Recommended accommodation - Island Dugi Otok, Zadar, Croatia

Even though it's the biggest island off the coastline of Zadar and easy to reach out by ferryboat or catamaran, not too many tourists travel to Dugi Otok. Named for its unique shape, Dugi Otok is 45 kilometers long and only 5 kilometers wide. An island of hidden bays, high cliffs, medieval ruins, and beautiful white rock beaches, it's the awesome vacation destination for visitors looking for extraordinary scenery and historical sites with no the crowds. Dugi Otok is very well known for it's nature park Telascica which is a natural extension of Kornati islands.

The Northern part of Dugi otok island

The Northern part of the island, the settlement of Verunic, is encompassed by the prettiest beaches of Dugi otok. The sandy beach Sakarun has outstanding white sand and blue-green water. Children feel especially delighted on this wide, sunny lagoon with shallow sea. The huge lighthouse Veli Rat with small beaches with white rock and others beaches each with various characteristic are in the area. There are a lot of places available to rent in the northern part of Dugi Otok and many different options to consider with private rented accommodation.

The Southern part of Dugi otok island

The Southern part of the island, near to the small town of Sali, is part of the natural park of Telascica, a fantastic bay with a salt lake and high cliffs. Here the nature presents it's charm and magination. Connected with so many islands in a small-sized area, there is the well-known National park of Kornati. The list of private accommodation near Southern part of Dugi Otok can be found here.

Getting there

These days there are about 1,800 citizens in 11 settlements on the island. All villages are linked with asphalt roads which offer spectacular view of the island. In addition to traditional jobs - fishing and farming - just recently more and more people switched to tourism. Market can be found in all the settlements, post offices in some of them. The island is well connected with the mainland by ferryboats and hydrofoils. Keep in mind that public transit is limited on Dugi Otok, so if you plan to take a trip there without a car, you'll want to think about renting a bicycle, motorbike, or vehicle once you arrive.

The gastronomic offer of the island of Dugi Otok

The gastronomic offer of Dugi otok is defined by many little familiar taverns located at the sea border. The owners cultivate the land and offer the biologic products. Dalmatian prosciutto is very hard and distinctly red and should be eaten in a traditional tavern with cheese and olives. The most common beverages are grape and herb, flavo red brandies, sherry and wines such as Babic, Debit - Marastina, Vugava, Posip, Teran and Grk.

Accommodation options on Dugi Otok, Finding a Place to Stay

There are just a couple of hotels on the island although self catering accommodation is plentiful and fairly priced. In Sali, there's only the old 3-star hotel but in picturesque Bozava there's couple of recently renovated 3-star hotels and the brand new 4 star Hotel Maxim. Holiday apartments on Dugi Otok are the typical type of accommodation for guests who decide to plan their getaway on their own without the help of a travel agency. If you find hotels on the island that exceed your spending plan, staying in an apartment or holiday house is “mandatory”, since there are only few camps. Fortunately, there are lots of apartments, studio-apartments and holiday houses!

It is very important to know that all villages are quite well linked and effortlessly reachable. A couple of the island’s tourist attractions for instance Veli Rat lighthouse,Telascica Nature Park and Saharun beach are must-see, so you can already foresee that you may have to travel from one end of the island to the other. But don’t let that frustrate you because you will find lots of awe-inspiring breathtaking viewpoints on the local island road that make your drive delightful. Having that in mind, wherever you bookan apartment or hotel room, you made a fantastic choice and we are sure it’s next to some of the most attractive sights of the island.

The finest beaches on Dugi Otok are on the north side of the island – Veli Zal and famous sandy beach Saharun – so if you think that the beach is among the prime things on your summer vacation, booking an apartment in Bozava, Soline, Dragove or Verunic is the perfect choice for you. You can as well stay in a lighthouse close to Veli Rat. The Veli Rat lighthouse has one apartment and is located on the southern cape of the island, close to Camp Kargita.

If you would like to explore Telascica, fishermen village Sali or have a boat to National Park Kornati, it is strongly advised that you stay on the southern side of the island and book an apartment in Sali, Luka, Zaglav or Zman. Sali, being the largest village on the island, has several pubs opened till late in the night, so if you can’t imagine a holiday without a couple nights out, Sali is the spot to go. Little villages of Brbinj and Savar are situated almost in the center of Dugi Otok, so booking apartments from one of those destinations is ideal for visitors who really want to move around the island.

Dugi otok beaches

The beaches at Dugi otok are mostly rocky, and in villages with cement terrasses. Most of the coastline is not high, so it could quickly be reached from the sea as from the land. At the nort part of the island, there is a beautiful sandy beach, Sakarun. Nudity is often practiced, so, excluding the beaches in the villages and harbors, all other can be concerned "mixed" or naturist. A tiny beach on the northern part of islans, near village of Veli Rat offers great views of Dugi Otok's lighthouse. Standing 42 meters high, the lighthouse at Veli Rat is the tallest in the Adriatic. It was constructed in 1849, when, according to legend, 100,000 egg yolks were used to give the facade its special yellow color. Today, the lighthouse offers accommodation for guests seeking a romantic vacation. Sakarun is the island's most well known-- and most crowded-- beach. A sandy bottom and shallow waters make this calm bay well-known among families, while a couple of beach bars cater to the younger crowd. Although stunning, fast food stands and loud music make Sakarun feel a bit carnivalesque.

Telascica Nature park on island of Dugi otok

Situated on the southeastern part of the island near Sali, Telascica Nature Park covers some 70 square kilometers of dazzling blue water, small-scale islands, and attractive, disguised bays. The vegetations along the coastline marks the shift from the green vegetation of the Zadar island chain to the basic wilds of the Kornati-- banks of deep forest slope down towards the western shore of the bay, where maquis-covered offshore islands rise like grey-brown cones from the sea - and the entire location has been marked a nature park. In the heart of Telascica are islands Farfarikulac as well as remarkable high cliffs Gozdenja and Galijola. Small salt water lake Mir is part of Telascica, partly bordering by cliffs. Telascica is very famous among sailing crowd, as safe dreamland for their sail boats and luxury yachts. There are a number of apartments to stay around the Telascica Nature Park.