Palagruza lighthouse was built in 1875 on the island of the same name, placed in the middle of the Adriatic sea, between the Italian and Croatian coasts, 68 NM south of Split and 26 NM south of the island of Lastovo. This island of exceptional beauty is Croatia's furthest island. The island itself is 1400 m long, 300 m wide and 90 m high, and is covered in Mediterranean vegetation.
ACCOMMODATION
Since the lighthouse building is placed in the middle of the island at the height of 90 m, we do not recommend holidays on Palagruza for the elderly or for those with health problems. There are two four-bed apartments in the spacious lighthouse building.
BEACH
There are two well-kept trails on Palagruza. One of them leads to Stara Vlaka, a pebble bay on the northern side of the island, while the other trail leads to the southern side of Velika Palagruza to Veli Zal, one of the most beautiful beaches on the Adriatic. These pebble beaches are ideal for small children due to shallow waters and fine pebbles.
TRANSFER
Transfer to the lighthouse is organized from the port in the town of Korcula. Return transfer in a speedboat, takes approximately three hours and costs 700 Euro per apartment from 01/06 - 01/10. We recommend to those who tend to get seasick to take an anti-nausea pill before departure. Departure time is 06.30. AM
How to get to Korcula:
for those arriving by car, we recommend the road Split - Orebic (peninsula of Peljesac) that will get you to the island of Korcula by ferry.
Since Palagruza is placed in the open sea and even during hot summer days access to the island can be difficult due to waves, it is important to follow the scheduled transfer time. Please make sure to purchase groceries on time. The transfer to the island is very interesting because the speedboat passes through Lastovo channel and by numerous cliffs and islets near the island of Susac where it occasionally makes a stop-over to deliver provisions to the lighthouse keeper before reaching Palagruza. It is aslo possible to get a transfer directly from Split airport to the lighthouse (900 Euro per apartment - one way).
THE STORY
According to church records, Pope Alexander III was on Palagruza on Ash Wednesday, March 9th, 1177. While traveling with his fleet of ten galleys, he was impressed with the archipelago's beauty and decided to make a stop. He was served dinner on a small plateau on the island of Palagruza Mala, that has ever since been called "Papina njiva" (Pope's Field). After its stay on Palagruza, the fleet headed for the island of Vis, then towards Zadar and finally Venice. If you would like to find out more about the mysterious island of Palagruza, read our feature. There is an archeological site on the island Palagruza Velika, while numerous finds bear witness to the fact that Plagruza was the island of the Greek hero Diomedes. The island is a nature reserve with numerous endemic species of flora and fauna.
The surrounding waters are the Adriatic's richest fishing area.
