Sipan Island holidays

Sipan Island holidays are ideal for nature lovers – days are spent wandering along vine-covered trails, tucking into net-fresh seafood and swimming in the glass-clear Adriatic.

The Golden Island

Sipan’s been the chic summer getaway for well-heeled Dubrovnik families for hundreds of years, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s affectionately named ‘the golden island’, not only due to the rich olive oil it produces, but because residents and visitors alike think its untouched beauty deserves a gold star. Just an hour’s ferry ride from the city, the island’s make-up-free beauty provides the perfect backdrop for escaping the hustle and bustle. Here, the traditional Dalmatian way of living hasn’t been shelved.

Two town triumph

Sipan is small, but perfectly formed. The whole island only covers six square miles, so it’s easy to explore its tapestry of stone houses, churches, olives groves and vineyards. There are two towns, connected by a single road, which is dotted with palaces built by the wealthy during Dubrovnik’s golden years. Sipanska Luka is the biggest of the two, but it still falls into the category of a fishing village. Grab a coffee by the sea and watch the fisherman haul in their daily catch. Sudurad, meanwhile, is a sleepy harbour-front town, crowned by the 16th-century castle of the Skocibuha family.

Daytrips to Dubrovnik

Sipan might be off the tourist track, but its UNESCO-stamped neighbour certainly doesn’t fly under the radar. Hop on a ferry from the port in Sudurad and you’ll glide into Dubrovnik’s harbour after an hour on board. Here, you can spend the day strolling along the city’s marble-paved streets, past terracotta-topped Medieval houses, ancient palaces and Renaissance churches.