Vila Insulae

The island of Cres is a real challenge to whatever expectations you may have. You will experience unforgettable moments of relaxation whether you happen to be a passionate sports fan, an explorer of the sea depths, a nature lover or a tireless seeker for historical and cultural values.

The island of Cres, by size the first island in the Adriatic, is located in the northern part of the Bay of Kvarner. Its southern part, i.e. the town of Osor, is linked to the island of Lošinj by a trestle bridge.

Cres is a hilly island, 66 km long and ranging in width from 2 to 12 km. The island's coastline , 248 km long, is indented; its western and southern part have a plenty of bays and pebbly beaches while the northern and eastern part are characterized with steep and rough rocks. The highest tops of the island - Gorice (648m) and Sis (638) - offer a unique view of the Bay of Kvarner which will not leave anyone indifferent.

The fresh water lake of Vrana, which covers the area of 5. 75 square kilometres , deserves attention as an unusual natural phenomenon. The level of the lake is above the level of the surrounding sea, and its bottom is beneath the sea level only at the depth of 74 m.

The landscape of Cres owes its attractivity to a sharp contrast between the northern submediterranean part covered with high and thick woods of oak medunac (Quercus lanuginosa) , hornbeam, elm, and chestnut trees, and the middle and southern parts which are covered with bare grazing lands and dense macchia. A great richness of the botanical and animal world, which boasts more than 1300 species and an exceptional number of edemic species, is a genuine challenge to all nature lovers. Cres is also one of the last habitats of a rare bird species - griffon vulture.

The island of Cres was first inhabited in the New Stone Age. The continuity of life on the island has created an exceptionally rich cultural and historical heritage: from a number of Liburnian ruins, the remains of Antique towns, early Catholic curches scattered around the island, monasteries and remains of towns from the period of the Republic of Venice to the monuments of the contemporary period.

Source: Croatian National Tourist Board Cres