The island of Lopud is located north-west of the town of Dubrovnik and is a part of the Elafiti islands, made out of a group of islands: Sipan, Lopud, Kolocep, Jakljan, Ruda, Golec, Crikvine and other smaller islands. This group of island was named Elafiti after a Greek word which means deer. Lots of deer lived on the islands. Lopud is situated between Kolocep and Sipan.
The surface of Lopud is 4,63 km2 and it has a population of about 220. The coastal line is 11,5 km long, 1,2km of which are sandy beaches. There is only one town on the island, also called Lopud. It is located on the north-western side of the island. The population is involved in agriculture and fishing. It has two bays: Bay of Lopud and Sunj. In Sunj, there is the Sunj beach which is one of the most beautiful sandy beaches on the Adriatic. Its beauty is in its sandy shallow sea that extends for about a hundred meters from the shore.
You can find a few hotels, coffee bars and restaurants in the town, as well as a tourist bureau, shopping possibilities, a clinic and a post office. Gastronomy pleasures of Lopud are special; the fishermen bring the fish freshly caught from the crystal blue sea, while olive oil accentuates the taste of ecologically grown vegetables. Local specialties, such as Dalmatian prosciutto and cheese, deer meat, roasted wild duck, oil cheese and many versatile fish specialties can be savored at restaurants “Dubrovnik”, “Obala”, “Villa VIlina” and tavern “Barbara”. The tables are by the sea.
Because of the slippery rocks, it is not easy to access the north-east side of the island. Natural water springs provide the green appearance and the rich vegetation. The island, as well as the rest of the Elafit’s, is covered in lush forest, predominantly pine trees and Mediterranean low bush. Numerous palm trees, olive trees and laurel trees also grow on the island. The local park is known as a former garden of a 19th century villa. Several types of plants grow in the garden, mostly bamboo and different types of cacti, collected from all over the world.
Given that the island has been inhabited by thousands of years you can find many ancient Greek, roman and Slavonic constructions and ruins. Although it is a small island, it has 36 little churches and Dominican and St. Francis convents. Be sure to explore the ruins of a pre-romantic church of St. Ilija, the church of St. Petar, church of St. Nikola, church of St. Mauro, church of St. Ivan, convent of St. Francis, summer mansion Dordic, the abandoned Dominican convent and lots of other sights.
See the Art pavilion Your Black Horizon which placed this island on the world tourist-art map as an inevitable destination for all modern art enthusiasts. In history, ship owners had their own fleet of about 80 ships, as well as a dockyard. Today, Lopud is one of the most ideal places for tourists who want to spend their vacation in peace and quiet and in a natural environment because you cannot come to Lopud by car.
Lopud is a peaceful island and is an appropriate place is you want to spend your vacation in peace and quiet and natural environment, with the proximity of Dubrovnik as another advantage.
You can take the usual ferry line from Dubrovnik to Lopud. I warmly recommend Lopud during autumn days as well, especially because there are not many tourists so you will have the possibility of truly getting to know the life of the island. The weather will not disappoint you.
