Lopud is truly a magical place. Many songs have been written about its beauty and how it brings peacefulness to travelers. It’s best known for its untouched nature and sandy beaches. However, there is so much more to explore on Lopud. We will be posting a blog on Lopud every week bringing details on its past glory but also news on Lopud’s present times. This is just a short introduction for those thinking of staying here or doing a day visit to one of the pearls of Dubrovnik archipelago. Fortunately, Lopud is well connected to the mainland by local ferry line. So, there is really no reason not to visit us.
Small, but magnificent
Lopud is a relatively small island, only 4.6 kilometers square big. When you think about Lopud, imagine sand, sun and green hills. Why? Lopud has over 200 sunny days per year! We love it and local vegetation loves it. Out of 11.5 km of coastline, 1.2 make sandy beaches. No wonder people know it best as a place to go swimming and soaking up the sun while reading a good book on a deckchair. It has two bays: Lopud bay and Sunj. The Sunj beach, located in the bay of the same name, is one of the most beautiful sandy beaches on the Adriatic. It’s composed of fine, white sand, extremely rare in Croatia, surrounded by green hills.
Kids friendly
Lopud Bay is known for its beautiful promenade where you can find all you need in a small town – post office, grocery stores, souvenir shops, cafe bars, restaurants, two small sandy beaches, pebble beaches, etc. Have a lunch at a local restaurant and enjoy delicacies such as Dalmatian prosciutto and cheese, versatile fish and meat specialties.
Number one visitors to Lopud are families with small children. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that Lopud is a car free zone. There are only small buggies that operate as taxi service that you can use if you don’t feel like walking to Šunj beach. However, they only drive on promenade to transport of goods from the morning ferry. So, you’ll have to grab one on the street behind Hotel Grand.
Try hiking
If you go inland, you will find beautiful woods with untouched vegetation. There are a number of small roads that take you uphill. When you find time and energy to walk a bit, go uphill and you will be amazed by landscapes opening in front of your eyes. From the top of the fortress Sutvrač you can see all the way to the island of Koločep and Dubrovnik Gruz harbour. On the other side the whole village of Lopud is on the palm of your hand. It also provides a magnificent view of islands of Šipan and Mljet, even Pelješac peninsula, along with an endless open sea.
Explore historical sites
Be sure to visit historical monuments such as the ruins of the preromantic church St. Ilija, St. Peter church, St. Nikola church, St. Mauro church, St. Ivan church, Franciscan monastery, Dordic summer house, abandoned Dominican monastery and numerous other sights. We’ll be writing more on each of them in our blog soon. By the end of September 2018 Franciscan monastery is open for visitors as a part of art exhibition. In 1997, a private owner agreed to restore the monastery in exchange for a long-term concession. So, don’t miss the opportunity to see it from the inside.
If you want to learn more on Lopud history check out this great blog written by local Marko Labaš.
