Elaphiti Islands

The Elaphiti Islands or the Elaphites 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 square kilometres 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 in his work Naturalis Historia, published in the 1st century. The name comes from the Ancient Greek word for deer, 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.