Lokrum Island
Lokrum is a tiny island a 15-minute ferry ride from the port in Old Town. A lot has happened here over the years. Originally home to a Benedictine monastery dating back to 1023. Richard the Lionheart was apparently stranded here in 1192. And it later became an Austrian archduke’s summer home where he continued adding to the monk’s exotic botanical garden. Plus, there are peacocks, an old French fortress from 1806, a Dead Sea, and one authentic iron throne.
The island of Lokrum as seen from our plane flying in. Although barely over a mile and a half long, there are still plenty of things to see and do.
Board a ferry at Dubrovnik’s Old Town city harbor. Tickets can be purchased from booths nearby and the departure times are very frequent (approximately every 30 minutes).
Dock at the beautiful (and shaded) port area of Lokrum. Along this side are little concrete swimming areas for quick dips in the sea. Also, did I mention that this side was shaded?
My first time seeing a baby peacock! Peacocks are all over the island, and even welcomed us as we got off the boat.
The island is well equipped for the eager swimmer. There are changing rooms and bathrooms located just a few steps away from the port.
There are clear markers to the sites listed on the maps posted around the island, although a little more sparse towards the east end where the sites are more spread out. The gift shop by the port will also have free maps.
We first headed to the largest attraction: the remains of the old Benedictine monastery and surrounding garden areas. It was these monks who were rumored to have placed a curse on this island when they were forcibly evicted.
Parts of the old monastery are left as ruins to wander around in, parts have been turned into a restaurant, and other bits have been turned into a small museum about the history of the island.
As interesting as the storyboards and displays are, this is the most popular exhibit of this tiny museum. The original throne from the TV show Game of Thrones. There are many “Iron Thrones” scattered throughout gift shops on the mainland, but this is the real deal, donated by the TV show.
Back outside, a little way beyond the monastery is the Dead Sea. This saltwater pool formed inside the island from sea water creeping through subterranean cracks in the rock bed. The waters are calm, sheltered, and swimmable.
Even though there are no inhabitants on this island and no one is allowed to stay overnight (due to the curse), there are still a few restaurants and cafes.
Our favorite spot on the island. At this point, I’m not sure if it has a name yet, but unofficially it has been called the James Bond cave. Older maps don’t have this location listed, but just go past the cafe shown above.
There are a few paths around the island to follow. Some hug some go through the woods and all eventually lead to a shoreline.
Descriptively called “The Rocks” on the map, this area is perfect for wading and swimming around the shallows and getting a glimpse of the mainland of Dubrovnik beyond.
The most well-known and marked path is the Path of Paradise which leads up a hill to Fort Royal. “Paradise” would not be the word I would use to describe the trek upwards.
After a day of hiking around the island, we ended our visit by dipping our tired but happy feet in the water and chilling by the sea.