Pelješac Peninsula is the second largest Croatian peninsula, right after Istria. It’s a beautiful piece of this land, famous for its many beaches and clear sea. Trpanj is one of the largest places in Pelješac and among the most popular places for a holiday on Pelješac. For a long time, it was full of queues of cars and people waiting to board the ferry to Ploče, in order to avoid border crossing near Neum. But after the Pelješac bridge was made, traffic on this ferry line reduced dramatically and Trpanj today is one of the most peaceful places on the Pelješac Peninsula.
Trpanj on the Peljesac peninsula If you are planning to spend your vacation right here, we bring you our top list of things to do in Trpanj.
about trpanj
Trpanj area has a very long past and there is some evidence that it was inhabited in prehistoric times. Many examples of prehistoric pottery were found around Trpanj. The place was also known to be under Roman rule for some time and some Roman artifacts were found in the vicinity too. Later on, Trpanj was part of the famous Dubrovnik Republic with the rest of the Peljesac peninsula.
When it comes to the name Trpanj, there are few theories about how it got the name it has today. Some say that the origin of the name is derived from the word ‘trpjeti’ which means to suffer. Another theory says that it got its name from the Greek word for sickle because of the shape of the surrounding cliffs. Finally, there is another theory that says that Trpanj got the name because of the sea cucumber which is called Trp in the Croatian language.
Trpanj bay and the monument of the Lady For a long time, Trpanj was a fishing village like many others on the Peljesac peninsula. Old stone houses and fish factories can still be seen. Trpanj also has a very peculiar port with a natural rock formation guarding it against storms and rough seas. Trpanj today is a famous tourist place with peculiar architecture and beautiful surrounding nature.
getting there
The good thing about the Peljesac peninsula is the fact that it’s a peninsula. It’s connected to the land and that makes it easier to reach it. Since 2022, Peljesac is also connected with the mainland by a Pelješac bridge that makes the travel time faster and more convenient than by a ferry from Ploce to Trpanj . For a long time, this ferry line was one of the busiest in Croatia since everybody wanted to avoid the border crossing and travel to southern Croatia through Pelješac, thus avoiding the border completely.
After the Pelješac bridge was made, the traffic on this line was reduced by more than 95 percent and the city of Ploče is nowhere as crowded as it was during the times before the bridge. The same goes for Trpanj, a place full of ferry queues, now is completely silent and one of the best places for your vacation on Pelješac Peninsula.
Ploce to Trpanj ferry in Ploce ferry port For anybody coming to Croatia and the Pelješac Peninsula by car from nearby countries, the fastest way to reach Trpanj is using the A1 motorway in Croatia, exit it in Ploce, and take the coastal road toward Dubrovnik.
trpanj weather
Weather is the second most important thing when it comes to your Pelješac holiday. Trpanj weather is perfect during most of the tourist season. Nicer days come with the Spring and end by the late Autumn. The weather is most predictable during the Summer months. It’s dry and sunny with the least rainy days of all other months. The high season in Croatia is in July and August and these months are the hottest too. That means that the sea is warm too.
Trpanj landscape But the months of May , June, and September are the ones with good weather too. It’s warm, although not hot, and these months are perfect for any kind of outdoor activities in Trpanj. The summers are usually crowded, while the months of the preseason and postseason are not. Trpanj weather is characterized by the Mediterranean climate which means that the winters are mild too, but all the tourist facilities are closed during the winter months and there are not so many things to do in Trpanj at that time of the year.
introduction to things to do in trpanj
When it comes to things to do in Trpanj, one has many great options. The best of the Trpanj activities are outdoor types of activities that you can do not so far from it. Although there are more options available, the ones mentioned below are our favorite things to do in Trpanj.
Trpanj in sunset However, feel free to browse through some other sources and you’ll get much more ideas. Since we are the outdoor types of persons, we always put outdoor activities as primary ones on our lists.
Let’s start with the things to do in Trpanj.
Our selection of the best things to do on the Pelješac Peninsula
Pelješac Peninsula, which Trpanj is part of, is famous for its wines and we suggest you visit at least one of the local wineries during your stay in Trpanj. Some other tours can be done not so far away from Trpanj, at Korčula Island for example, which is just 30 minutes of driving and a short ferry ride away from Trpanj.
1. walk one of the many trpanj walking trails
Trpanj has many walking trails that go all around the place. It also has a beautiful waterfront promenade. Some of the trails go near the sea and some through the pine forests. These are perfect for early morning jogging or long sunset walks.
These trails are perfect for cycling too, and some of them go through the old olive oil trees near Trpanj. All of these trails are perfect for the exploration of the Trpanj area.
2. watch the sunset from the lady of Trpanj monument
One of the most relaxing things to do in Trpanj is observing the sunset from the Trpanj bay, characterized by the large monument of the Lady and rock formations that surround Trpanj. We suggest enjoying the sunset with a glass of wine or, to make it even better, you can have a real picnic at this place.
Trpanj sunset panorama Sounds like the perfect ending to a perfect day.
3. explore nearby beaches by bike
We have already mentioned that the Trpanj area is full of beautiful beaches with a crystal clear sea. Two of the most famous beaches in the Trpanj area are Divna and Duba beaches. To reach any of them you’ll need either to drive there by car or, what we suggest, reach them by bike. There is a paved road that connects with the road from Trpanj at the place called Gornja Vrućica and this road will take you to both of these beaches.
Divna beach near Trpanj We also suggest that you start your ride early in the morning and spend the hottest hours of the day swimming in the perfect sea of these beaches. Along the way to these beaches, you’ll pass through Gornja and Donja Vrućica picturesque villages that can give you an idea of how life on the Peljesac peninsula looked a long time ago.
Exploring the beautiful beaches is among the best things to do in Trpanj 4. cover yourself in healthy mud of blace bay
Now we get to one of the most interesting things to do in Trpanj. Blace bay is a lagoon full of therapeutic mud that you can cover yourself in and let it dry in the sun. It’s proven that covering yourself in this mud can help with battling diseases such as arthritis and other rheumatic problems. Even if you don’t have any of these problems, this mud could help you to stay like that.
Reaching Blace Bay is easy since it’s just 15 minutes of walking away from the center of Trpanj. We suggest you visit and try the mud after the early jogging on the mentioned trails of the Trpanj area.
5. explore baćina lakes and neretva RIver valley
This is the first of the things to do in Trpanj that is not connected to the Trpanj area or even the Pelješac Peninsula. But still, it’s easy to reach since it’s just a ferry ride away. Both Baćina Lakes and the Neretva River Delta are situated near the city of Ploce which you already visited if you come to Trpanj by ferry .
Baćina lakes is a lake group consisting of 7 connected lakes and it’s a place of pristine nature and ultimate relaxation. We like to call it the zen oasis of the south. To reach Bacina Lakes you need approximately 7 minutes of driving with the ferry port as your starting point. You don’t even have to come by car to explore them, bikes would be a great option too. But because of the Neretva Delta, which is just a bit further away, we suggest you come to Ploče by car.
Bacina Lakes kayaking tour Neretva Delta , on the other hand, is a different landscape than Baćina Lakes. It’s located around 15 minutes of driving away from the city of Ploče and it’s a place made by the famous Neretva River. It’s a landscape full of long sandy beaches and one of the most places for kiteboarding in Croatia . The most famous place of Neretva Valley is the Neretva River mouth, but the whole valley is a unique landscape of Croatia with many more places to visit and explore.
driving from trpanj to dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is one of the most famous Croatian cities and it’s situated in southern Croatia , not so far away from Trpanj and the rest of the Pelješac Peninsula. It’s a common thing for all the tourists visiting Trpanj to go on a day trip from Trpanj to Dubrovnik.
The City of Ston, the entrance point to Pelješac Peninsula The city of Dubrovnik is famous for its old walls, fortresses, and old city core. It was once the main city of the famous Dubrovnik Republic and the Pelješac Peninsula was part of it too. Dubrovnik was featured in the famous Game of Thrones TV series and that’s why many tourists choose to visit it.
Dubrovnik is one of the most famous and most romantic cities in Croatia To go from Trpanj to Dubrovnik you’ll need around 2 hours of driving. We suggest going from Trpanj to Dubrovnik by car since the bus lines are not so frequent.
To take a bus toward Dubrovnik, you’ll first need to reach the main road that goes through the Peljesac peninsula and then take the bus line that goes to Dubrovnik. When you go to Dubrovnik by car, you have the opportunity to explore all the places along the way. We suggest stopping at any of the Peljesac wineries, and exploring the town of Ston and Trsteno Arboretum near the city of Dubrovnik.
exploring the rest of peljesac peninsula
Peljesac peninsula is famous for its vineyards and wine sorts. There are many wineries even in the Trpanj area and some of the best ones of the whole peninsula are just 20 minutes of driving away from Trpanj. We suggest you visit at least one of these and try some of the most popular wines in Croatia.
Small fishermen village Trstenik Trpanj is located on the eastern part of the Pelješac Peninsula and it overlooks the Neretva Bay and Makarska Riviera on the opposite side. If you drive to the other side of the peninsula, you come to the side that’s turned toward the open sea. Few islands dominate this part and Korčula Island is one of the largest and most famous islands in the vicinity. Reaching Korčula Island is easy and it’s done by using a ferry from a nearby Orebić. The famous Korčula town is very near the ferry port and we suggest you visit it even if you don’t plan to visit the rest of the island.
Korčula town One of the most famous beaches of the Peljesac peninsula is the Vučine beach near Žuljana. It’s a sandy beach we recommend you visit if you plan to explore the rest of the peninsula. There are many picturesque villages scattered all along the Pelješac Peninsula and stopping at least in one of them is a must when visiting Pelješac.
Finally, Mljet Island and the national park are not so far from Trpanj and the ferry ride to this beautiful island starts at Prapratno on the Peljesac peninsula. Mljet is the only national park in southern Croatia and one day could be enough to explore both this island and mesmerizing Mljet national park. Although the national park is the most famous part of the Mljet Island, there are other places worth visiting on the island such as Odyyseus Cave , Limuni bay, Montokuc peak inside the park area, and much more.
Odysseus cave on Mljet island Enjoy your stay in Croatia and all the things to do in Trpanj!
