Planning a Boat Day to the Elaphiti Islands

The Elaphiti Islands are the easiest answer to “what should we do for a day on a boat from Dubrovnik?” The two closest inhabited islands — Koločep and Lopud — are car-free, green and ringed with swimming coves, and Koločep is only about 25 minutes from our berth at Marina Frapa Dubrovnik. Lopud has one of the few genuinely sandy beaches on this stretch of the Adriatic. Here is how we plan an Elaphiti day for guests of Rent Boat Dubrovnik, and what it costs.

Two ways to do it

There are two Elaphiti tours in our programme, and the choice usually comes down to group size and how much you want the day to be yours.

• Private Elaphiti Islands day — €500 per group (as of 2026-10-05). 8 hours, 10:00 to 18:00, for up to 12 guests, with skipper, fuel, safety equipment, a cooler with ice and as many swim stops as you want. The route below is the default, but it is your boat: linger longer at the beach, skip a stop, or add a cove the skipper knows.
• Elaphiti group day with lunch — €65 per person, €30 per child. 9 hours, 09:00 to 18:00, on a shared boat, with lunch in a village restaurant, a welcome drink and beach towels included, and a stop at Šipan on the way home. The best value if you are travelling as a couple or on your own.

Both leave from Marina Frapa Dubrovnik, Lapadska obala 21a, and both include the skipper — nobody needs a boating licence for an Elaphiti day. If you would rather drive yourself to the islands, you will need a recognised boating licence or ICC and one of our larger boats; the no-licence Pasara 5 HP is a coastal boat and is not suitable for the crossing.

The route, and why the order matters

Our default loop runs Koločep first, Lopud second, then home. The reason is the wind. On a typical summer day the maestral, the afternoon north-westerly, builds from around midday, and you want it behind you on the run back to Dubrovnik rather than on the beam. Swimming early at Koločep and having the long stop on Lopud in the middle of the day keeps the rougher water for the leg where the boat is pointed home.

Koločep — the swim warm-up

Koločep is the smallest and nearest of the inhabited Elaphiti islands, with two villages, Donje Čelo and Gornje Čelo, and no roads to speak of. The first stop is a swim in one of its sheltered coves. This is also the island of the Blue Cave — the Koločep sea cave our Blue Cave tours visit, 25 minutes from Dubrovnik, not to be confused with the far more distant Biševo cave off the central Dalmatian coast. If the cave is your priority, look at the private Blue Cave tour (€280 per group, 4 hours) or the group version at €60 per person.

Lopud and Šunj Beach — the long stop

Lopud’s southern bay holds Šunj Beach, a shallow, sandy crescent that is the reason many families pick this tour over any other. The water stays waist-deep a long way out, which makes it the safest swimming of the day for children. Expect to spend the longest part of the day here: swim, walk the beach, and have lunch either on the beach or back in Lopud village.

Lopud village — lunch

Lopud’s harbour village is a single waterfront of stone houses, a long promenade, a Franciscan monastery at the northern end and a row of family-run restaurants. On the private tour, lunch ashore on Lopud is at your own pace and your own expense; on the group day a restaurant lunch is included in the price. Grilled fish, black risotto and the local white wine are the standard order.

The way back

Leaving Lopud, the skipper will usually pick one more swim stop — a second Lopud bay, or a cove on Šipan, the largest of the three islands — before the run back along Koločep and into the Dubrovnik channel. On the private tour you are back at Marina Frapa by 18:00, which still leaves time for a shower and dinner in the Old Town, about 15 minutes away by taxi.

What to bring

• Swimwear, a towel and a hat. On the group day towels are provided.
• Reef-safe sunscreen — shade on the boat is limited, and there is none on the beach.
• Cash or a card for lunch and drinks on Lopud (private tour).
• A dry bag for phones. The boat has a cooler with ice for your own drinks.
• Water shoes are useful on the rockier Koločep coves; Šunj is sand.

Weather and cancellations

Island days are at the mercy of the wind. We watch DHMZ, the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service, and if DHMZ issues a marine wind warning for your day we cancel and refund 100%, even inside 24 hours. Otherwise, cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure with a full refund; inside 24 hours for other reasons it is non-refundable, but we will rebook you into the next available slot free of charge whenever we can. The season runs April to October, and the sea is warmest for Šunj from June to September.

Beyond the Elaphiti

If you have already done the Elaphiti, or want somewhere wilder, Mljet National Park — with its two saltwater lakes and the island monastery — is our next full-day private destination. For walking, cycling and ferry information on the islands themselves, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board covers Koločep, Lopud and Šipan, all of which belong to the City of Dubrovnik.

Booking

Pick the Elaphiti private tour or the group day with lunch and book online through our booking page, or send the date and group size to WhatsApp +385 91 600 1201. Payment is by card through Stripe Checkout, or by card or cash at the marina by prior arrangement.