Lastovo
The reserved
With very few ferry services, most guidebooks don’t mention Lastovo.
The most remote island on the Croatian coast between Split and Dubrovnik, it was enough to whet our curiosity.
At the port of Ubli, a small tent from the tourist office explains that the Lastovo archipelago is made up of 46 islets, 46 churches, 46 vineyards and 46 hills over 46km2. Okay…
What is obvious above all when getting off the boat is the ambient calm and silence, almost deafening. It takes a few hours to adapt and gently dive into the languorous rhythm of this island where time seems to stand still.
With very few ferry services, most guidebooks don’t mention Lastovo.
The most remote island on the Croatian coast between Split and Dubrovnik, it was enough to whet our curiosity.
At the port of Ubli, a small tent from the tourist office explains that the Lastovo archipelago is made up of 46 islets, 46 churches, 46 vineyards and 46 hills over 46km2. Okay…
What is obvious above all when getting off the boat is the ambient calm and silence, almost deafening. It takes a few hours to adapt and gently dive into the languorous rhythm of this island where time seems to stand still.
Indeed, there is little traffic on the island, and travellers mostly use
the maze of 200km of paths and footpaths that Lastovo has to offer.
The only company is the birdsong and the reward of reaching a secluded cove with divine turquoise waters.
There is very little traffic on the island, and travellers mostly use the maze of 200km of footpaths and small hiking trails that Lastovo has to offer.
With only birdsong to keep them company, and the reward of reaching a secluded cove with divine turquoise waters.
Lastovo is the only island in Croatia to be declared a nature reserve in its entirety
and is one of the sunniest places on the Adriatic, with temperatures as high as 25° in May.
For diving enthusiasts, there are 18 dive sites on the island with mysterious shipwrecks.
According to Jacques-Yves Cousteau, oceanographer and expert diver, the waters around Lastovo are the most crystal-clear in the world.
Lastovo is the only island in Croatia to be declared a nature reserve in its entirety, and is one of the sunniest places on the Adriatic, with temperatures as high as 25° in May.
For diving enthusiasts, there are 18 dive sites on the island with mysterious wrecks. According to Jacques-Yves Cousteau, oceanographer and expert diver, the waters surrounding Lastovo are the most crystalline in the world.
At Lastovo, the nights are as magical as the days: in the middle of the Adriatic, with its pollution-free skies, the island is one of Europe’s best spots for stargazing.
In Lastovo, the nights are as magical as the days: in the middle of the Adriatic with a sky devoid of any pollution, the island is one of the best spots in Europe for observing the stars.
To infinity and beyond
Anyone who has come here will testify that nowhere else have they seen such a star-flecked night sky. Millions of stars… leaving the observer breathless. Impression confirmed by Slovenian astro-photographers Mikuz Herman and Andrej Mohar who declared that Lastovo benefited from one of the darkest and therefore best skies in Europe for erecting telescopes and other observation points. To further optimize the experience, the island has completely overhauled its urban lighting by reducing the intensity and reorienting its lamps so that the beams shine only towards the ground.
Once a pirate lair and then a military base, the island didn’t open up to tourism
until 1989 and has clearly remained in its natural state ever since. Self-sufficient and far removed from modernity for a long time, it still retains a certain inward-looking character.
The eponymous amphitheatrical village, with its back to the sea, is a rare sight on an island. Invisible from the sea, it is quite emblematic of the spirit that reigns over Lastovo with its stone houses adorned with typical chimneys, the “fumar”, and its small stepped streets lined with historic residences, unfortunately often in ruins.
Formerly a pirate hideout and military base, the island only opened to tourism in 1989 and has clearly remained in its natural state ever since.
Autarkic and far removed from modernity for a long time, it still retains a certain inward-looking attitude. As proof and quite rare on an island, its eponymous village, built in an amphitheater, has its back entirely to the sea. Invisible from the sea, it is quite emblematic of the spirit that reigns over Lastovo with its stone houses adorned with typical chimneys, the “fumar”, and its small stepped streets lined with historic residences, unfortunately often in ruins.
Lastovo Chimneys
Dating from the 15th and 16th century, they are all unique. Some even have horns to protect against the “evil eye”! This architectural expression remains a great mystery, no written evidence on this subject having been found to date. Everyone has their own theory. Some say that these strange constructions are related to the strong winds that blow in the region. Many having an appearance reminiscent of minarets, others suggest that a traveler, influenced by the constructions of the Middle East, would have built a first chimney reminiscent of Arab architecture. Charmed by the exotic appearance and as a social demonstration, the inhabitants would then have extended this practice to the rest of the island, competing in creativity.
No matter how much we searched during our stay, we will not find real places where people gather here, whether in the alleys of the village, the small bays or the few restaurants on the island. In the middle of August, we have the impression of being the only travelers even in the charming residential little bay of Lučica.
In the land of 1001 islands, Lastovo is an island in its raw state, far from the tourist trail.
With little access to the outside world, it is a paradise for lovers of solitude,
of hiking, astronomy, deserted coves and crystal-clear seas.
To live happily, let’s live hidden.
This still seems to be Lastovo’s motto today.
In the land of 1001 islands, Lastovo is an island in its raw state. Far off the beaten tourist track and not very open to the outside world, it’s a paradise for lovers of solitude, hiking, astronomy, deserted coves and crystal-clear seas.
To live happily, let’s live hidden.
This still seems to be Lastovo’s motto.
Lastovo is
9 km long by 5 km wide
Accessibility
Lodging capacity
Animation
Where is Lastovo located? Lastovo is the furthest island of the Dalmatian Islands, Croatia. Together with the islands of Mljet and Vis, the Adriatic Blue Corridor, one of the last remaining paradise oases of biodiversity in the Mediterranean, according to WWF.
How to get to Lastovo? Lastovo is equidistant from Dubrovnik and Split. The crossing lasts about 3h20 regardless of the port of embarkation.
How to get around Lastovo? No bus, but you can get around by scooter, car or boat. Rental possible on the port.
Where to sleep and eat in Lastovo? There are very few infrastructures on the island and the few present are rustic. However, you will be happy to note that the dozen restaurants on the island mainly serve locally produced food, including lobster, a specialty of Lastovo. They are found in the bays of Pasadur, Zaklopatica and Skrivena Luka. In the village there is a supermarket. No shop on the island.
Our favorite addresses:
Konoba Porto Rosso , restaurant in the pretty sunny and open bay of Skrivena Luka.
Konoba Triton , restaurant in the small bay of Zaklopatica. Possibility to rent apartments too.
Podanje Farmfamily-run agritourism in the countryside.
We stayed at L’Augusta Insula, which we do not recommend.
The book to take in your suitcase? One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
The song to include in his playlist? The Great Gig In The Sky by Pink Floyd.
And especially where to drink your Spritz? At Caffee bar Kokolo in Pasadur with its unobstructed view of the horizon. Go down near the benches to admire the sunset with your feet in the water.
If I had known, …
I would have brought my hiking boots to walk the paths of the island and admire Lastovo and its archipelago at 360° from the Heliodrom (also accessible by car…).
I would have taken tons of books and booked a boat trip to the islets of Saplun where the best beaches in the archipelago are located.
I absolutely would have tried a dish “under the Peka/ ispod peke”, the pinnacle of cooking over a real fire and Dalmatian tradition (via a heavy bell and a cast iron lid). This method gives dishes an incredible juicy flavor and a rich aromatic smell that will leave you speechless and will certainly be remembered for a long time. Cooking this type of meal can take 2 to 4 hours, so reservations are essential.
I would have taken a few more days to visit the neighboring islands of Mljet and Vis , which are totally different. Such a shame to be so close and to miss these nuggets.
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