These Adriatic islets, many sparsely populated and little visited, are perfect for boat rides, great walking trails, lovely beaches and the odd bit of culture
Lopud
Situated north-west of Dubrovnik and about an hour away by ferry, Lopud presents a whole other world in comparison to city life. Panoramic views extend into the mountains while the deep blue sea of the Elaphite archipelago connects with the mainland. On this island there are no cars, the population totals 220 people and it encompasses less than 5 square kilometres. The island has been inhabited since the Greek period and is filled with churches and resorts. The municipal walkway begins in the former garden of a 19th century villa where exotic plants from all parts of the world have been planted. On the highest point of Lopud lies the Sutvrac fort which provides an exquisite view of the entire island. The famous sailor Miho Pracat, the only person to whom the Dubrovnik Republic erected a statue was born on Lopud, where you can enjoy walks since the island is full of trails passing through thick pine tree forests.
Sveti Nikola
The northernmost Croatian island wrapped in pine tree forests and surrounded by 2 kilometres of crystal clear beaches. There are no inhabitants on the island, although a hotel resort was built 4 years ago and the island is open to visitors usually arriving by boat from Porec. The island is perfect for diving, while dolphins are a normal sight in July and August. The first recorded information about the island dates to the 8th century when it was presumably populated by Greek priests who built the Church of St. Anastasia. They left their sanctuary in the 11th century, leading to the Porec bishop Bartoldo giving the Venetian monastery St. Nikola of Lido to the Benedictines in 1114. The priests remained as inhabitants of the island so in 1481 they named it St. Nikola after their original monastery. The island was very popular in the past; many sailors, captains and traders frequented St. Nikola, people came from all parts of Istria and Venice to christen new boats. In 1798, shortly after the fall of Venice St. Nikola was sold to a aristocrat family from Porec, the Polesinis. The church was closed down, and with time the facilities deteriorated into bad condition. On that very spot, in 1887 Benedetto Polesini built an holiday estate modelled after the Tuscany castle and dedicated it to his wife Isabella, the love of his life.
Veliki Brijun
Veliki Brijun is the largest, to many most beautiful and most visited of the Brijuni islands. Its area consists of 560 acres with a coastline of 25,9 kilometres. This island is an excellent example of harmony achieved through cooperation of man and nature. Veliki Brijun has a cultivated and balanced landscape with lawns and parks, as well as extremely valuable remnants of construction heritage enriched by well preserved vegetation with a west Istrian climate type. Although it is open for public, part of the island is under the governance of the Ministry of Interior Affairs since Veliki Brijun has another special purpose – it provides residential space for the Croatian President and the Government of Croatia. There is much to explore on Veliki Brijun, including dinosaur prints, ruins from the Roman Empire, a botanical garden, an ornitological park, but also a 18 hole golf course designed over a hundred years ago. One of the main island attractions is the safari parkhosting exotic animals Josip Broz Tito received as gifts during the second half of the 19th century. Among those animals is an elephant Lanka, one of the two he was given by Indira Ghandhi.
Susak
Susak is a small island in the northern Adriatic sea renowned for its shallow sandy coves, beautiful traditional costumes and the yellowish dust the island is made of. That very sand makes Susak unique, even the most experienced sailors will agree that there is no island in Mediterranean like it. Due to its connection to mainland and the non-existance of organized room & board on the island, Susak is way off the radar of tourist agencies, even some of the most esteemed tour operators have been completely oblivious of its existence. On the island the are no roads, no cars, no loud night clubs – just kilometres of dusty trails and grass cascades that connect the village with remote beaches. During the winter, very few people live on the island since the majority emigrated to America. The dialect used on Susak is so unusual and different even people from neighboring islands cannot understand it.
Silba
Nearly everyone that visits the island of Silba once insists on returning so much that people have started to refer to this as “the secret of Silba“. Some believe it is due to energy hovering around the island, while others emphasize the untouched nature which returns people into times without TV, Internet, cars and other entertainment achievements of the modern ages. Stories go so for back that some claim Silba was populated already in the 12th century BC, also pointing out that it was very likely one of the islands Odysseus hid on. On the other hand, most do not know that Silba is probably the only island in the Adriatic that inspired the creation of an opera. Ferdinand Z. Miler composed a libreto for the opera “King of Silba” by Vjekoslav Rosenberg Ružić. The manuscript created in 1899 is part of Ruzic’s legacy which is kept in National and University Library in Zagreb. This island is car-free and has no hotels, and during July and August even riding a bicycle is prohibited. These are some of the ways local inhabitants want to peacefully preserve their ways.
Kornati
Some 89 small islands form the Kornati archipelago, a national park situated west of Sibenik and south of Zadar. It is covered by olives, figs and sage. The land and waters of the island of Kornati are especially protected. There are only 9 zones for diving and admitance to the island is charged, however all who are seeking sun, sea, peace and walking trails will undoubtedly enjoy Kornati.
Šolta
The island of Šolta lays right next to Split, just 9 nautical miles away, so the 7 ferry rides a day during the summer season practically make it a suburb of the largest Dalmatian city. It is a must see location if you are anywhere in the vacinity – instead of being stuck in endless traffic jams on roads leading from town to the packed beaches, hop on a ferry, cool off on the deck and in less than an hour you will arrive to a destination where the sea is still crystally clear, where sandy beaches are not overcrowded, where prices are affordable and no one will chase you offering private accomodation.
Kaprije
Kaprije is also a car-free island – officially there is only one vehicle on the island, the fire truck of the local firefighting volunteers which hopefully is not used much. The island was named after a Mediterranean plant kapar, also sharing the name with the fancy Italian island in the Tirenean sea. It is nearly the furthest island of the Šibenik archipelago, situated 15 kilometres southwest of Šibenik – only the neighboring island Žirje is farther. The island is spread over 7,11 km2 and has a population of 189. The only place on the island that people live in is also called Kaprije and it is surrounded by hills, Velika glavica being the highest.
Biševo
The island of Biševo is located in the center of the Dalmatian archipelago, 5 kilometres southwest of the island Vis, with a size of 5,92 km2 and a coastline totaling 18,147 km. Many archealogical findings confirm the island had been inhabited already in prehistory, such as ancient Greek and Roman Ages. Today’s church has inscriped excerpts from Ivan the priest, the founder of the monastery, including a parts of a Greek epitaph. Biševo is the furhest populated Croatian island, due to its geographical position it is exposed to high waves and strong winds from the west, meaning calm waters come rarely. Most of the locals moved to nearby Komiža, but have remained connected to their home island where most of own vineyards and olive fields in which they spend most of their summers. Currently tourism and catering are the main sources of revenue, with just a few vineyards of the acclaimed “Plavac mali” red wine. Most of the coastline consists of high stones and dangerous cliffs, but the prettiest beaches are hidden in secret coves. There are also numerous beach caves, namely the well know Modra or Biševska Špilja and Medvedina.
Proizd
At the very entrance of the deep Vela Luka bay lies a wonderful little island named Proizd. Its beach Bile Boce has been considered as the most beatiful Adriatic beach for years now. But do not just take our word for it – many renowned foreign magazines have listed Bile Boce as one of the top beaches in the world. Daily Telegraph included it in the 5 most beatiful Adriatic beaches; New York Times suggest it as one of the 12 most beatiful excursions in the world; The Richest website puts Proizd at 9 on the 40 cleanest seas in the world; on Trip Advisor, Proizd is 3rd in the category “Things to Do in Korcula island” Taxi boats transport visitors to the island only during summer months and rides leave from Vela Luka. The trip lasts just over 30 minutes, dropping the guests of in a cove with a bar and a restaurant. Other than that small part of the island, everything else on Proizd is untouched nature.
