Cres

Cres is the largest Croatian island by area, the northern half of the Cres-Lošinj island pair, and it shares a thin freshwater resource with its neighbour in a long-running dispute. The island is long, mountainous and sparsely populated, with a wild interior of oak forest, griffon vultures and the endangered Eurasian Griffon that nests on its cliffs.

The town of Cres, the main settlement, sits on the east coast at the point where the island almost meets Lošinj, and it is a Venetian harbour of stone houses climbing a steep hillside to a loggia and a church. The harbour is the focus of the town, and the old gates, the arcaded loggia and the church of St Mary with its bell tower are the landmarks.

Cres island holds a genuine rarity, the freshwater Lake Vrana, which supplies drinking water to the island and is protected as a result, and the colony of griffon vultures on the northern cliffs around Beli. The island was once joined to Lošinj and the two share much of their history.

For photographers, the harbour of Cres town at dusk and the cliffs and vultures around Beli are the shots. Reach Cres by ferry from the mainland or via the bridge from Lošinj, and allow time for the empty interior, which is the real character of the island.

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