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Coast and islands
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Croatia is truly a land
of islands because it has more than a thousand of them and each one is different. Many of them are inhabited but each and every one is exceptional, with its own story and destiny.
To have a weak spot is human and the connoisseurs of Croatian islands have thousands of them. To be more precise 1185 of them. That's how many islands, islets and cliffs are located in front of 1777 kilometers of the Adriatic coast.
The first trip to the Adriatic coast and its islands is a journey into the unknown. Every other trip will be a journey to the already familiar beauty of this country, always different but equally breathtaking.
Rab. In 1889, the local council proclaimed it a bathing-place and health resort. The British King, Edward VIII especially encouraged tourism on Rab when he stayed there with his great love, the American Wallis Simpson. They say that he was the first to go swimming without any clothes. This is how nudism was founded on Rab.
Rab is one of the islands richest in forests with as many as three hundred springs of water. Pag is an island full of mythical olive groves, rich in sea salt, famous for its lace, cheese a world known delicacy, sheep's milk, live oil andÉ what more do you need? Perhaps this: a part of Pag with its specific relief resembles the surface of the moon.
Moving along to the middle-Adriatic islands like: Olib,
Silba, Premuda, Vir, Dugi Otok, Lovrada and Pasman, you notice immediately that you have left the every day problems and bounds of society far behind you. In front of you lies untouched nature. These islands will bewitch you, energize you and enrich you. They will become your dream, the kind you dream of with eyes wide open.
Silba is an island of ship owners and captains and old captain's houses as well as a harbor protected from the gushes of wind. Ist is an island of fishermen and navigators and is well known to navigators as a safe haven from the storm.
The island Ugljan is the 'suburban area' and a garden that lies in front of Zadar and it got its name because of its richness in oil. There are in fact more than 100.000 olive trees on this island.
The nearby Pasman island 'grew into' Ugljan. They are actually twins, only Pasman is a bit more peaceful. They are equally beautiful and covered with silvery green olive groves. These two pearls can be seen from the coastal town of Biograd, the geographical center of the Adriatic.Iz is the island situated between Ugljan and Dugi Otok. It is just as famous for what it does and doesn't have. It has rich Mediterranean vegetation. It doesn't have any cars.
Dugi Otok offers rest in preserved nature of an area of 114 square kilometers. There are fishermen there, farmers, beautiful secluded beaches and tourist objects. The town of Telascica is situated there, which is the biggest natural harbor of all the Adriatic islands, a nature park and a habitat for mouflon. Its rich woodsy northwestern coast is full of wide coves and a beautiful beach with a 41-meter high lighthouse. It's interesting that while the lighthouse was being built in 1949,around 100.000 yolks were added to the plaster, which prevented the sun and the sea from ruining its beauty.
According to the legend, Kornati labyrinth of sea passages and islands were created from the many rock cliffs that God had left over after he had finished making the World. He threw them into the sea, turned around and concluded that no other repairs were necessary.
The infamous George Bernard Shaw said of this group of the most indented islands of the Adriatic and the Mediterranean that consist of 140 islands, islets and reefs: 'The Gods wanted to crown their work, so on the last day, from their tears, the stars and their breath they created Kornati.
There are many fisherman's villages which are periodically inhabited on the islands and because they are rich in fish they are often the destination of sport fishermen.
Kornati are especially interesting for navigators and thatvs why there are two nautical enters there: Zut
and Piskera. Among the islands another picturesque one is Murter which has an area of 18 square kilometers. It is connected to the mainland by a bridge only 12 meters long. This is an island of fishermen, olive growers and ship builders with the towns: Tisno,
Hramina, Betina and Jezera.
The island Prvicis near the tourist pearl Vodice, it's an oasis of Mediterranean flora and fauna. The island Zlarin is southwest of Sibenik. In the 15 th century it was famous for coral and sponge harvesting and there is a museum that exhibits this.
West of Zlarin is the island of Obonjan, known as Otok Mladosti (The island of Youth). Not far is the island Kaprije, which got its name from the Mediterranean, plant caper (kapar) whose buds serve as spices. Many yachts visit Kaprije because of the many coves and beautiful beaches. Zirje is the farthest away inhabited island of the Sibenik archipelago with great fishing-grounds and many coves for navigators.Krapanj is the smallest and lowest inhabited island of the archipelago of an area of only 0,36 kilometers and only seven meters high but the most inhabited island.
South of Brac is Hvar, the longest island of the Adriatic. This is an island of vineyards, olive groves and lavender. The island is surrounded by crystal cobalt sea, many springs of water and the largest number of sunny hours. The many stone houses along both coasts, which are connected by small bridges, achieve the harmonious unity of Stari
Grad on Hvar, the fishermanvs museum is in Vrbovska which is unique on the Adriatic...
Hvar is, no doubt , an exceptional island, a pleasant winter and summer resort, with a mild climate and exuberant subtropical vegetation. Pakleni
otoci are an especially interesting group of islands with pebbly, sandyand mostly nudist beaches and a rocky sea bottom, perfect for spearfishing. It is also a well-known place for navigators.
Opposite Split is the island Solta with poor vegetation, a steep and well - indented coast with Maslenica - the main harbor and anchorage for small boats.
Far from the mainland and its worries is the island Vis, rich in palm trees, known for its fishermen, sailors, beautiful nature and diverse tourist offer.
Southwest is the island Bisevo, of an area of 6 square kilometers. There are many caves in 'chiseled' into the steep coasts,among which 'Modra
spilja' stands out with an above-sea level and below-sea level entrance. When the sea is calm the light rays that shine in the cave break in such a way against the cave walls that the objects and people inside it are covered in blue and those in the water a silvery color.
The Vis archipelago includes the islands Svetac (Sveti Andrija), Jabuka, Brusnik and the islands of Palagruza. Although it's formally known as a peninsula, Peljesac is indeed like an island, separated from Korcula by a narrow channel.
Not many people can determine the color of the Adriatic sea. Sometimes it's dark
blue, sometimes greenish-blue. The fact is that the sea, depending on the time
of day and the angle of the sun's rays overflows into a thousands nuances. However,
it is always beautiful and unique.
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