Islands that are only a ferry ride away surround Dubrovnik and they are worth exploring at your leisure. There are also nearby Dalmatian coast villages to checkout that you can reach using local transportation.
Lokrum
Located a short ferry ride away using Porporela, Dubrovnik’s Old Port. The ferry ride takes about 20 minutes and sails two or four times an hour. The island is 680 meters or about a half mile offshore. The island is less than one mile wide and you can do the island in about a half a day.
Ferry Hours: Daily mid-June-Aug., 9 am – 7 pm, 15 minute crossing time, shorter hours in the shoulder season, stops running Nov. – March.
Ferry Ride and Admission: 120 kunas round trip and includes entrance to the island’s nature reserve.
Sights to see on the island
Botanical Garden
It was founded in 1959 in order to research the adaptation of exotic plants to the Lokrum climate. It has about 800 species.
Benedictine Monastery
Dates to the 11th century. The monks would warn the mainland of impending dangers such as pirates or invasion. Legend says that Richard the Lionheart was shipwrecked on the island and the generosity of the islanders led to financing of church in Dubrovnik. The monastery was deserted in the 18th century and now they lay in ruins for exploration.
You can also find peacocks roaming the grounds, imported by Maxmilian of the Hapsburgs, who used some of the ruins for a summer residence done in neo-Gothic style.
Mrtvo More (Dead Sea)
A salt-filled lake linked to the open sea. It is 10 meters (32 feet) and located on the south part of the island.
Other Sights
To the left of the dock is a nude sunbathing beach, if you want to take part in this.
If you head right from the dock there is trail for a two-hour hike and you can take a side trail to go to the top of the island at 315 feet.
Also, for those “Game of Thrones fans, the island also played host to the Qarth garden party scene.
Kolocep
The island closest to Dubrovnik. The two main villages are (Upper) Celo and Donje (Lower) Celo.
Jadrolinija provides daily ferries that take about 35 minutes. The island has crystal clear water and sandy beaches.
Lopud
You can take a ferry here and buy tickets at the Jadrolinija Office at Gruž harbor.
Known for its sandy beaches including a 1.5-mile walk from the dock is the family friendly shallow sandy beach of Šunj bay.
Instead of walking you can pay a small fee to be taken over to the beach by golf cart. The golf carts can be found down a trail towards an abandoned Grand Hotel then on a concrete trail following signs for the beach.
If you do some hiking on the island you will find early-medieval churches, former manor houses and fortifications. You can also visit a 15th century Franciscan monastery or the church of Our Lady of Šunj.
Sipan
The largest of the Elaphite Islands at six square miles. Again, you can take a ferry from Gruž harbor and it takes about an hour. In Suđurađ you will find the Church of St. Georg with a fresco of George slaying the dragon. Up from the harbor you can also checkout the Church of Sv. Duh (Holy Spirit). Above Suđurađ on a hill is a 16th-century fortified villa.
Mljet
A large island with lots of sights to see. It is 23 miles from Dubrovnik and covers an area of 62 square miles (100 square kilometers). The island includes the wooded Mljet National Park and the port towns of Pomena, Polace and Sobra, where you will start your adventure of the island. The national park is the main sight to see here.
Mljet National Park
Is a large area that borders two saltwater lakes – Veliko and Malo Jezero (Large and Small Lake). The lakes stretch for about 4 kilometres. Right in the middle of the large lake, there is a small island/islet Melita (Sveta Marija) with a large building of the former Benedictine monastery, erected there in the 12th century (see photo above). The monastery’s building is now café/restaurant.
The small island is connected by boats that sail there from both sides of the Lake. Similar landscape with lakes and small islet you can also visit is Plitvice Lakes National Park, which is situated in the northern part of Croatia (see details here)
Getting to Mljet
G&V Line
Cataramans (foot passengers only) from Dubrovnik – Dubrovnik to Sobra and Polace. Year-round daily service provided by G&V Line. In July and August they provide service also to Korcula and in winter only to Sobra. G&V line can also be used to sail from Korcula to Mljet in July and August.
Kapetan Luka
Has catamaran service Sobra that then sails to Korcula, Makarska, Bol on Brac and Split. This runs daily from mid June to mid September. They also go to Pomena, travelling on to Korcula, Hvar Town and Milna on Brac. This service runs from end of April to the end of October, daily from the end of May to mid October. Kapetan Luka catamarans can be used to travel from Split to Sobra or Pomena. You can likewise also use them to travel from Brac (Bol or Milna), Hvar Town, Makarska.
Car Ferries
Peljesac Peninsula (Prapratno) to Sobra: Jadrolinija have a car ferry service from Prapratno on the mainland to Sobra; this ferry runs several times a day and has a journey time of 45 minutes. This is the only option available for reaching the island of Mljet if you have your own car.
Getting around Mljet
Buses on Mljet will take you around the island. There’s a bus that goes from Sobra to Pomena (via Polace and Goverdjari) on the west of the island, and another from Sobra to Saplunara (via Prozura and Korita) on the east of the island. These routes aren’t all that frequent so enquire locally upon arrival for bus schedules.
Taxis also exist on Mljet to take you where you’re going.
COASTAL CITIES NEAR DUBROVNIK
Cavtat
A small resort town about 12 miles (18 kilometers) south of Dubrovnik. Here you can find beautiful palaces, sandy beaches and a breathtaking mausoleum.
Račić Family Mausoleum
Built from 1920-1921 is a octagonal white-stone tomb created by preeminent Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović. Inside you can see a floor with the symbols for four apostles: Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. Above you are angelic faces gaze down on stylized saints.
Hours: Monday- Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm.
Admission: 20 kunas
Address: Kvaternikova ulica, 20210, Cavtat, Croatia
Rodna kuća Vlahe Bukovca (The House of Vlaho Bukovac)
Croatian painter who was born in Cavtat in 1855. He painted in the style of Post-Impressionism.
Hours: Tuesday- Saturday 9 am – 6 pm, Sunday until 2 pm, closed Mondays.
Admission: 30 kunas
Address: Bukovceva 5, 20210, Cavtat, Croatia
How to get there? You can reach Cavtat by boat from the Old Port and by public Bus #10.
Trsteno Arboretum
A renaissance garden on the grounds of the 15th century former aristocratic residence of the Gučetić-Gozze family and filled with exotic plants. It is 18 kilometers (11 miles) northwest of Dubrovnik.
The Gozze family requested that ship captains bring back seeds and plants from their travels. Vito Gučetić Bosiljević (Gozze Basegli) collected old sculptures and fragments and placed them around the garden.
You can see date-pals, Japanese banana trees, bougainvillea, evergreen magnolia, cactuses and many other types of plants.
Sadly, the arboretum was damaged during the war in the 1990s, but rebuilt through the efforts of the Croatian Academy of science and arts.
It has also been the filming location for the “Game of Thrones.” Walk along the garden paths where Olena Tyrell and Varys plotted against Peter Baelish or sit in the lookout next to Olena and Margaery Tyrell to hear Sansa Stark’s story.
Getting there: You can drive and park by the entrance to the garden or take local buses 12, 15, 21, 22 or 35 traveling to Trsteno from Dubrovnik. Buses can be infrequent so be sure to check the return times for the buses.
Hours: May – Oct., 7 am – 7 pm; Nov. – April, 8 am – 6 pm.
Admission: Adults 50 kunas, Children and students 30 kunas.
Address: 20233, Trsteno, Croatia
Ston and Mali Ston
These villages can be found on a cape Pelješac Peninsula. The major sight to see here is the 900 meters (2,953 feet) defensive walls that surround these communities.
These two villages are connected by this hillside hugging fortifications. The walls were built in the 14th and 15th centuries to protect the salt pans that provided these communities their wealth.
The walls once stretched for 7 kilometers but parts were destroyed with the fall of the Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik). Exploring and walking along these walls is the main activity to do here.
Getting there: Local buses from Dubrovnik can get you there in about an hour and 15 minutes from the Dubrovnik Bus Terminal.
Town Walls
Hours: Summer — 8 am – 6:30 pm (April 1 – May 31); 8 am – 7:30 pm (June 1- July 31); 8 am – 7 pm (Aug. 1 – Sept. 30); 8 am – 5:30 pm (Oct 1- Oct. 31)
Winter – 9 am – 3 pm (Nov. – March 31)
Admission: Adults 70 kunas and Youth (Until 18 years) 30 kunas
Address: Ston, 20230, Ston, Croatia
