Lying just southeast of the Old Town, the green island of Lokrum has long been celebrated for its beaches, gardens, and network of forest paths. Now a protected nature reserve, it is reached via ten-minute boat crossing from the Old Town.

Around the Island

Visitors disembark on the north shore of the island, from where it is a five-minute walk to a former Benedictine monastery founded, according to legend, by shipwrecked English King Richard the Lionheart.

The monastery was an important centre of learning before being disbanded during the Napoleonic occupation of the early nineteenth century. It was subsequently purchased by Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg, who laid out the ornamental gardens that descend south from the monastery towards the coast.

Immediately west of the monastery is a botanical garden, crammed with exotic succulents and cacti.

There is a clutch of popular beaches around the island’s eastern rim, and a Napoleonic-era fortress located an easy twenty-minute stroll from the monastery at the island’s highest point.

Practical Info

Boats to Lokrum leave from the Old Port right outside the Old Town (every 30min in high season, less often in spring & autumn; timetables are posted on the quay)

Tickets: Return boat trip and entrance to the island €27