Croatia is known for its islands, both inhabited and uninhabited. And while the exact number tends to differ due to definitions and domestic disputes, there are over a thousand of them and they cover a huge area of about 3.300 square kilometers. Of course, a lot can be said about these emerald green paradises that seem to float on the glittering Adriatic, writes Total Croatia Sailing. September in the south is definitely an opportunity to enjoy the summer without crowds, with warm sea and irresistible sunsets. The Elaphite Islands are the right choice for late summer and discovering the Mediterranean as it once was.
Photo: FB Dubrovnik Tourist Board: Experience Dubrovnik
The Elaphite Islands form a small archipelago consisting of several islands northwest of Dubrovnik. With an area of about 30 square kilometers and a small population of only 850 permanent residents, the islands are a great attraction for those who want to escape from the crowds in Dubrovnik and experience Croatia and the Mediterranean as only the natives remember. All the islands are covered with lush vegetation, and untouched beaches, natural beauty and peaceful fishing communities attract visitors from nearby Dubrovnik, but also from all over the world.
The name Elafiti comes from the ancient Greek word for "deer" (Elaphos), which is said to have once populated the islands in large numbers. The Roman author Pliny the Elder was the first to call the islands "Elaphite Islands" (Deer Islands) in his work "Naturalis Historia", which was published in the 1st century. The three Elaphite islands can be reached by regular ferry lines from Dubrovnik, and these three islands are often called the "main islands" and are populated and attractive to tourists.
Photo: Paul Bradbury
Šipan, Koločep and Lopud "big three"
Sipan is the largest Elafite island, with an area of 15,8 square kilometers, which has two settlements, the port of Šipan in the west and Suđurađ in the east, and is separated from the mainland by the Koločep channel. Two limestone ridges, the larger of which is Velji Vrh (243 m) in the northeast, and the lower one in the southeast, surround the dolomite depression in a country where figs, vines, olives, almonds, oranges, various citrus fruits and carob trees are traditionally grown. This islet is best known for the wide variety of palm species that grow naturally on the island. Šipan was first mentioned in 1371, and it became part of Ragusa much later, in 1426. Today, the idyllic Šipan can be easily reached by water taxi, ferry or as a stop on a popular excursion from Dubrovnik, known as the Three Islands cruise.
Lopud
Photo: Pixabay
Lopud, often called the "island in the middle" (Insula Media or Mezzo), is the second largest inhabited island, although it is only 4,63 square kilometers, and is located between Šipan and Koločep (Kalamot). It is the most developed of all the Elaphite islands in terms of tourism and infrastructure. Here you will find great restaurants with Mediterranean specialties, but also accommodation for lovers of peace and relaxation.
The island is best known for its numerous pre-Romanesque churches dating from the time of Croatian kings in the 9th and 11th centuries, as well as the large, untouched sandy beach of Sunj, which is an unusual and welcome addition to the otherwise robust and rocky coast. Lopud can be easily reached by water taxi or boat from Dubrovnik, including the previously mentioned Three Islands cruise, as well as from closer land destinations such as Trsteno, Orašac and Zaton.
Image by Greg Raynal from Pixabay
Kolocep locally called Kalamota (Italian Calamotta), is the smallest of the main islands, with approximately 2,44 square kilometers of land, it is the closest to Dubrovnik, and is only one kilometer from the nearest point on the mainland and five kilometers from the port of Dubrovnik in Gruž. There was an important shipyard in the Republic of Ragusa, and two crew members of Christopher Columbus' ship Santa Maria were from Koločep.
Koločep is one of the southernmost permanently inhabited Dalmatian islands with about three hundred inhabitants. Like Šipan, there are two settlements on the island, Gornje Čelo and Donje Čelo, which are located in bays and are connected to the mainland by a three-kilometer winding concrete road. Today, Koločep is popular among tourists of all kinds because of its natural beauty, fine dining, and beautiful coves and beaches. Like the neighboring island of Lopud, Koločep can boast of seven pre-Romanesque churches dating from the time of the Croatian kings. Koločep can be reached by cruising the Three Islands in about 20 minutes, in about 10 minutes by water taxi or 20 minutes by regular sailing of Jadrolinija, ships Postira and Premuda that connect the Elaphite Islands with Dubrovnik several times during the day.
Photo: Paul Bradbury
Other islands that often belong to the group of Elaphite islands are the uninhabited islands of Crkvina, Goleč, Kosmeč, Mišnjak, Ruda, Olipa, Tajanm, Daksa and Sveti Andrija.
Daksa is the closest uninhabited islet to Dubrovnik, which was once home to the Franciscan monastery of St. Sabine from the 13th century, then abandoned during the Napoleonic conquests at the beginning of the 19th century. Later, the island became infamous as the site of the horrific Daksa massacre, in which partisans executed 1944 prominent citizens of Dubrovnik in October 48. None of those involved in the massacre were ever brought to justice.
Sveti Andrija is an uninhabited rocky island with the status of a bird reserve. The island is covered with very rich natural vegetation and has a lighthouse built by the Austro-Hungarian government in 1873.
As the season in Dubrovnik is coming to an end, although the weather does not leave such an impression this September, it is time to plan your trip. With so much to see in Dubrovnik, it's understandable that places like the Elaphite Islands can be overlooked, but with the Old Town attracting seas of people from all over the world, it might be time to start thinking about your relaxing getaway to one of these islands or all of them.
Source and photo: Total Croatia Sailing