A holiday without news, cars or phones?! How many times have you wanted to run away from everyday life to your own little part of the world, if only you could find it? For those who are tired of the everyday hassle, the islands near the coastal cities of Zadar and Sibenik - more than four hundred of them - are the place for you. These islands are part of Central Dalmatia and contribute to the tourism potential of that area, attractive not only for its natural beauty but also for its historical monuments.

Of the numerous coastal tourist centres, let us mention Biograd, the former seat of kings, and the picturesque Primosten, which used to be an island, until it was connected to the mainland and thus became a peninsula. The dry-stone walls of Primosten are an ode to work and tenacity, testifying to the struggle for every square inch of soil. A photograph of them is on display in the United Nations building in New York. Large and small islands, green with maquis and olive-trees, emerge from the sea shaped by valleys and hills, numerous bays, coves and promontories. We go on to Olib, Silba, Premud and Vir, and then on to Dugi Otok, Lavadra and Pasman. Forget about politics. Leave your tie behind. The restraints of civilization are behind you, and rugged nature's ahead. The islands of the Central Adriatic will charm you and give you strength. Silba is a town of ship owners and captains and their ancient houses. Located in the middle of the islands, it has a harbour always protected from the wind. Many houses command a view of the sea, for those who watch for an early return. In the vicinity, there are the three islands of Grebeni, a geomorphologic preserve.

Ist is the island of fishermen and seafarers, known to boaters as a safe haven. Molat has numerous coves: the most famous is at Brgulj, where the British King, Edward VII, found refuge when cruising the islands. Here is the island of Zverinac, which used to be owned by the Zadar nobility but has now been given over to olive groves, vines and figs. There is also the island of Sestrunj, crowned by the village of the same name, offering a great view of the archipelago.

The Island of Ugljan is the garden suburb of Zadar. It has been settled since Roman times, and the name derives from an abundance of oil. There are towns all along the 22 kilometre long island. The main centre and summer resort of Preko is also the ferry port. In front of the Jaz beach, known for its fine sand, lies the verdant islet of Skoljic, thick with pine and palm trees, a frequent target for swimmers. The Franciscan monastery there dates from the fifteenth century. The small island Osljak, covered by cypress trees also has an idyllic appearance. There is a small picturesque village of fishermen and sailors. Do not ask for anybody called Valcic. They're all called Valcic.

The tourist resort of Kukljica has beautiful beaches on both sides of the island. Every August there is the famous feast of Our Lady of the Snows, with a pageant and fishing boats' convoy from the village to the church in the Zdrilac strait, where, says the legend, it snowed in early August some four hundred years ago. The ancient fishing village of Kali, whose patron saint is St. Lawrence, boasts the best fishermen and sailors in the whole of the Mediterranean.

The neighbouring Island of Pasman is in fact fused with the Island of Ugljan. The narrow sea channel of Zdrilac could be forded in earlier times. In 1883 it was dug up and made navigable for small ships, and a bridge was added in 1973. Pasman is quieter than Ugljan, but as both are covered with silver- green olive trees, they are almost identical. Real twins. The old fishing village of Tkon is on Pasman, with a naturist camp site. There are many nice small beaches on the sandy coastal strip known as Sovinja. The picturesque church of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows stands on the hill above Tkon. Between Pasman and Dugi Otok, lies the Island of Iz, famous equally for what it has and what it doesn't. It has rich Mediterranean vegetation and no cars. It also hosts the well known Iz Festival where famous dances seem to appeal to both young and old. The Island of Rava is a favourite destination for yachtsmen, due to its mild climate and indented coast.

For those who want to spend their holidays in a unpolluted environment, Dugi Otok (Long Island), with an area of 114 sq. km, should prove a happy selection. There are fishermen and farmers, beautiful solitary beaches and tourist facilities for local and overseas visitors. There is also Telascica, the largest natural harbour on the Adriatic islands, a nature park and the habitat of the mouflon. The pine covered coast of Bozava is already well known to nature buffs. The wooded north-western coast of Dugi Otok is ringed with sandy coves. There is also the magnificent beach of Saharun, with its 41-metre-tall lighthouse at Veli Rat. When it was built in 1949, some 100,000 egg-yolks were mixed into the mortar, together with pebbles from the nearby beach. Neither sea nor the sun will mar its beauty.

Sali, the largest village on the island, has always lived of fishing. Life assumes the natural rhythm of the trawl, the cast and the haul. Your host, the sea wolf, will tell you his story and share his philosophy, told during an island night when only crickets and waves can be heard. According to legend, the Kornati, the labyrinth of straits and islands, was created from the fistful of rocks that were left over when God was creating the world. He threw them into the sea, looked down and decided that they were perfect as they were. "The gods wanted to crown their work and on the last day they created the Kornati Islands out of tears, stars and breath", wrote George Bernard Shaw about the most indented island group in the whole of the Mediterranean.

The Kornati consist of 140 islands and reefs and are attractive largely because of the vertically cut coastlines. Inlets of some islands descend steeply into the sea, a hundred metres deep in places, and dramatically razor sharp. These islands are unique for the variety of their coastline and beauty.

People lived on them once and built thousands of kilometres of dry-stone walls. There are several small fishing villages and tempozry habitations on the islands. Vela Flora, on the northern face of the Island of Kornat, is quite special: a smooth limestone plateau, with a 30 to 40 degree slope, about one hectare in area. The larger islands include Kornat, Zut, Piskera, Kurba Vela and others.

The Kornati have been declared a national park. They are rich in fish and therefore a frequent destination for sports fishermen. Cultural and historic remains, such as the ruins of an old Illyrian fortress, the Roman villa in Mala Proversa, the old Christian church of St. Mary and medieval fortresses and settlements add to the value of this region. Two marinas have been built for yachtsmen, who find the area singularly attractive.

In this string of pearls, the picturesque island of Murter, with an area of 18 sq. km, has a significant place. It is connected to the land by a 12 metre long bridge near Tisno. This island of fishermen, olive growers and ship-builders is the largest and most densely populated island in the Sibenik region. The coastal resort of Hramina lies sprawled around the vast and forested bay with its sandy cove of Slanica backed by a pine wood, in which there is a hotel and camping site. Murter is the largest tourist town on the island. It has three other tourist resorts: Betina, Tisno and Jezera. Prvic, close to the Vodice resort, is an oasis of Mediterranean plant and animal life. Southwest of Sibenik lies the Island of Zlarin, famed among coral and sponge hunters since the fifteenth century. The museum in Zlarin testifies to that tradition. Even today a souvenir coral necklace will remind you of this special island during the long winter in the city. To the west of Zlarin is the Island of Obonjan, known also as the Island of Youth. The Island of Kaprije was named after capers, a Mediterranean plant whose buds are used as spice. Many yachts drop anchor in one of the numerous coves of Kaprije. Zirje is the outermost of the inhabited islands in the Sibenik archipelago. It is ideal for fishing, and there are many perfect bays for yachts. From time immemorial it served as a defensive outpost and the ruins of a sixteenth century fort can still be seen. Krapanj is the smallest and lowest of the inhabited islands in the archipelago: 0.36 sq km and 7 metres high. It is also the most densely populated. Sponge diving is the main occupation.

Autor texta: Dalibor Rodinis and Sasa Skelin
http://islands.zesoi.fer.hr