Macrocruise

Harpoti Passage

Trap or myth

Sail out of Dubrovnik through the legend of Harpoti

Departing from Dubrovnik is more than the start of a voyage — it is an entry into a space where the sea, history, and legend naturally intertwine.

On the route towards the Elafiti Islands, sailors pass through the Harpoti Passage, a narrow sea channel between the islands of Šipan and Jakljan. Due to its width and position, the passage has always held strategic importance — limited manoeuvring space, steep shores, and shifting currents and winds made it an ideal location for ambushing vessels.

According to local oral tradition, during Antiquity or later, in the Byzantine period, this area was the site of a clash between Roman (or Byzantine) ships and a pirate or hostile fleet attempting to enter the inner waters of the Elafiti. Some versions of the legend speak of several sunken ships, claiming that the sea in Harpoti “swallowed” the entire fleet.

Although there are no confirmed historical records or archaeological evidence to support this story, the legend has been passed down among local sailors for centuries. Old seafarers used to say that Harpoti has “a mood of its own” — calm when respected, restless when underestimated.

Today, sailing through these same waters in the safety and comfort of a modern yacht, Harpoti becomes a special moment on the route: a brief silence, a glance towards the shores, and the feeling of navigating a place the Adriatic still preserves in its stories.

Route and distance

The Harpoti Passage is approximately 7 nautical miles from ACI Marina Dubrovnik, making it an ideal destination for the first day of charter or a relaxed sail towards the Elafiti Islands.