Planning a Boat Day to the Elaphiti Islands

The Elaphiti Islands are the easiest answer to “what should we do for a day on the boat from Dubrovnik?” Two car-free inhabited islands — Koločep and Lopud — sit twenty-five minutes from Marina Frapa. There is one sandy beach. There are several fish taverns. Here is how we plan an Elaphiti day for guests of Rent Boat Dubrovnik.

The order matters

We always run the Elaphiti loop counter-clockwise: Koločep first for a quick swim, then Lopud for the long lunch, then a return via Lopud’s east coast and one final cove. Why? The wind. The Maestral typically picks up after midday from the north-west, and you want it on your stern coming back, not pushing you sideways.

Koločep — the swim warm-up (45 min stop)

Koločep is the closest island. There is one good swim cove on the north side, just east of Donje Čelo village, and it is empty at 9:30am and full of cruise-ship tenders by 11am. Start there.

Lopud — the sandy beach play (90 min stop)

Lopud’s southern bay holds Sunj Beach — one of the only proper sand beaches in the south Dalmatian region. There is a single beach bar (Konoba Sunj) with a frico made by a man who has been making it since the 1990s. Drop anchor in 4-5 metres of sand, dinghy in. The beach faces south so the morning sun is on your back when you swim out.

Lopud town — the long lunch stop (2 hours)

Tie up at the Lopud town quay. Half a dozen fish taverns line the waterfront — we usually book Konoba Peggy because the owner remembers our skippers’ names. Order the grilled škarpina (scorpion fish) and the local dry rosé. This is the hour the trip is built around.

The way back — Lopud’s blue coves

Coming out of the Lopud harbour, hug the east coast. There is a tiny cove called Dubova directly under the abandoned Franciscan monastery — the rope swing was put up by local kids in 2018 and has stayed up. Anchor for one more swim.

Cost reality check

A full Elaphiti day with a private skipper on our Quicksilver 675 costs €300 from Rent Boat Dubrovnik plus fuel (typically €60-€80 for the round trip). The same day on Viator with the same captain runs €360-€390 because they take a 25-30% commission. We thought you should know.

If you’d rather we book it — send us a WhatsApp or pick the Elaphiti private tour.