Croatian Islands - Elafiti( Lopud, Kolocep, Sipan), Mljet, Korcula, Lastovo

Jabuka (Apple),Brusnik - Volcanic islands

Group of islands called Elafiti consists of 14 island, between which only 3 are inhabited, those are Kolocep (or italian Calamotta), Lopud and Sipan. On Kolocep and Lopud there are no cars, and these islands are also known by sandy beaches and number of sunny days during the year. These islands are almost completely covered by pine and high maquis, with all the ingredients of evergreen Mediterranean vegetation. Kolocep and Lopud have more than 250 sunny days a year. On both island there are nudist beaches. Closest to Dubrovnik of Elafiti islands is Kolocep, it takes about 20 minutes by boat to get there, so many tourists are taking daily trips to Elafiti islands.
Two members of Christopher Columbus' crew on the Santa Maria were sailors from Kolocep. Archaeological remnants of ancient European conquerors have been found on the island: from the ancient times of Greece and Rome to the Napoleonic times.
A sea kayaking journey around Elafiti Island takes you through dramatic landscapes of giant rocks, high cliffs, colorful reefs, hidden caves and quiet bays.
If you like a quiet vacation, a beautiful nature, some but not to much exercise, a good diner and a nice glass of wine - Kolocep or Lopud are right choices for you.
Find more about sports activities here.

Island Lopud

Mljet is, without exaggeration, the most beautiful Adriatic island. Its Latin name, Melita, means honey, so it got its name by large swarms of bees. Mljet is 30 km long and 1.5 km wide and 72% of it is covered by dense forest. Part of the island Mljet is National park. There are two depressions on the island, which are connected with sea and those are creating so called big and small lake.
The first inhabitants who populated the island of Mljet in the II century BC were Illyrians from the Peljesac peninsula and the valley of the Neretva.
Shortly after that the Romans began to inhabit middle Adriatic islands.
While domiciled Issa (Vis), Korkyra Melaina (Korcula), Pharos (Hvar) and other islands along the Adriatic coast, Mljet were used as shelter from the storm, mostly in the port Polace because of its proximity to sources of drinking water.
From that period there are number of preserved stone forts, and traces of Roman times seen in a number of amphorae on sunken ships.
The first concrete information about the inhabitants of the island of Mljet can be found in the work of the Roman writer Appiana 'De rebus Illyricus' from the I century BC. He describes the wars of Roman emperor Octavius with the Illyrians on the island of Korcula and Mljet, because of the pirate attacks on its ships. From the Western part of the island then was created the Roman imperial possession, a palace for a Roman governor was built in Polace. That palace and the Diocletian Palace in Split, are the most important cultural monuments in Dalmatia.
The island Mljet is linked by ferry and catamaran to Dubrovnik and by ferry to Trstenik on the Peljesac peninsula.
Most accommodation options on Mljet are private rooms, pansions, apartments.
Half and full pansion make up for an approximate capacity of 950 beds in private accommodationon Mljet. There is one hotel on Mljet, it's the hotel Odyssey.
On Mljet you can hike or ride a bicycle in the forest trails. You can take courses in diving or sailing, or rent a kayak or boat. Fishing is allowed with the permission everywhere except in the part of the island which is national park.

More about the sports activities find out here.
One of the best way to holidays in Croatia is sailing.You can start your sailing holidays from Dubrovnik and see all this beatiful islands.Other way to see this island is seven days adventure with sea kayak from Dubrovnik.

Best for unspoilt nature: Island Mljet (South Dalmatia) -Jane Foster, www.guardian.co.uk

Island Mljet

As you can see from the chapter titles we are leaving the southern Dalmatia - islands gravitating Dubrovnik.
We are moving over to the islands, which are gravitating to Split, although Lastovo and Korcula have postal code of Dubrovnik region.
Lastovo and Korcula don't have direct connection with Dubrovnik, they have it with Split. It takes around 4 hours from Split to Lastovo, because ferry stops on the island of Korcula. When will be writing about Korcula you'll see why docking of the ferry in Vela Luka is extending time of trip between Split and Lastovo so much.
The island of Lastovo belongs to the central Dalmatian archipelag. Thirteen kilometers south of Korcula, the island is one of the most remote inhabited in the Adriatic Sea.
The island of Lastovo is surrounded with 46 islands, between those the most famous group of islands is Lastovnjaci on the east side of Lastovo. Also, on Lastovo there are 46 hills, 46 debris fields and 46 churches. The climate is Mediterranean, mild winters, hot dry summers, more than 2700 hours of sunshine annually.
The island has less than 1000 inhabitants (half of it in the town of Lastovo) which are engaged in agriculture, tourism and fishing.
Lastovo is rich with fish, because of small number of inhabitants on large part of the island and a large number of islands around it.
Twenty years ago the Yugoslav Army was on the island and the tourists did not have access. This is the reason why Lastovo has been saved from devastation, and why is Lastovo an excellent location for holidays in the silence, especially if you love diving and fishing.

Cactus                                       Skrivena luka (hidden harbor)      Zaklopatica

Korcula is the sixth largest Adriatic island. Its 16,182 (2001) inhabitants make it the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk. The island is largely covered with Mediterranean flora including extensive pine forests.
The economy, besides tourism, is based on agriculture, namely the cultivation of grape vines, olives and fruit, and fishing and fish processing. Shipbuilding still exists although it was once more important to the local economy.
Ferries connect the city of Korcula with Orebic on the Peljesac peninsula. Another line connects Vela Luka with Split and the island of Lastovo. Fast passenger catamarans connect those two ports with Split and the islands of Hvar and Lastovo. The main Adriatic ferry line connects Korcula with Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar and Rijeka and in summer there are direct ferries to Italian Adriatic ports.
Today, the island of Korcula represents a unique fusion of beautiful nature, thousands of years of cultural tradition and history, and modern tourism. Numerous beautiful beaches and bays, luxurious hotels and summer houses, centuries old olive groves and vineyards, and ancient towns and villages on the island which seem as if they have remained lost in some long past time attract tourist from all over the world to this island.
Vela Luka (translated it means big harbour) is second largest place on island of Korcula with around 4500 inhabitants. It is situated on the west part of the island at the end of deep bay. There are few hotels in Vela Luka and Kalos - medical centre for rheumatic disorders and rehabilitation.
Proiz and Osjak are favorable and popular excursion sites and the inevitable destination to all visitors of Vela Luka.
Island Proizd, with beach of the year of Croatian Adriatic 2007, is situated about half an hour with a boat from Vela Luka.
The vicinity of Dubrovnik as well as island Mljet gives visitors to Korcula unique opportunity to spend time at this unspoiled Island as well as to visit effortlessly Mljet, national park, Dubrovnik, UNESCO's city or Mostar and Neretva River.

Korcula city walls                        Old city entrance                         Pupnatska luka

If you cannot choose island for vacation, than you are not easy to satisfy. Please wait until my next lens about Southern Dalmatian islands(Vis, Hvar, Brac, Palagruza). Lenses about Northern Dalmatian islands and islands of Northern Adriatic will follow.
If you are a nudist, you can find nudist camps and beaches in Croatia here.
If you don't like to spend your time on the islands, you can choose sailing along Adriatic coast and its islands.