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Islands<br />
The Elaphite archipelago consists of 13 islands and islets, of<br />
which only three are inhabited. Robinson Crusoe will get<br />
a run for his money here as the nature and culture on the<br />
islands are next to perfection; the peace and tranquillity,<br />
invaluable.<br />
The island sitting high north of the Dubrovnik/Neretva<br />
County is Korčula which is filled with its rich culture, historical<br />
remains and natural surroundings. The town of Korčula<br />
is also known as ‘Little Dubrovnik’ because of the walls that<br />
surround it.<br />
The island of Lastovo is the second most forested island in<br />
the Adriatic earning it the title of a Nature Park.<br />
With a National Park on the western front to a reserve of<br />
natural assets on the eastern front, the island of Mljet is full<br />
of flora and fauna, fascinating history and wild adventure<br />
offers.<br />
The islands in general have a completely different atmosphere<br />
from mainland towns making their way of life all the<br />
more special.<br />
The Elafiti Islands -<br />
Koločep, Lopud and Šipan<br />
These tiny islands - the first two car-free - are fantastic places<br />
to stay: you have all the sights of Dubrovnik on your doorstep<br />
but get to enjoy the peace and cleanliness of island life, and<br />
Dubrovnik Surroundings<br />
accommodation is inexpensive. The journey by boat costs just<br />
a couple of Euro so you can travel every day and explore if you<br />
want, just like on a bus, but a million times more refreshing!<br />
Koločep and Lopud are tiny - you can walk all around them<br />
quite comfortably. Their settlements (Koločep has two, Lopud<br />
just one) show in miniaturised form the architectural elegance<br />
of the Republic of Dubrovnik, as the city’s shipowners built<br />
their summer residences here. Thus you have fine stone villas,<br />
some of which are now super family-run hotels. Lopud is perhaps<br />
the prettiest of the Elafiti islands, and during the golden<br />
age of Dubrovnik there were thirty churches on less than 5km2<br />
of island. (Many churches and palaces on all the islands now lie<br />
in ruins, but they’re still interesting to chance across on your<br />
wanders). Lopud village has a well-planted old park with stone<br />
balustrades and statuary framing the sea. Lopud and Koločep<br />
have true sandy beaches, very shallow ones, perfect for children<br />
and the popular local ball game picigin. Most of Lopud’s<br />
Šunj beach is given up to sun loungers for hire, but there is a<br />
naturist section to one side, and, according to a local legend,if<br />
you bathe with your loved one from Šunj, you’ll never part.<br />
Šipan is the largest of the Elafiti islands with two little ports,<br />
Suđurađ (“soojooraj”) and Šipanska luka, plus a few tiny hamlets<br />
in the interior. A bus connects the ports, taking a trip<br />
through a fertile depression where the islanders successfully<br />
grow a variety of produce including grapes, olives, figs and<br />
carob. Both settlements boast fascinating old palaces and the<br />
ruins in the interior include the former palace of the Dubrovnik<br />
bishops. Suđurađ faces Lopud, and this is a place for a swim<br />
and a coffee; while Šipanska luka has a couple of excellent<br />
facebook.com/DubrovnikInYourPocket Summer 2015 75
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