Exploring Croatia: Day 3 in Dubrovnik

Without a doubt, my favourite day in Croatia was the third day of our trip. I booked through GetYourGuide an 8 hour day trip touring the Elaphiti Islands, followed by a cable car up Mount Srd and a steak dinner with the biggest slice of tiramisu I have ever devoured. In the words of Huda from this year's Love Island USA, my dream date... cute!

The Elaphiti Islands

Just off the coast of Dubrovnik, the Elaphiti Islands are a small chain of gems scattered across the Adriatic. Their name comes from the Greek word elaphos (meaning deer), though today you’re more likely to spot pine forests and citrus groves than wildlife. Out of the thirteen islands, only three are inhabited; Koločep, Lopud, and Šipan, each offering its own character.

Koločep is closest and most peaceful, with sandy bays and brief walking trails edged with pines. Lopud has Šunj Beach, one of only a handful of sandy beaches on the islands, and an car-free, laid-back ambiance. Šipan, the largest of the islands, has rural villages, vineyards, and olive groves alongside hints of its former aristocracy in ancient summer homes and churches.

The Elaphiti have been Dubrovnik's idyllic sanctuary forever once dotted with summer residences of the nobility, now appealing to those who want to slow down a bit, to take a swim in unspoiled waters, or to taste life on an island outside the city walls.

My Trip Experience

With the trip I booked with GetYourGuide, we paid around £55 each for this day trip to each island, including unlimited drinks and a meal of either chicken, fish or a vegetarian option. It was the best value for money, may I add, the attentivenesss of the crew topping up on our drinks and the clean, efficent service was all 10/10.

After setting off at 9am from the dock and a quick run down of the rules from our hostess, drinks quickly begun being served. I was offered white wine at 9am and of course I jumped at that oppourtunity (working part-time in a pub this is very normal for me). Thinking nothing of it, Chloe and our hostess (Emily) both made comments on my alcoholism, but Emily kindly reminded me that it is 5 o'clock somewhere! However not all of us need this level of reassurance to have an early drink for a long day trip ahead.

The crew invites you to speak to your neighbours sat next to and opposite you on the ride. Fortunately we were sat opposite a delightful Aussie gentelmen named Ardin who was in Croatia just stopping through for a few days like us, before attending a friends wedding in Bosnia the day after our trip. We chatted about our lives and our jobs in our home countries and bonded over Married At First Sight Australia (peak reality TV).

Kolocep Island

Our first stop of the day and the shortest was Kolocep Island or known more to locals as Kalamota. This island thrives on local products, like Maria’s jams and sweets stall, which we stumbled upon shortly after arriving.

We spent around 45 minutes on this quaint island, taking in its beauty, resting on the small pebbled beach, checking out the tourist shop (with minimal stock) and sun-bathing, soaking in the island vibes. Once we finished up here and returned to the boat, it was time for our next stop, Sipan.

Sipan Island

Within 30 minutes of our departure from Kolocep we arrived at Sipan Island. Upon arrival Emily gives us a short introduction to the island with its rich and fascinating history.

There is a population here of around 250 people and it is the only island that is big enough to justify having proper roads and cars. As quite a traditional village, the families inhabited here for generations who have tried the best they could, at least, to keep things as they used to be a long time ago. So it's really nice to just walk around in the streets and see how people here live. The Mediterranean style architecture stunned with houses made of stones with these orange roofs which is quite traditional for the area.

For olives, they were in the Guinness Book of Records for having the biggest number of olive trees in one island per person. So they don't have that many people, but they do have over 300,000 olive trees on this island, they are exalted by the hour for oil. There is some local salmon, because they do like homemade and spicy food.

The second local product would be the wine. You would see some signs for wine tasting. But in this sense, by wine tasting they mean they have the different types of wine, and you can buy one glass of each, and that's wine tasting, not a full experience.

It was now time for lunch included on the trip before we set off for Lopud Island. The lunch was OK, slightly lack-lustre, I regret not choosing the fish option as the chicken we had was rather dry. The best part of the meal however was watching the crew and the other travellers feeding their remains of fish and some fries to the seagulls who followed our boat. Then after we pulled into Lopud dock, Emily and another guest showed us the fish who would gather to eat the other food wastage thrown over board, it was an incredible fish out of water sight.

Lopud Island

After another 30 minutes travelling we reached Lopud Island with a populaton with around 250 people again, Emily gave us a little more background on this tranquil car-free island.

There was the option to go on an excursion to the famous blue and green caves here but we chose not to pay the extra fee. However for any of those who do care to go the extra mile, this was an extra €20 to experience the clear tranquil waters for themselves.

Lopud is best known for Šunj Beach, a wide sandy stretch that feels like a rare gem in a country of pebbled shores. The water is shallow, warm, and perfect if you’re the type who likes to wade in slowly instead of plunging.

The island itself is small enough to wander on foot, with crumbling monasteries, overgrown gardens, and citrus groves tucked between the hills. Locals will tell you Lopud once had more boats than residents, and considering how many ruined stone mansions still stand as reminders of its wealthy past, you can almost picture it.

During its 15th and 16th century golden age as a maritime power, Lopud was home to so many ships and sailors that it was considered a quarter of the entire fleet for the Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik). The historical emphasis on ships and the sea is still echoed today in the island's culture and ruins of ancient palaces and churches.

From Emilys information, she advised this island was really nice and beautiful to walk around, with beautiful water and a stunning 16th century monastery to the left of the dock which takes around 35 minutes to walk up. The top holds a panoramic view of the village and is close to get back to.The monastery itself is private nowadays, the back part of it has some VIP exposure and some fancy houses for those who can afford it., but then the jersey service takes about 35 minutes walk.

On the way there, on the green-land area, there is a botanical garden. It is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Croatia but she explained there were not that many flowers to see as expected of a botanical garden. She described it more like a park, but a really nice, great park, especially on days like today, where it's really fresh and really green.

Another option to explore this Island (which me and Chloe opted for) was to grab a golf cart to the gorgeous beach on the backside of the island there for €3 per person, each way. Walking is also an option but it's very long in the peak summer heat and wouldn't leave you much time to properly enjoy the beach.

The short buggy ride was extremely fun and sort of scary, but completly worth the views. Sunj has to be one of the prettiest beaches I have been to, with stunning green mountain scenery and wooden swing situated in the sea; tranquil is not good enough to describe how this beach made me feel, it was a shame to leave.

Mount Srd

Once we had arrived back to shore, we decided to go from one extreme to another- it was time to see Croatia from 400 meters high.

Mount Srd overlooks the Old Town and provides spectacular panoramic views day and night. It gives a refreshing view of the city from up in the clouds and away from the crowds. It can be reached by cable car taking approx 4mins and costing €30 for a round trip. The other way is by hiking the trail from Old Town which takes around 1.5 to 2 hours for whoever wants to tick this off their Croatia bucket list. There is even the option to take a buggy safari up to the top with trips costing around €100.

But Srd isn’t only about beauty, at its summit sits Fort Imperial, built by Napoleon’s troops in the early 19th century. The fort later became a key defensive point during the Croatian War of Independence in the 1990s, and today it houses a museum that tells the story of Dubrovnik’s resilience.

They have their summer program hosting events every evening for free, with live music, DJ's, movies and painting- check their website to find out whats on!

My experience with the live band at sunset was sublime. The band played a range of well known hits and local music at this vast but intimate amphitheatre . Waiters come by with menus for drinks and snacks while you watch and bring the orders to where you're sat in the arena which is very handy.

You can choose to dine in the Panorama Restaurant here, at a hefty price but with amazing views. We chose the save it instead and venture to find somewhere that sold steak at a more affordable price.

Dinner- King Richards Old Town

To end this adventurous day we needed a good meal. To compare our dinner at King Richards to our boat lunch has the same vibes as when we went from sea to sky. Complete opposites.

This spot that leans into the city’s medieval charm while serving up hearty, modern Mediterranean fare.

The setting is undeniably atmospheric with stone walls, flickering candlelight, and a touch of theatrics that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a feast straight out of a history book.

The menu balances traditional Croatian flavours with crowd-pleasers, from fresh seafood platters to rich meat dishes. The steak here was served quite small but for €30 I wasn't going to complain. Although the star of the show would have to be their Tiramisu.

Chloe comically asked the waiter for a very large slice (we were hungry girls who love Tiramisu) and we had been hunting for this dessert our whole trip.

What the waiter brought out did not disappoint.

The combination of ambience and entertainment makes this spot worth the price if you’re after something memorable.

It’s not the place for a quiet, tucked-away dinner, but if you’re looking for a fun, immersive dining experience with a medieval twist, King Richard’s definitely delivers.