Cres
Of the 1,200+ islands in Croatia, Cres takes top honors for being the biggest (but residents of Krk still claim their island is the largest!).
Cres is Croatia’s largest island, perfect for campers, hikers, divers, surfers, beachcombers and naturalists. Tucked between the eastern coast of Istria and Krk Island, Cres can be reached by ferry from Valbiska on the island of Krk or from Brestova in Istria—the trip takes around 20 minutes. In season you can also catch ferries from Pula, Zadar and Rijeka, as well as twice a week from Venice and Ancona! With hundreds of square miles of incredibly lush vegetation, the island also has some sensational beaches– the best beaches are midway between Sveti Blaz and the Bay of Ustrine. Others are reached only by the sea—including the famous “Blue Cave” in the Bay of Zanja, which is easy to get to via one of the many boats that sell excursions. Together with its sister islands of Krk and Losinj, you’ll find more registered plant species than any other islands in the Adriatic. Cres itself has more than 1,200 species—and the trio of islands together have more than the UK! There are great little towns all over the island so it’s easy to find a place to enjoy and then go exploring. And people have been doing just that here since the 4th century BC when it was settled by the Liburnians. But it took the Romans to establish the island as a trading center a few hundred years later. Then, after seven centuries of Byzantine rule, like so much of Croatia and its islands, the Venetians, the French and a host of others until it finally became part of Croatia after the Yugoslav War in 1990.
Tourist Office
Tzg Cres
Cons 10,
51557 Cres
Tel: +385 (0)51 571 535
e-mail: tzg-cresa@ri.t-com.hr
Web: www.tzg-cres.hr/
Our favorite links
–nice site of the island’s tourist office
–at last TWO different private website written by people who actually live on the island, enjoy!!
–commercial site mostly for apartments, shops, etc.
–and another private site with decent info