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The largest and least developed of the populated Elaphites, the island of šipan is a delightful combination of craggy hills strung out around a long, fertile plain thick with olive trees and vines and dotted with the occasional hamlet.

There are no special sights and there's certainly no nightlife, but if you're after some peace and quiet and gentle hikes,' this is one of the best places to be on the coast.

Ferries terminate at the island's main settlement, ŠIPANSKA LUKA, a pretty little place buried at the end of a deep inlet at the island's northern end.The settlement contains the odd relic of former glories: best are the remains of the Magistrate's Palace, ten minutes along the road to Sudurad, and the neglected villa on the harbourfront, which boasts a balcony supported by carved lions, and seems to be crying out for restoration. Sipanska Luka's main beach is about 500m away from the harbourfront, a tiny strip of sand pressed against a thread of rock that separates the western side of the bay from the sea. More isolated spots for bathing can be found by following the path which extends beyond the ferry jetty on the opposite side of the bay, threading its way between rocky shoreline and shady olive groves before petering out in dense undergrowth after a couple of kilometres.

Incoming ferries are often met by locals offering private rooms – if not, just ask around. Otherwise, the harbourfront hotel,o ffers standard en-suite rooms – the attic rooms on the top floor are the cosiest – and also rents out bikes. Eating and drinking possibilities are limited to the hotel restaurant and the couple of bars nearby.

Heading south out of Sipanska Luka, the seven-kilometre walk to SUDURAD (also traversed by occasional minibus) takes you past some lovely inland scenery. Sudurad itself – little more than a clump of houses grouped around a bay – is overlooked by an imposing pair of stone towers, all that's left of a summer palace of sixteenth-century Dubrovnik shipowner Vice Stjepović Skočibuha. Running round the side of the palace, the village's main alleyway ascends towards a blockhouse-shaped fortified church; bearing right here will take you into one of the most attractive corners of the island, with dense maquis broken up by agaves, olive groves and pines. The similarly fortified St Mary's Church (Crkva svete Marije), 2km northeast of Sudurad in the hamlet of Pakljena, is hardly ever open – but the sight of its crenellated sixteenth-century tower peeking above the greenery provides a convenient excuse to wander this far.