Losinj Island

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People visit Losinj island to enjoy some peace and quiet.

Because it's not a major tourist destination, travelers often visit to enjoy nature without the hubbub you find on the other, more popular islands. The views are spectacular, and there are many opportunities to have fun once you arrive.

Losinj island is in the western part of Kvarner Gulf. A smaller land mass, Losinj is divided from Cres island only by a tiny passage connected by a bridge.

The land stretches for about 30 km, and is home to 8,000 people. Thousands of years ago the two islands, Losinj and Cres, were joined - now the Osor channel divides them.

On the northwestern side of the island the terrain is steep and rocky, while the eastern coast is very flat and exposed to the bura winds. The island is known for its temperate climate and evergreen vegetation.

Want to take a day trip to a dolphin location?

The island of Losinj also has a dolphin reserve, the first ever in the Mediterranean. If you sign up for a tour, the reserve will take you on a day trip to several dolphin locations. Specifically, you'll get a rare chance to witness the beautiful bottlenose dolphins. Only 120 of them are still living in the area.

Veli Losinj is the location of a marine research and conservation organization on the island called Blue World. This group runs the Adriatic Dolphin Project, which works to protect the endangered dolphins from harm. Here you can visit a museum and gallery (Losinj Marine Education Center) that teaches visitors about dolphins and marine life in general.

Enjoy the beautiful beachfront of Cikat Bay

The bays on Losinj contain small villages populated by warm and friendly people. Cikat Bay is the most popular destination because of the beautiful beachfront, good campsites, and proximity of comfortable villas and hotels.

In the past, Losinj was a central meeting point for shipbuilding and sea faring, but since the 1800s it has been focused more on tourism. Travelers from across Europe began to visit the island because of its location (close to central Europe and Vienna) and amenable climate.

Mali Losinj is the focal point of the island - it's the largest town in all the Croatian islands. You can walk from Veli to Mali on the Lungomare, a collection of scenic walking paths covered by serene pine trees linking the two towns.

Every year Mali hosts a New Year's Cup in spearfishing - don't miss out on this event if you book a trip to Croatia this winter.

An entertaining affair, the spearfishing competition takes place underwater, with contestants vying for top honors in the sport. These fishermen are quite skilled - it's a lot of fun to watch. Two competitions take place during the event - the Winter Cup of Cities and the European Cup of Nations.

Here's a short video of Mali & Cikat (5:40)

Get to Losinj via ferries or use it's own airport

There are several ferries to Losinj via the island of Cres, Brestova - Porozina, Rijeka - Porozina, Merag - Valbiska, and Mali Losinj - Zadar. The island also has an airport.

Visit during the summer months for the Croatian weather, and during the winter for interesting cultural events. Losinj island has a lot to offer visitors, so make sure you visit when you come to Croatia!

Find out more about the town Veli Losinj >>>