Day Trip: Sipan and Lopud

The so-called Elafiti Islands were outposts to defend the city as well as vacation destinations for aristocrats during the Republic of Dubrovnik/Ragusa, which lasted from the 1300s to the 1800s. Small palaces, fortified villas and 15^th- and 16^th-century churches all attest to its historic past. Sipan’s northern village, Sipanska, is quiet and relatively tourist-free, and home to Konoba kod Marka (385-20-758-007), which many tout as the best restaurant in Croatia. Sudurac, the southern village, has two castle-villas, whose gardens are beautiful, despite being poorly maintained. The pasture located between the two villages is a peaceful spot for a walk; the vineyards there are scattered with lost houses as well as a few old churches.