The Islands of Croatia. Rudolf Abraham
Dangers
Using this guide
Walk 1 Obzova
Walk 2 Rt Škuljica
Walk 3 Hlam
Walk 4 Zakam and Jurandvor
Other walks on Krk
Walk 5 Kamenjak
Walk 6 Kamenjak to Matkići
Walk 7 Premužićeva staza (Matkići to Lopar)
Other walks on Rab
Walk 8 Sis
Walk 9 Tramuntana
Other walks on Cres
Walk 10 Osoršćica
Walk 11 Veli Lošinj – The Dolphin Way
Other walks on Lošinj and Susak
Walk 12 Rt Vnetak
Other walks on Unije
Walk 13 Šimuni to Sv Vid
Walk 14 Dubrave to Sv Vid
Walk 15 Šćah
Other walks on Ugljan and Pašman
Walk 16 Oštravica, Orljak and Veli vrh
Walk 17 Kruševac
Walk 18 Telašćica Bay and Mir jezero
Walk 19 Vidova gora
Walk 20 Sv Nikola
Walk 21 Stari Grad Plain
Other walks on Hvar
Walk 22 Sv Mihovil to Sv Duh (Hum) and Komiža
Walk 23 Žena glava to Sv Duh (Hum) and Komiža
Walk 24 Komiža to Rt Barjaci, Dragodid and Sv Blaž
Other walks on Vis
Walk 25 Vela Luka to Hum
Walk 26 Kočje
Walk 27 Kom
Other walks on Korčula
Walk 28 Hom
Other walks on Lastovo
Walk 29 Malo jezero
Walk 30 Veliki Gradac
Other walks on Mljet
Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Gateway cities – Rijeka, Zadar and Split
Appendix C Ferry routes
Appendix D Further reading
Appendix E Croatian language notes and glossary
Appendix F Contacts and useful addresses
Looking south along the spine of Lošinj from Sv Mikul (Walk 10)
PREFACE
Looking down across the islands of Rava and Iž, and towards Zadar on the mainland, from Dugi otok (Walk 16)
I first visited the islands of the Croatian Adriatic back in the late 1990s, having already fallen in love with Croatia (and a Croatian) and moved to Zagreb. Despite countless return visits over the ensuing years, the sense of excitement at first seeing these scattered whalebacks of bare grey-bronze rock and green forest, dotted with exquisitely well-preserved old towns and etched against some of the most brilliant blue seas imaginable, has never really left me.
Although I have made regular trips to Croatia’s islands over a period of some 15 years, writing this book in the summer of 2013 was something of a revelation – there was simply so much here that was both rewarding and inspiring. As you walk across these islands, whether following ancient stonewalled paths between olive groves or boulder-hopping along bare limestone ridges with unforgettable views across the Adriatic – the air alive with butterflies, and each step redolent with the scent of sage, lavender and thyme – I hope you enjoy using this guide as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
Rudolf Abraham
2014
INTRODUCTION
A view of the Kabal peninsula – which stretches north from Stari Grad on the island of Hvar – from Brač (Walk 19)
Croatia’s myriad islands form an outstandingly beautiful landscape, stretching along the coast in a fragmented arc from the Kvarner Gulf in the northwest to the walls of Dubrovnik in the southeast. Bare limestone ridges, toothy knolls and rock-strewn plateaus alternate with olive groves, vineyards and areas of lush green forest; sundrenched beaches and rocky coves are punctuated by spectacular sea cliffs; and remote, uninhabited islets protrude, just barely, from some of the most crystal-clear waters anywhere on the Adriatic.
Along with the rest of the country, the islands are incredibly rich in history, having witnessed the rise and fall of cultures, kingdoms and empires across well over two and a half millennia – from Bronze and Iron Age hill tribes and Greek colonists to imperial