Neighbouring islands, Dubrovnik

The island of Mljet, situated approx. two hours by ferry from Dubrovnik, is partly a National Park worth of visiting.
Most outstanding natural features are dual salt lakes which are interconnected and also linked with the sea. The lakes are surrounded my magnificent pine forest and in the moddle of Great Lake there is a tiny but captivating Isle of St. Mary.

Lokrum is a great place to go to get wonderful views of the city of Dubrovnik. As the boat moves away from the town, enjoy the wonderful sight of the old walled city, but also look down at the waters teaming with fish. As you approach the island on a pleasant day, you'll notice the emerald to turquoise coloring of the water. After disembarking you'll see a map of the island. Head to the nearby abandoned Benedictine monastery. It's a lovely serene place, despite the restaurant built in it's walls. Enjoy a stroll through the old olive grove. If you take the hefty walk up hill you'll come to an old abandoned fortress with a view of the city. On a pleasant day, this can be a great place for a picnic. While waiting for a boat back to town, you may want to relax at the cafe near the dock and grab a Ozuljsko beer and sit in the shade of an umbrella. Or you may want to take advantage of Lokrum's bathing ops, either with or without attire.

The tiny island of Lokrum (shown in the distance in the photo) has a lovely nude bathing area. It's made up of huge rock slabs where you can stake out a spot and enjoy the sun and the sea au natural. Please be aware that in a town that has no established gay scene, Lokrum's beach has helped fill that void, so there is a degree of gay cruising going on. If that is your thing, this may be the place for you. If not, either ignore it or stay away.

Lokrum Island is close to Dubrovnik and easy to reach by boat but it is an entirely different world, with entirely different visitors. Boats leave from the old port every 30 minutes and bring you to Lokrum Island in 10 minutes. It is perfect for a day trip.

The island in the bay in front of the Old Town is called Lokrum and is easily reached from the port by boats that leave every half hour. It only takes about ten minutes to get to the quiet island that is home to both a Benedictine monastery (which you cannot visit) and conversely, a nude beach! The beaches are mostly rocky here and it's a great place to escape the mainland crowds during the peak season.

The area of Sipan is 16.5 km2.
The biggest among the 3 islands & the least developed.
If you're after some peace and quiet and gentle hikes, this is one of the best places on the coast.
Ten minutes along the road to Suduradj, we can see the neglected villa on the harbourfront, which boosts a balcony supported by carved lions, and seems to be crying out for restoration.
Suduradj itself - little more than a clump of houses grouped around a bay - is overlooked by an imposing stone tower, all that remains of a summer palace belonging to the 16th century Dubrovnik shipowner Vice Stjpovic Skocibuha.

Next on the agenda, we moved to Lopud island.
LOPUD is placed between Sipan and Kolocep and the most developed tourist place on Elafiti.
On Lopud You can enjoy crystal clear sea and beaches, the best known being the sandy beach Sunj.
The photo shows the sight as we were moving out of Sipan, going to Lopud.

Lopud island is the most exciting of all 3 islands.
Maybe it's developed to attract more tourists.
It is 7 km from Dubrovnik & the size is 4.63 km2.
It is a car free island.
There are shops & restaurants at the harbour. Many people as well.
I wanted to go to the real deal in Lopud, which is a beach on a horse-shoe bay by the name of Sunj.
As I was walking, 1 km away...I noticed some ladies were following behind me !