A small town of Cavtat, lying on the Adriatic coast, offers its visitors a beautiful and peaceful place to stay right next to the crystal clear sea. Enjoying sunrises and sunsets watching the colours of the sea mixing with the sky reveals a true charm of Adriatic coast and its towns.
Talking about sea, one of the most amazing places in the surroundings is just around the corner. Elaphiti islands or the Elaphites is a small archipelago northwest of Dubrovnik. The Elaphiti islands got its name from the Ancient Greek word for deer – elaphos because they used to inhabit the islands. The first written source of the name dates from 1st century when Roman author Pliny the Elder mentioned the islands by the name of Elaphiti. The Elaphites have a total land area of around 30 square kilometres and a small population of just 850 inhabitants. It consists of thirteen small islands among which only three main islands are permanently inhabited and those are: Koločep, Lopud and Šipan.
The closest one to Dubrovnik is Koločep, only five kilometres away from Gruž, the harbour in Dubrovnik. It is the southernmost permanently inhabited Croatian island having seven pre-Romanesque churches dating back to the times of the Croatian kings (which is fascinating considering that it has a surface of only square kilometres!). The second largest one is Lopud, home to many famous local captains and sailors. Located between Šipan and Koločep, Lopud is well-known for its beautiful sandy beaches, which makes it ideal for swimming, sunbathing and relaxing. Last, but not least is the island of Šipan. It is the farthest, largest and most populuos one.
Dreaming of relaxing in the shade of the pine clad hills with the view on the sea? Or maybe soaking up the sun on a sandy beach? Then the Elaphites are the right place for you!