Lokrum Island

Lokrum

A forested island a 15-minute boat ride from the Old Town, with the ruins of a Benedictine monastery, peacocks, the “Dead Sea” salt lake, and the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones. It is a refuge from the crowds of the Old Town.

Lokrum Island lies about 600 meters southeast of the Old Town. It covers 0.7 square kilometers (0.3 square miles) and is a nature reserve covered in pine, cypress, and Mediterranean scrub. Legend says that Richard the Lionheart was shipwrecked and rescued here in 1192. Highlights of the island include the ruins of an 11th-century Benedictine monastery and a garden planted in the 19th century by Archduke Maximilian of Austria, now home to a flock of peacocks and rabbits. There is a salty lake known as the “Dead Sea,” where you can float and swim. At the top of the island, Fort Royal, built by the French in 1806, offers views over the Old Town and the open sea. The monastery also served as a filming location for King's Landing's Qarth in Game of Thrones, and its exhibition displays a replica of the Iron Throne donated by the production crew, which you can photograph for free. The rocky east coast is a naturist beach, and you can swim and snorkel from the other rocky shores, but there are no sandy beaches, so water shoes are needed. The island has one restaurant and a few snack stalls, and overnight stays and smoking or lighting fires are prohibited. Getting there: ferries leave the Old Port every 30 minutes (09:00 to 19:00 in summer). A round trip costs about €27, including island admission. The last return ferry leaves around 20:00. The crossing takes 15 minutes, and afternoon returns in peak season often involve queues. Going in the morning is recommended. A walk around the island with a swim takes about 3 to 4 hours. Bring water and sun protection; there is plenty of shade, but the rocks get very hot.

Lokrum Island

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