Šipan
Croatia · Europe
About
Šipan (pronounced [ʃǐpan]) is an island located in southern Croatia and part of the city of Dubrovnik, the capital of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County. It is located 17 km (11 mi) northwest of Dubrovnik, and is separated from the mainland coast by the Koločep Channel, which has an area of 16.22 km2 (6.3 sq mi). The island is 9.1 km (5.7 mi) in length, and up to 2.6 km (1.6 mi) in width. It is a part of the Elaphiti Islands, and is the largest island in the archipelago. The name of the archipelago comes from the Ancient Greek word for deer (Greek: ἔλαφος, romanized: elaphos), which—according to Pliny the Elder—used to inhabit the Elaphiti Islands in large numbers.
Šipan's population was 476 as of 2021, an increase from the 416 people in 2011. Its highest point, the Velji Vrh, lies at 243 m (797 ft) above sea level, and is located in the northwestern part of the island. The Velji Vrh is one of two limestone crests on the island, the other being the Kameni Luk, located in the southeast. Fruits such as oranges and other citrus are cultivated on the island. It holds the Guinness World Record for the most olive trees relative to an island's size and population.
Šipan can be reached by ferries from Dubrovnik, which also go to Lopud and Koločep, locally known as Kalamota, the latter of which is the southernmost inhabited island in Croatia. The ports of Suđurađ and Šipanska Luka make up the only two inhabited towns on the island.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.