A blissfully sandy, shallow bay on the eastern side of Lopud island, Šunj is one of the Dubrovnik region’s most beautiful beaches, and is well worth taking the ferry trip to see.

Walking from Lopud village to reach the beach (45min) takes you through a landscape of mixed forest and Mediterranean maquis, passing a ruined fortress and a pair of chapels on the way. In the height of summer, golf carts ferry visitors from the port to the beach in a matter of minutes.

Šunj has become something of a party beach on recent years with a line of beach bars hugging the rear. The centre of the beach has-been taken over by pay-to-sprawl sun-loungers, much to the chagrin of locals who are accustomed to plonking their towel where they wish. It remains a uniquely attractive spot, however, and the party crowd can be avoided if you go early in the day.

There’s a designated nudist section on the northern lip of the bay.

Practical Info

Šunj is easy to visit from Dubrovnik as a day trip: take the daily Jadrolinija ferry to Lopud from Dubrovnik’s port of Gruž (2 daily in winter to 4-5 daily in summer).