Elafiti islands

The Elaphiti (Elafiti) Islands are a group of islands situated northwest of Dubrovnik in the Adriatic sea. The name is of Greek origin for Deer Archipelago (gk. elafos – deer). Pliny the Elder was the first scholar to mention the islands in his work Naturalis Historia.

Altogether the Elafits cover less than 30 square kilometers and are inhabited by under a thousand people.

Three main islands:

Šipan – largest island and most heavily settled
Lopud – has large hotel
Koločep – main settlement is Donje Čelo

 

 

Other smaller islands:

Daksa – in front of Dubrovnik’s port Gruž
Sv. Andrija – unpopulated rocky island with lighthouse
Ruda
Mišnjak
Jakljan – has children’s rest and recreation center
Kosmeč
Goleč
Crkvine
Tajan
Olipa – western most island
Greater Dubrovnik island:

Lokrum – some consider it part of the Elafits

Koločep

The island of Koločep is one of seven islands of the Elaphiti Islands Group situated in the northwest part of the Dubrovnik Riviera. Koločep is one of three inhabited Elaphiti islands, and the most southern inhabited island in Croatia. It is located 3 nautical miles (6 km) to the northwest of the city of Dubrovnik occupying an area of approximately 3 km2. The island is car free and covered with olive-groves and pine trees. There are two settlements on the island called Gornje Celo and Donje Celo with a total of approx. 150 inhabitants.

A small island in the vicinity of Dubrovnik - The Isle of Koločep – is a perfect holiday destination. Koločep is only 5 km away from the port of Dubrovnik. The island can be reached by regular ferry service, or faster by water taxi (only 10 minutes travel time). Koločep is part of the City of Dubrovnik for administrative purposes, but it is free of city noise and stress, as there are no cars on the island.

Two little villages – Gornje and Donje Čelo – are situated in front of two sandy bays. A 3 km winding promenade connects the villages. Many other promenades and forest paths can also be found on the island. Koločep’s coastline is full of numerous hidden bays. The famous Blue Cave can be accessed by swimming on the south side of the island from one of these hidden bays.

In the times of the Dubrovnik Republic, ships were constructed on the island of Koločep. Two members of Christopher Columbus’ crew on the Santa Maria were sailors from Koločep. Archaeological remnants of ancient European conquerors have been found on the island: from the ancient times of Greece and Rome to Napoleonic times. This small island of only 2.3 km2 contains seven pre-Romanesque churches dating back to the times of Croatian kings, from the 9th to the 11th century.

Unlike the majority of the Adriatic islands, Koločep is blessed with fertile soil and plentiful water, and it is rich in diversified flora and especially tall trees. The most famous person born on the island, Mr. Pasko Baburica-Soletic, who left for Chile at the beginning of the last century and made a significant fortune there, financed horticultural activities on the island until his death in 1941.

Koločep has more than 250 sunny days a year. Its climate is moderate, and due to its craggy coast and small area, the predominant features are the maritime ones – the influence of the sea temperature on the air temperature – the average monthly daytime temperature is above 10°C in wintertime and below 27°C in the summertime.

The clear blue sea surrounds the island. Since ancient times, Koločep has been known as an island of fishermen and coral-divers. Today, there is a fishing area on the island with plenty of lobsters. People living on the island spend their evening hours on the pier fishing for fish and squid that will later grace their table fresh from the sea.

The island of Koločep lies a distance of 1 km from the closest mainland and about same distance from the peninsula of Lapad. The port of Dubrovnik, called “Gruz” is situated at the base of the bay, requiring a 5 km journey by boat to the island of Koločep. The island can be reached by regular ferry service “Jadrolinija” – the boats called “Postira” and “Premuda” connect the Elafiti Islands several times throughout the day. It is a 20 minutes boat ride from one port to the other (Dubrovnik–Koločep) by ferry, or 10 minutes by water-taxi.

There is a gorgeous hotel on the island, Villas Koločep, which is comprised of 10 villas, the majority of which are situated in front of the sandy beach in the Bay of Donje Celo. The whole facility has 151 rooms in eight villas. The villas are surrounded by tall trees and are inter-connected with stone-covered paths. Reception and the restaurant are in a separate building next to villas. In front of the reception building there is an open air swimming pool. The restaurant has a closed dining area as well as a large terrace with expansive sea-view. Two old villas are also part of the resort – one serves as a restaurant providing a-la-carte menu and the other is rented for special events.

Villas Koločep’s restaurant offers a hearty breakfast buffet with organic food corner, cold and hot dishes, fruit, muesli, yoghurt and fruit juices. Varied buffet dishes for lunch and dinner are mostly based on local Dalmatian cuisine – and always serving soup, fresh salad, fish and fresh fruit. Vegetarian menu is also included. Terrace bar and restaurant also offers a wide range of beverages, including wine, beer, coffee, and tea, as well as regional and imported spirits and liqueurs.

A romantic a-la-carte restaurant, Restaurant "Kalamota" is located at the end of the bay. The restaurant can be accessed from the sea (possible docking) so it is attractive to many yachters who visit Dubrovnik and the rest of the Southern Adriatic. Guests can taste delicacies of traditional Mediterranean cuisine or enjoy innovative dishes created by our chef.

Koločep has been recognized as a destination for special events, whose people are always happy to accept and support programs and events organized within this facility owned by a non-profit organization “The Isle of Knowledge”.

The island is easily reached from Dubrovnik via the local ferry line “Premuda”.

Šipan

Šipan is the largest of the Elaphiti Islands, 17 km northwest of Dubrovnik; separated from the mainland coast by the Koločepski Channel; area 16.5 sq km; population 500 (length 9.1 km, width up to 2.6 km). Two limestone crests, the higher (Velji Vrh, 243 m) in the northeast and the lower in the southeast surround a dolomite depression, on which olives, figs, vine, carob-trees, almond-trees, oranges and citrus fruit are cultivated.

Position of Elafiti islands