Cres Island, Croatia

Description:

The island of Cres is 63km long and almost its entire coastline is made up of beaches. Whilst it has numerous tourist facilities (Large number of hotels, campsites, apartments, restaurants and bars) it retains the air of being unspoilt by mass tourism. The island has a diverse landscape, with dense forests in the north, olive groves and vineyards in the centre and shrub land and meadows in the south.

The island of Cres is connected by ferry to the mainland and a bridge connects Cres with the nearby island of Losinj. The island's capital is Cres town with its gothic architecture, large marina and many shingle beaches. Worth visiting is the Sveti Ivan beach which is widely thought of as one of the islands most beautiful beaches (be warned a 45min walk down and an hour walk back up!, but once on the beach, the sea has clear waters and great aquatic life).

There are a number of activities catered for on the island of Cres, especially water sports and diving. There is also a marina with 460 berths and 200 on land.

Visit: The Caput Insulae ecology centre situated in Beli, responsible for safeguarding the future of griffon vultures and the village of Orlac (12km) which is the natural habitat of the white-headed vulture. Also visit the town of Lubenice, an old village set high on a cliff with the Adriatic as a back drop. Visit the 16^th C clock tower in the main town of Cres. Also visit Osor a medieval town with many restored buildings and finally the small village of Valun with its picturesque harbour and protected swimming cove.

Events: Reception of old ships (beginning of July) and the Lubenice music nights.