Travel Guide Dugi Otok

The island is long (45 km) and narrow (4 km wide). Dugi Otok is the largest and most eastern island of the Zadar archipelago. It ends in an archipelago on the Kornati islands, to which it was attached two thousand years ago. Desert in its southern part, the island is covered with pastures in the north. A rare phenomenon in Croatia, it does not have a single natural spring. The main tourist interest for visitors arriving by ferry at the port of Sali is the beach of Sakuran and the nature park of Telaščica, which preserves a saltwater lake. To get there, a vehicle is needed to set out on the steep road through the scrubland.Sali. The peaceful little port of Sali, which is also the island's capital, comes alive with the passage of ferries. In the Middle Ages, salt works were located here, hence its name, mentioned for the first time in 1105 in an official document. The fishing port is less active. Since the fish cannery closed, many young people have left the island to go around the world in cargo ships. Today, tourism is the main economic force. The visitors who stay on the island, Robinsons at heart or ordinary vacationers, find in the village all the supplies necessary for their stay. Here, even if many resources arrive by boat, nothing is missing: supermarket, post office, bookstore, cafes-restaurants, receptive agencies, car rental companies... Dugi Otok also has diving spots and very pleasant anchorages. In its well-sheltered bay, this fishing village appeals to boaters who visit the Kornati. It is a quiet stopover, where the authenticity of the island is still visible.Veli Rat. In the northwest of the island, this small port is an ideal destination for a quiet vacation. Beach, pine forest, turquoise and crystal clear water at the foot of white rocks... idyllic vision of the Adriatic coast. In high season, the village is isolated enough not to see the mass of tourists. To find a room in a local's house, check with an agency located next to the grocery store. But the most enviable place in the village is the famous lighthouse of Veli Rat, which can be rented (book well in advance). You can also visit it. Be careful, it is a private house. Ask for permission before climbing the tower.