Lokrum Island

Lokrum is the green island you see from every viewpoint in Dubrovnik, lying just off the Old Town, and it is the easiest and most rewarding escape from the city. The official ferry leaves from the old port and takes about fifteen minutes, and once you land the noise of the city simply disappears. The island has been a protected forest reserve since 1948, one of the oldest in Croatia, and is part of the Dubrovnik UNESCO site; around nine tenths of it is covered in pine, holm oak and olive, threaded with shady paths. At its centre is a former Benedictine monastery, founded in the eleventh century and dissolved in the Napoleonic era, whose cloister and gardens now hold a small exhibition and a replica Iron Throne that you can sit on, a reminder that Lokrum stood in for the city of Qarth in Game of Thrones. Around it, the botanical garden was laid out in the nineteenth century, when the island belonged to Archduke Maximilian of Austria, later the ill-fated emperor of Mexico, and his peacocks still strut the paths, descended from the birds he brought. On the south side, the Dead Sea is a small saltwater lake connected to the open sea through the rock, sheltered, warm and perfect for children; on the eastern shore, flat rocks shelve into deep, clear water, and there is a long-established naturist area. At the highest point, the star-shaped Fort Royal, built by the French in the early nineteenth century, offers a view back to the walls. The ferry ticket includes the reserve entrance fee, and there is a fixed entrance fee even if you arrive by kayak or private boat.

A good Lokrum day starts early. The first boats are quieter, the paths are cool, and you can claim a spot on the rocks before the island fills. Walk up to Fort Royal first, for the view over the Old Town and the open sea, then drop down to the monastery and the botanical garden, and spend the middle of the day swimming at the Dead Sea or off the rocks. There are a couple of simple cafes and a restaurant near the monastery, but prices are island prices, so many people bring a picnic and plenty of water. Wear sturdy sandals or water shoes; there are no sandy beaches and the limestone is sharp. Note the rules: overnight stays, camping, fires, fishing and collecting plants are forbidden, smoking is restricted, and the last boat back is your deadline, so check the time when you land.

The ferry runs on a seasonal schedule, frequent in summer and thinner in spring and autumn, and the island effectively closes in the deep winter months, when boats are suspended or very limited; the reserve also publishes notices when bad weather stops crossings. The official ferry is the simplest option because its ticket includes the reserve fee and the return trip. Ticket sales are at the old port, under the arches near the harbour. Kayak tours that land on Lokrum and boat trips that combine it with the Trsteno Arboretum on the mainland are also available.

Families get the most from Lokrum: the peacocks, the throne, the saltwater lake and the short boat ride make an easy, happy half day. Couples should go late in the afternoon, when the light softens and the day-trippers thin out, and swim off the eastern rocks before the last boat. Photographers will want the view of the Old Town from the boat on the way back. If you only have one free afternoon in Dubrovnik and the crowds are getting to you, this is where to spend it.