What’s better than a sunny Saturday morning?
A sunny Saturday morning you get to spent with your best friend, on a beautiful boat, cruising the wonderful Elaphite islands!
We were so excited to plan this little getaway, and schedule some girl time which can be pretty hard when you live busy lives. The driver picked us up around 9:45 and brought us to Gruž port where we waited for our boat, Regina Maris, and mingled with other excursionists. And then beautiful Regina Maris boat arrived… We were really impressed and we couldn’t wait for our 3 island cruise Dubrovnik !
It’s a brand new, classic boat, just made for cruising the beautiful Adriatic.
As we boarded the boat, the friendly crew member offered us the cold beverages right away. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We loved the comfy boat interior and we both agreed it’s ideal for chillexed family getaway.
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We decided to find our seats on the upper deck, so that we can enjoy the sea-breeze and sun-bath on the deck. It was a good decision. Not only we enjoyed the sun and the breeze, we also loved the sights. The blue Adriatic, the wind in our hair, the sun on our faces… Perfection.
The Elaphite islands cruise was absolutely breathtaking, but we couldn’t wait to arrive to our first destination: The island of Koločep (local name: Kalamota).
Island of Koločep (Kalamota)
This picturesque island, is the closest one to Dubrovnik. It’s famous for its vineyards, citruses and olive trees. There are only two settlements on this small, car-free, island; Gornje and Donje Celo. If you want to take a quick swim in the sea now’s the prefect time to do so.
Kalamota is made for exploring and the beautiful Mediterranean scenery will certainly impress you. If you decide, to start your day with a cup of coffee, just like we did, make sure you check out Donje Celo. Here, you’ll find plenty of cute cafes, ideal for relaxing, chatting and people watching!
A light, but delicious lunch will wait for you on the boat and the good news is that you get to choose from three different menus (meat, fish or vegetarian). We opted for fish, and it was absolutely delicious. More good news; one bottle of wine is also provided per table.
Island of Šipan
The next island on our itinerary was Island of Šipan (pronounced shee-pan) It’s the largest one of Elaphite islands and its main port is called Sudurad. Sudurad is connected to Sipan Port (Sipanska Luka) by the road. Between these two ports there’s a picturesque valley rich with olive and fig trees, vineyards and citruses.
As soon as you get out from Regina Maris the island will put a spell on you with its romantic laid-back ambiance.
If you’re looking for a perfect souvenir from your trip, make sure you check out the stands in Suđurađ port. We went for some olive oil, since it’s the best one you can get in the entire Dubrovnik area. Even the Guinness World Records Book notes that Sipan has the largest number of olive trees in the world compared to the size of the island and the number of inhabitants. If you’re a wine lover, think about purchasing a bottle here. It won’t disappoint.
If you want to take a dip, there’s a beautiful beach just a minute of walking from the Sudurad port. The island is gorgeous, so we took many wonderful photos here. If you’re into photography, or just want a beautiful memento, make sure you notice the beautiful details, that are basically everywhere… Local kids selling shells, old ladies and their embroidery and olive oil, fishing nets, old stone houses… The whole island looks like a fairy-tale.
Once again, we boarded the boat, and we were on our way to Island of Lopud. But then, something extraordinary happened… One of the crew members started feeding the seagulls, as we sailed away from Sipan, and it was one of the most beautiful experiences we had in a while. Please, take in consideration that we both are local girls and we often think we’ve seen it all. But this experience was out of this world! The seagulls followed our boat and put on quite a show for us. This is certainly one of those moments you get to experience only here,on beautiful Adriatic sea, and definitely one of the highlights of your summer in Croatia.
Just a few minutes after we were already at Island of Lopud.
As soon as you hop out from the boat the beauty and uniqueness of Lopud will knock you of your feet. With 1.20km of beautiful sandy beaches Lopud is really something special. Forget about the noise and air pollution, since there’s no cars allowed on the island.
Location of the island is just perfect, but what makes Lopud so charming is the architecture, the local people, the beautiful gardens and the extraordinary views from every single point.
If you’re looking for a perfect place for souvenir shopping, make sure you visit Lopud. Its charming little stores offer a wide selection of locally made souvenirs, artefacts, beach clothes, silk scarves, jewellery etc.
We loved the local art gallery where you can purchase the olive wood hand-made bowls…
Don’t miss out on gorgeous Đorđić-Mayneri family park that was founded by the Venetian baron Augusto Mayneri. It covers an area of 13000m2 and it is the second largest park in the region. Here, you will fall in love with every single citrus and high palm tree…
There’s so many restaurants and cute cafes to choose from, that we simply couldn’t make up our mind.
Lopud is made for beach-life, so explore it and find your own perfect spot. Make sure you check out the southeast side of the island, where Sunj beach found its place. Fine sand set in a large shallow bay is just perfect for paddling in. We decided to take a swim at the beach near the port wich was just as perfect.
Unfortunately, all the good things come to an end, and so did our trip. After a few hours on Island of Lopud, we boarded Regina Maris once again and started our return trip to Dubrovnik.
We loved everything about this beautiful Elaphite Island tour; we got to see three different islands, had some great fun at the beach, did some souvenir shopping, and finally, made some great summer memories.
As soon as we arrived back to Gruž Port, we started planning our next trip… And guess what: It will be the very same tour! Except this time, we’re bringing our other- halves.
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Find your own perfect islands near Dubrovnik cruise !
