The Elaphiti Islands or the Elaphites ( or Elafiti) is a small archipelago consisting of several islands stretching northwest of Dubrovnik, in the Adriatic Sea. The Elaphites have a total land area of around 30 km2 and a population of 850 inhabitants. The islands are covered with characteristic Mediterranean evergreen vegetation and attract large numbers of tourists during the summer tourist season due to their beaches and pristine scenery. Roman author Pliny the Elder was the first to mention the islands by the name Elaphiti Islands ( or Deer Archipelago) in his work Naturalis Historia, published in the 1st century. The name comes from the Ancient Greek word for deer (Doric: ἔλαφος; élaphos), which, according to Pliny the Elder, used to inhabit the islands in large numbers. There is, however, no evidence of deer ever inhabiting the archipelago.

Islands

Sources differ on the exact number of the Elaphiti Islands. According to a more recent classification, there are 13 islands in the archipelago, among them 8 larger (Olipa, Tajan, Jakljan, Šipan, Ruda, Lopud, Koločep and Daksa) and 5 smaller ones (Sveti Andrija, Mišnjak, Kosmeč, Goleč and Crkvine).

Main islands

Only the three main islands are permanently inhabited, each of which supports a modest tourist industry. They are connected with the mainland via daily ferry lines operated out of Dubrovnik.

Other notable islands

Greater Dubrovnik island