Šipan is the largest of the Elafiti chain of a dozen islands off the southern Dalmatian coast of Croatia. It's about 16 km2 in area, with olive orchards, pine forests and a large, fertile valley.
			There are two villages on the island, Luka and Suđurađ, with about 400 residents year-round. The population more than doubles in the summer with visitors from all over the world.
		Though small, Šipan has a wealth of natural and agricultural resources. It supplies Dubrovnik with 60% of the fish sold there, and it produces some of the finest olive oil in the world.
	Once a summer resort for the Dubrovnik nobility, Šipan still has examples of Renaissance architecture as well as ruins dating back to Byzantine and even Roman times.
Despite the barrage of summer tourists, Šipan has remained a very laid-back and quiet place where the tempo of life has changed very little over the centuries.
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