Lopud Bay

Lopud sits in the middle of the Elaphiti Islands, between Šipan and Koločep, about 14 kilometers from Dubrovnik. Like its neighbors, it's car-free — the only way in or out is by boat, which keeps the pace slow and the noise down.

The island has been settled a long time. The Greeks reportedly called it Delaphodia, the Romans knew it as Lafota, and by the 11th century it had come under the control of the Republic of Ragusa. Lopud's real heyday came in the 15th and 16th centuries, when it served as a summer base for Dubrovnik's nobility — in 1457 it had an estimated 4,000 residents, compared to roughly 150-200 who live there year-round today. That wealth built two monasteries and dozens of churches, several of which are still standing.

The best-preserved is the Franciscan Monastery, built in 1483 next to the harbor. It fell into disrepair after the French occupation in the early 1800s and stayed that way for nearly two centuries, until art collector Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza took on its restoration in the 1990s. Above the village, the ruins of Sutvrač Fortress — a 16th-century watchtower — sit at the island's highest point, reachable by a steep hour-long hike with views back over the whole archipelago.

On the far side of the island is Šunj, Lopud's sandy beach and one of the few true sand beaches anywhere near Dubrovnik — reason enough on its own why Lopud is a classic stop on a Dubrovnik blue cruise itinerary. Most gulets anchor off the village or the bay near Šunj, leaving guests the choice of a swim, a walk up to the monastery, or the climb to the fortress before moving on.