The Elaphiti Islands: A day Hiking on Lopud
When visiting Dubrovnik, one of the most popular day trips is to cruise around the Elaphiti Islands just off the coast. The Elaphiti islands consist of 3 main islands – Kolocep, Lopud and Sipan (in both size order and distance from Dubrovnik). There are also about 10 much smaller islands dotted in between which are mostly uninhabited rocky outcrops.
We knew we wanted to see the islands, but tours were around EUR50 each and last around 5-8 hours, with really only 1-2hrs max on each island. If you want to see a bit of each then that’s great, but we decided we wanted to see Lopud in depth instead, and we were very glad we did!
How to get to Lopud (or any of the Elaphiti Islands)
- Guided Tour – You can take a guided tour to the islands, though they all visit all 3 islands and snorkel along the way, rather than taking you to one island. This will cost around EUR50 per person. You will have to pay extra for hotel pick up, as most tours leave from Dubrovnik Gruz Port. Please be aware this is NOT walkable from Dubrovnik old town and you have to get a bus/taxi to get there (see info below).
- Take the Ferry – For a steal at EUR8 per person, you can take the Jadrolinija Line ferry. The ferry stops at all 3 islands so you can get off at the one (or two, or three) that you want to see. The Jadrolinija ferries leave from Dubrovnik Gruz Port as well, It takes around 45 minutes to reach Lopud.
With either option you’re likely going to have to get yourself to Gruz Port. A taxi there from the Old Town will cost you c.EUR12-15.
Alternatively you can take the bus for EUR2.50 per person. You will need to get it from the bus stop outside Pile Gate (in front of the Tourist Information Centre), and take bus 1A or 1B to the Port.
Note: The bus doesn’t tell you what stop you’re at, so you need to get off at Gruz Market. This is the first stop once you’ve gone past the Atlant Centar, and then pulled in to a one way little semi-circle with restaurants on your right hand side and a small park on your left (about HERE). If you miss this stop don’t panic, you can get off at the next one and it’s walkable.
Things to do on Lopud
The Harbour
Lopud has a beautiful harbour front lined with shops, restaurants and a monastery. The monastery has just been turned in to a luxury hotel so you can no longer visit inside, but it’s still nice to view from the harbour front.
Hike to Sutvrac Fort
We decided to enjoy the many hiking trails that Lopud is famous for, and wanted to hike to one of the highest points on the island – the ruin of Sutvrac Fort. You can start the hike from the water front, and just follow the signs up.
The walk takes you up through the steps of the town, in to pine forest, and then to rocky outcrops. The hike to the summit takes around 1-1.5hrs depending on heat and fitness and it’s quite heavy going – I was sweating buckets. But emerging at the top is truly special, a wonderful ‘wow’ moment. The views are just incredible.
The fort itself today is just a ruin, but was once one of the island’s main defenses against the Ottoman Turks and pirates that regularly attacked the area. Lopud was ransacked by the Turks in 1571 with many of its inhabitants carried off into slavery. As the Turkish threat receded so did the care and upkeep of these strongholds, and today its fair to say Lopud is declining in importance with only 200 permanent inhabitants.
Also at the top of the Fort was a little surprise – about 5 or 6 mountain goats using it for shade during the heat. They were our only company up there, other than that we were completely off the tourist trail with no-one around.
Sunj Beach
After visiting the Fort, we headed back to the harbour front. Lopud is also home to a number of absolutely beautiful beaches including Sunj which is famous as it’s one of the area’s few sandy beaches. It’s the perfect place to relax after a hike with some cocktails and views out over the Adriatic.
After a bit of rest and relaxation, we then hopped on the Ferry back to Dubrovnik port, a journey which took us around 1hr.
