I run this route four, sometimes five times a week during season. Dubrovnik to Kolocep, Kolocep to Lopud, Lopud to Sipan, back again. I could do it with my eyes closed, which I won’t, because underwater rocks exist and I enjoy having a boat.
People always ask me which Elaphiti island is best. That’s like asking which of your kids you prefer. You have an answer, you just can’t say it out loud. But I’m going to say it anyway because this is the internet and my mother doesn’t read blogs.
Twenty minutes from Dubrovnik by speedboat. Smallest of the three inhabited Elaphiti Islands. No cars anywhere — that alone changes the entire feeling of the place. You step off and it’s just stone paths through pine trees and olive groves and the sound of absolutely nothing.
Two little settlements — Donje Celo and Gornje Celo — connected by a forest path that takes twenty minutes if you walk slow, which you should because it’s beautiful and there’s nowhere to rush to.
The south side has this sheltered bay people call the Blue Lagoon, which is a generous name, but the water clarity is honestly ridiculous. Fifteen, twenty metres visibility on a calm day. I’ve anchored there hundreds of times and I still look down and think it’s absurd.
The rocky shore near Donje Celo is better if you want deeper water and decent jumping spots. Bring a snorkel mask — the underwater life around the rocks is excellent. Sea urchins, small fish, and if you’re lucky, an octopus tucked into a crevice.
Food is simple. There’s a restaurant by the harbour in Donje Celo where the menu is basically “whatever came in on the boat this morning.” Last time I was there the guy served us a sea bream he’d caught two hours earlier. You don’t get options. You get fresh fish. This is the correct trade-off.
An hour and a half, two hours is plenty. Swim, walk, eat, move on. It works perfectly as the first stop before heading to Lopud.
Read the full Kolocep Island guide for more detail.
I get it. Sunj Beach is the reason. Only proper sandy beach in the wider Dubrovnik area, and it’s gorgeous — wide crescent bay, south-facing, shallow warm water that you wade into forever. Caribbean-looking. In Croatia. It doesn’t make sense but there it is.
You can walk to Sunj from Lopud village in about twenty minutes through half-overgrown gardens with crumbling stone walls. It’s a pleasant walk. But arriving by boat means you anchor right off the sand and you’re swimming before the ferry people have even finished their coffee in the village.
This timing thing matters. I cannot stress enough how different Sunj is at 10:00 versus 13:00. At ten it’s nearly empty, the light is perfect, the water’s still glassy. By one the Jadrolinija ferry has deposited two hundred people and good luck finding a spot for your towel.
The village itself is worth wandering. Fifteenth-century Franciscan monastery, some crumbling Renaissance gardens that are beautiful precisely because nobody maintains them properly, stone houses with orange shutters. The waterfront promenade in late afternoon light — I’ve seen people just sit there staring at nothing for an hour. I understand the impulse.
Obala Restaurant on the harbour does a good grilled catch. Nothing fancy. Fish, olive oil, lemon. The way it should be done. There’s a pizza place near the main square if you need it. On Sunj itself there’s a seasonal bar that sells drinks and sandwiches, and the prices aren’t criminal, which I appreciate.
Two to three hours. Swim at Sunj, walk through the village, eat something. If you skip the village and go straight to the beach, 90 minutes is enough. Our Blue Cave tour includes 1.5 hours at Sunj after visiting the caves — it’s the most popular combination we run.
Sipan is where I’d go if I could only pick one island, and I realise that makes me weird because most tourists skip it entirely. It’s the biggest of the three, the furthest out, and the least visited. That’s the entire appeal.
Read the full Sipan Island guide for a deep dive.
Sudurad on the east has a fortified Renaissance palace — the Skocibuha thing — that looks like it wandered in from a movie set. Twin towers, stone courtyard, 500 years old. Most people in Dubrovnik have never heard of it.
Sipanska Luka on the west has a quiet harbour where the konobas serve fish that was literally in the sea that morning. I’m not using “literally” loosely here. I’ve watched the fisherman bring the catch in and hand it directly to the cook.
Sipan also makes its own wine and olive oil. The interior is terraced vineyards and ancient olive groves, some of them centuries old. The whole island moves at a speed that makes you realise how wound up you normally are.
When I bring guests here for lunch and wine, there’s always this moment about an hour in where everyone’s shoulders drop about three inches and someone says “why don’t we live like this.” Every single time.
Konoba Kod Marka in Sipanska Luka — order the octopus peka if they have it. It’s slow-cooked under a bell lid for two hours, so they need to know in advance. I usually radio ahead when we’re leaving Lopud. Worth every minute of the wait.
Half a day minimum. If you take the ferry, you’re locked into 4-5 hours. With a private boat, 2-3 hours in Sudurad is enough for a walk, swim, and lunch — but spending more time is never wasted on Sipan.
| Kolocep | Lopud | Sipan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance from Dubrovnik | 20 min | 30 min | 50 min |
| Best for | Swimming, quiet | Sandy beach, families | Wine, culture, peace |
| Beach type | Rocky coves | Sandy (Sunj) | Pebble |
| Restaurants | 1-2, simple | 3-4, varied | 2-3, authentic |
| Crowd level | Low | Medium-high | Very low |
| Cars? | No | No | Few |
| Min. time needed | 1.5 hours | 2 hours | 3 hours |
Half day (4 hours): Do Kolocep and Lopud — swim at the Blue Lagoon, main event at Sunj Beach. That’s what our Elaphiti Islands tour covers and it’s our most popular for good reason.
Full day (6-8 hours): Add Sipan for the lunch and the wine and the general existential recalibration. Book the full-day Elaphiti tour (6 or 8 hours).
Quiet seekers: Skip Lopud entirely and spend a full day between Kolocep and Sipan. You’ll see fewer than twenty tourists all day.
Families with kids: Lopud only — Sunj’s shallow water is as kid-friendly as the Adriatic gets.
The Jadrolinija ferry runs from Dubrovnik’s Gruz harbour and stops at all three islands. About €5 per person. The schedule is limited — typically 2-3 departures daily — and you’re locked into their timetable. You share the boat with 150+ people. It works, but it’s not ideal.
A private boat from Dubrovnik does Kolocep in 20 minutes, Lopud in 30, Sipan in 45. You stop where you want, swim where you want, leave when you want. The skipper knows every hidden cove and adjusts the route based on wind and sea conditions.
Our Elaphiti Islands tour runs 4-8 hours with a private skipper. Prices start from €200 per boat (not per person) — a group of 6 pays under €35 each for a fully private experience. Choose from 9 vessels depending on your group size and style.
Can’t decide what to include? Design Your Day lets you pick your islands and stops on a map. We build the itinerary, suggest the best boat, and give you a price. Or message us on WhatsApp and just tell us what kind of day you want.
For multi-day sailing through the Elaphiti chain and beyond, Yacht Charter Croatia and My Croatia Cruise offer routes from Dubrovnik down the Dalmatian coast.
Maro Slade is the founder of Mala Mara and has been running the Elaphiti Islands route since 2018. He prefers Sipan. His crew prefers Lopud. The argument continues.
Tours and activities mentioned in this article
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