were used by wealthy Dubrovnik families for summer houses and orchards, and the results are still visible in ruined villas and overgrown terraces among the pines. Lopud has Sunj, a shallow sandy bay on its far side, which is rare enough on this coast to draw boats all summer. Kolocep is the closest to the city and the quietest. A scheduled ferry serves all three, which makes independent island hopping straightforward for once.

What you actually see

• Sunj beach - a shallow sandy bay on the seaward side of Lopud, reached on foot across the island.
• Lopud village - a curved waterfront with a ruined monastery on the headland above it.
• Kolocep - the nearest and least developed island, with two small villages linked by a path through pines.
• Sipan - the largest of the three, with old summer villas, olive groves and a quiet road between the two harbours.

When to go

May to September. Use the scheduled ferry rather than an excursion boat if you want time ashore; the tour boats give you an hour per island and a fixed lunch stop. Weekday mornings are quietest. September has the warmest sea and noticeably fewer boats than August.

Honest expectations

Excursion boats crowd all three islands in the middle of the day, and Sunj beach in August is close to full. Facilities are thin: limited shops, few cash machines, and services shut early outside season. There are no cars on Kolocep and Lopud, so luggage means walking. Ferry timetables are sparse and a missed connection can cost several hours.

Nearby

Dubrovnik is under an hour by ferry, and the Trsteno arboretum is on the coast opposite the islands.