The Island of Diomedes

Recent archeological discoveries on Palagruza prove that the island fascinated the Greek hero Diomedes, survivor of the Trojan War and one of the most famous Greek warriors along with Odysseus. After the Trojan War, Diomedes made his way to the Adriatic where he fought the Ilyrians. It is believed that Diomedes' final resting place is on the island. Legend has it that, after Ilyrians killed Diomedes' warriors, Zeus transformed their souls into birds. Ever since, they have been guarding the Trojan hero's grave. The legend of Diomedes is the answer to the question of how these fragments made their way to this small, open-sea island with no source of drinking water.
The waters of Palagruza are the richest fishing waters in the Adriatic Sea. The tradition of organizing all day regattas from Komiza, a small fishing settlement on the nearby island of Vis, was kept till the twentieth century. Falkuse, authentic fishermen's boats built in the same way for centuries on the island of Vis, were used in these regattas. In the past, during the lobster and pilchard season, it was possible to see up to 500 fishermen's boats around Palagruza.
Palagruza lighthouse was built in 1875 under Austro-Hungarian Monarchy on the island of the same name, placed in the middle of the Adriatic sea, between the Italian and Croatian coasts, 68 NM south of Split and 26 NM south of the island of Lastovo. This history laden island of exceptional beauty is Croatia's furthest island. The island itself is 1400 m long, 300 m wide and 90 m high, and is covered in Mediterranean vegetation. The lighthouse on Palagruza is the largest lighthouse on the Adriatic. The bottom part of the lighthouse was built with stone from Palagruza. As it was a very hard stone the rest of the lighthouse was built with a lighter type of stone brought from the island of Brac.
Every day is the same on the lighthouse. Day starts with early fishing. Lighthouse-keeper must from 5 am till 10 pm every three hours send the weather forecast to the meteorological center in Split. There are only three lighthouses on the Adriatic sea with thermometer shelter. Palagruza is one of them and it is the most important meteorological station on the Adriatic. Two lighthouse-keepers Voje Sajn and Vedran Riss working on the lighthouse Palagruza. They work in 30 days shifts that can last a lot longer if the weather is bad. Marija Zuvela and lighthouse-keeper Nikola Zuvela stayed on the island just because kapre. They pick up them and sell it to Italy. Palagruza is their island.

The lighthouse Stončica is placed on the north cape of the island of Vis and was built in the year of 1865. A lot of ancient maritime battles were fought in vicinity. The most important one took place just one year after it was built. Infamous admiral Tegetthoff with its brilliant strategy defeated Italian fleet and in his own way celebrated the first birthday of the lighthouse.
The last war in Croatia was the reason that the lighthouse-keeper Ico found his peace on the island. In addition to his regular job as the lighthouse-keeper he is also the local artist. Instead of fishing in the sea he makes wooden sculptures. He only carves fish and uses just wood washed ashore by the sea.

Porer lighthouse
Porer lighthouse was built in 1833 on the islet of the same name, southwest of Istria's southernmost cape of Kamenjak (where there are 530 specious of flora, of which 20 are orchids, besides one endemic orchid, there are two more endemic plants and several other plants that are endangered on the cape).The islet of Porer is an 80 m cliff, 2.5 km from the mainland and the place of Premantura.
How did the builders succeed in building the lighthouse on Porer in spite of the turbulent sea surrounding the islet? There are many ancient artifacts hidden in the sandy seabed that surrounds Porer. Numerous boats that sank due to tempests can be found in the shallow waters in the vicinity of Krsin, Fenoliga and Veliki Balkun (on the islet of Fenoliga dinosaur tracks can be found).
The islet is so small that it takes just over a minute to walk around it, nevertheless, the walk is magnificent due to sunsets on Porer that are considered to be the most beautiful on the Adriatic.

The pearl of lighthouse turism

The lighthouse Veli Rat was built in 1849 on the southwestern cape of the island of Dugi otok, 35 km west of the city of Zadar. According to legend the thick lighthouse walls contain 100.000 of egg-whites to make them more resistant to wind and sea, protect you from the blazing sun in the summer months.
Whatever the lighthouse surrounded by pine trees, beautiful bays and pebble beaches is considered one of the most beautiful on the Adriatic and with one four-bed, one three-bed apartment and an old church under a century-old pine tree in the large paved yard, that might one day become a place for a romantic wedding, is adapted for turism.
Waters surrounding the lighthouse are relatively shallow and great for underwater fishing. The best underwater fishing area is about 2 miles east of the lighthouse, where there are steep The Lagnici cliffs surround the shallow waters on the western side where you will find a shipwreck.
The lighthouse has always had a lighthouse keeper and there has always been a waiting list, since many lighthouse keepers have been dreaming of spending at least some time in this unique lighthouse. At the moment, the lighthouse keeper Zvone, his wife and daughter Ivana live in the lighthouse.

Lighthouse Susak
Polynesia on the Adriatic
The island, unique in the whole of the Mediterranean, still keeps its secret well hidden. Who, when and how scattered a few million cubic meters of sand on a stone slab not larger than 4 square kilometers? Science has a number of explanations for this geo-morphological phenomenon, but cannot seem to decide which one is correct.
Susak is an open-sea island. It is really small by any standards: 3 km in length and about 1.5 km in width. It once belonged to the group of smaller Apsyrtos islands which the ancient world linked to the tragedy of Jason, Medea and Apsyrtos, who, according to legend, was killed at Osor. Due to its remoteness, the inhabitants of the island have completely preserved their authentic life style. During the fifties, scientists of various profile, from geologists, philologists, physicians to historians visited and carried out research on the island. One of them is the origin of the Susak national costume. Mediterranean influence is apparent, but the costume is so Susak-like that no other compares with it.
There are no roads or automobiles on the island, not only because the island is small but also because a road on the sandy soil would cause erosion. The best known sand beach on the island is Bok Bay, once a famous Austro-Hungarian sea-spa for allergic children and now famous for its therapeutic healing of women with fertility problems. Another famous thing from that period is the lighthouse. Built in 1881 lies on the top of the island 100 m high.

Lighthouse Sv. Ivan

Curse of the doge

Sv. Ivan lighthouse, built in 1853, is located on the most distant islet of the small archipelago in front of Rovinj. Legend has it that a Venetian doge was navigating in the direction of Rovinj in unfavorable weather conditions. His crew spotted the dangerous cliffs of Sv. Ivan on time and changed their navigation route. The doge vowed to Sv. Ivan (St. John) to light him a candle as high as a cathedral tower if he made it safe and sound to Rovinj. After having arrived safely to Rovinj, the doge forgot about his vow. Since he was in a hurry back to Venice he did not even light a little candle on Sv. Ivan. He remembered that he had not kept his promise several months later when he found himself in the middle of a tempest in the same area. His ship was thrown into the cliffs of Sv. Ivan and the whole crew along with the doge disappeared in the stormy sea.

LIGHTHOUSE BABAC
THREE WISHES

In lighthouses there is an eternal battle between nature and technology and the technology wins every time. Lonly and deserted lighthouses are becoming important turistical points of the Adriatic sea. With turists they are slowly loosing their unattractive looks. They are eternal although they are always changeing.
Bobo is a lighthousekeeper that shuts down lighthouses. First there was Lovište on the island of Pelješac than Prestenice on the island of Cres and finaly Pločica near Korčula. Now he is waiting to shut down Babac. He is saying that he lives in "the swiming zone" because the lighthouse is so near Pašman. Shallow see between Pašman and Babac is a proof that they were once connected. And they are supposed to be reunited again with a bridge from Zadar to the island of Pašman. With that bridge the lovely island of Pašman is about to become Santa Barbara of Croatia. It is going to be a luxury resort and a rich suburbs of the city of Zadar. But Bobo doesnt mind he is probably already looking for a wilder and more remote place to work in.

LIGHTHOUSE BLITVENICA
SING SING

South of the island Žirje three nautical miles towards a shoal a line of five small islands were situated. On one of them in 1872 the lighthouse Blitvenica also called Sing Sing was built. It was nick named after an infamous american prison because of its inaccessibility and strong current around it. Its light is situated 38 meters above sea level and is well seen in radius of 24 miles. By its looks and history it is nothing special but its submarine world is marvellous. Before the lighthouse was built on the island it was called Lucijeta. It is surrounded with deep sea and abundance of fish. Therefore it is an interesting destination for divers from all over the world.
The lighthouse is standing there alone but not lonely. Every two month it gets two visitors, lighthousekeeper Dragan Kursar and his dog Mala. They stay on the island for the whole month and take care of it. Their favorite hobby is fishing and there is not a lot of things than could keep them away from waiting for the big fish.

A lighthose is more than just a light on a horizon; it is much more than a tower in the middle of the sea and a ray of light in the dark, it is a silent timewatcher. For seamen each is unique. For centuries with its light flashes it has been leeding them towards safety.
A lighthouse may also be caled Pharos after the name of the greek island where the first lighthouse was ever built. Alexandrinian lighthouse the great ancestor of all modern lighthouses is the only one of the seven wonders of the world that did not offer only elegance but it was of a practical use for sailors returning to the port. It was for centuries an image of greek power and glory and is considered one of the greatest technical creations of the old times.
Lighthouses on the Adriatic sea are not as great and powerfull as the Alexandrinian was especialy not Murvica, one of the smallest ones built on the Croatian coast. But because of its minimalism they are different, much more attractive and romantic.
Lighthouse Murvica was built in the year of 1896 and it is one of the last ones in the Austro-hungerian collection.