Dubrovnik: An Escape to Lopud Island
I didn’t set an alarm this morning because I figured I could use a good night’s sleep and when I woke up just before 9am, I didn’t really have a plan in place for the day. I knew I wanted to explore one of the neighboring islands, but hadn’t really settled on which one. I lazily checked ferry times and when I realized there weren’t a ton of options, I made a quick decision to head to Lopud Island and kicked it into high gear. I had to get ready, get to the port, buy my ticket and board the ferry in less than forty minutes… but surprisingly I made all of that happen with time to spare! Being on the ferry made me miss the Baltra and also made me appreciate the freedom we had to sail from one place to the next. I’d settle for the sink faucet shower and the small bed to be back on that boat right now.
Lopud is one of the three inhabited Elaphiti Islands sitting in the middle of the other two; Šipan and Koločep. It’s famous for it’s white sand beaches (extremely rare in Croatia), especially Plaža Šunj, which is widely regarded as the best beach in the Dubrovnik region. Skipper Nik dropped anchor in Šunj Bay on the last day of our sailing adventure, but we were far from the shore so I’m excited to spend time on the beach and see the island from a different perspective.
After an hour on the ferry, we arrived at port where the main settlement of Lopud island lies within a sheltered bay facing northwest. A seaside promenade is lined with cafes, restaurants, shops and hotels and the stone houses continue up the hill looking out over the water. The island is home to two monasteries, thirty churches and noble palaces, but I’m headed straight to the beach for a little R & R.
There are no cars on the island, so the locals get around via golf carts. Several sit at the beginning of the path that leads up and over the hill to the other side of the island and will offer to give you a ride to Šunj Beach for 25 kuna ($4 USD). I decided to walk so I could enjoy more of the island while getting some exercise, but once I was on the path there wasn’t a lot to see except lush vegetation and the hills were steep.
When I finally came around the bend and saw the beach and bay spread out below, I knew I had made the perfect choice on how to spend my day. The views are absolutely stunning and this is exactly what I needed. I made my way down to the beach, paid for a lounge chair and sprawled out to bake in the mediterranean sun… Heaven.
Back in Dubvronik, I headed to the western edge of Old Town where two bars are built into the cliff on the outside of the city walls. You wouldn’t know these Buža (hole-in-the-wall) bars exist unless you’re looking for them… they’re basically unmarked besides the “Cold Drinks” arrow pointing to one of the two. Walk through a doorway in the walls and you’ll find tables set up on a series of terraces built into the rocks, people swimming in the Adriatic below, an upbeat soundtrack playing and beautiful views, especially at sunset. I also walked in to the entire bar hooting and hollering their encouragement for the nervous cliff jumper who was trying to make himself take the leap, but kept chickening out. It was great entertainment as I enjoyed a couple cocktails and watched the sun set over the water. Btw, about 35 minutes later, the dude finally worked up the courage to take the plunge, but most people had given up hope at that point and weren’t even paying attention.
At this point, I was starving and ready to treat myself to a nice dinner. The first recommended restaurant had no availability, so I walked all the way across the walled city and up nearly a hundred steps to the highly recommended Lady Pi-Pi, only to arrive to a long line of people anxiously awaiting to be seated. It was already 9pm and I really didn’t feel like heading all the way back down the steps to the heart of Old Town in search of option #3, so against my rumbling stomach, I decided to wait it out. I ended up befriending the couple waiting in front of me and when it was their turn to be sat (fifty-five minutes later), the hostess asked them if they were okay sharing a table. The couple was quick to ask if I wanted to join them, so the three of us sat down together.
They were from Copenhagen and had two grown children, one of which is a famous “You-tuber” in Denmark. We decided to order three different entrees and share all of them so we could try more of the recommended dishes. I really enjoyed my time with them and the opportunity to learn more about their culture and life in Denmark. This is what I love about traveling… I just had dinner with a couple from the other side of the world who I met ten minutes before sitting down to share a meal with them! How cool is that? We didn’t take a photo at dinner to document our experience, but I ran into them the next morning hiking the town walls and we captured that moment!
