Spending half day on Lokrum Island near Dubrovnik is an excellent way to get away from the masses of tourists in the city and explore some gorgeous nature! You can easily get to from Dubrovnik the ferry to Lokrum Island and takes only 15-20 minutes. From this short ride, you can see the beauty of Dubrovnik Old Town harbor, as well as the beauty of Lokrum Island from afar. I am not the biggest fan of nature destinations (I am such a city girl); but I have to say that this island is a true beauty. I was completely mesmerised by its rock formations and its vegetation.
Upon arriving on the island, you will see a map that shows all the attractions on the island All around there are directions albeit quite confusing sometimes. You will see a lot of lovely peacocks all around, and not so many tourists. Despite all this, I felt very safe and enjoyed exploring the island in peace and quiet. Check out the sights I saw in a half day on Lokrum Island!
The Rocks
On my way to Charlotte’s Well (which I never found because of the confusing directions on the island), I discovered the Rocks; they are a beautiful rock formation on the other side of the island. You can reach them by going straight from the Ranger’s House (currently an information centre). The rock formations, the vegetation and the seaview make for a beautiful photo opportunity.
The Dead Sea
The Island also has a Dead Sea and it took me quite a while to find it. But when I did, I was mesmerised with the rock formations, the trees and the water. The Dead Sea is a salt-filled lake where it is easy to swim in. It was formed by the collapse of an underground cave. When I left Croatia and did some more research about Lokrum Island, I found out that its Dead Sea is 10m deep!
Benedictine Monastery Complex
The Monastery Complex consist of remnants of the basilica, a monastery with a cloister garden and the summer residence of Maximilian of Habsburg with gardens and parks.
The Botanical Garden
Lokrum Island hosts a bautiful botanical garden with over 800 plan species. It was founded in 1959 in order to research the adaptation of exotic plants to the Lokrum lcimate. Unfortunately, it was severely damaged in the last war.
Peacocks and Rabbits
As soon as you start exploring the island and going further that the shore, you will start to spot peacocks (adults and babies!). And when I kept exploring, on the way from the Rocks to the Monastery Complex, I encountered a lot of rabbits. The families of peacocks were introduced by Archduke Maximilian from the Canary Islands. In 2014, The European rabbit was also introduced illegally – while it is very cute, it is also damaging to the plants in the Botanic Garden.
Lokrum myth: did you know it’s a Lokrum island is cursed?
The Benedictine monks, that have been on the island for hundreds of years, were evicted in 1808 after the French took possession of the island; before they left, they put a curse on the island: they circled the island in a procession, with the candles lit upside down, leaving a trail of wax. They were chanting “Whosoever claims Lokrum for his own personal pleasure shall be damned!”. Future owners died mysteriously from suicide, murder and drowning. Even today, nobody own the island of Lokrum, so there is no way for you to spend the night over there – but you can still enjoy a half day on Lokrum Island!
Lokrum is such a beautiful and peaceful island, and at only a 15-minute erry ride, it would be a shame not to give it a try. Would you spend half day on Lokrum island?