10 reasons to visit Dugi Otok
Why to visit Dugi otok? This island of Croatia is a popular destination for the beach Sakarun, the highest lighthouse in the country, its sunsets, scents and peace. Dugi otok remains one of the last secrets to discover for those in search of the most authentic Croatia. Outside of July and August, the beaches are desert; small villages are scattered along its sixty kilometers length, and the traveller immediately feels at home.
Kornati National Park
Early in the morning you leave the vacation rental towards the south of Dugi otok. In the village of Zaglav you board Ive’s family boat, a captain with great experience and as much sympathy. You sail along hidden coasts and coves, diving into a parallel world, frozen in time. Colours, scents and sensations of wonder alternate.
While sailing along the coasts of the islands you will be impressed by the miles of dry stone walls and olive groves in the middle of nowhere. How much human sweat in these wild lands, where you arrive only by boat and donkeys. One notices the effort of the people to conquer these arid lands.
The visitor will appreciate the contrast of colours between the blue sea and the almost white islands, the silence and the taste of simple life. It is a trip for the spirit whose memory will warm the heart on cold winter days.
Children `ll love it!
http://www.np-kornati.hr
The Telascica Natural Park
The Park is located in the southern part of Dugi otok and can be reached in one hour by car from the holiday apartments Gorgonia. Why to visit Telasica Nature Park? The most striking thing are the cliffs overlooking the sea: the view from the highest point is simply fantastic! With the lungs filling up with salty air and the eye getting lost beyond the islands to the horizon gives the feeling of extreme freedom and pure pleasure.
Inside the Park there are six small islands and donkeys that will be loved by the children!
The contrasts of this Telasica Park are extreme: on one side there are the rocks overlooking the sea, on the other the promenade that runs along the sea, while at the south of the bay there is the salty lake Mir. In the sea there are many species of animals including dolphins, turtles and corals.
The Telasica Park also offers various activities: you can have long walks, rent a bike, a kayak, or go for a dive with the diving center.
Ideal is to visit Telasica out of season or early in the morning, to avoid the tourists who reach the Park for a some hours starting from the harbours of Zadar and Sibenik.
If you have no wish to walk you can reach the highest point of the Park by car. From the former military heliport you have a magnificent view of the Kornati islands and the salt lake Mir.
http://pp-telascica.hr/
The lighthouse of Dugi otok
The lighthouse at Dugi otok is the highest in Croatia and it is leaded by a family. It retains a special charm and from its top you have an incredible view. We recommend a visit in the late afternoon. You have a view of the islands Ist, Molat and of course Dugi otok. You can also see the Velebit mountains, located behind the city of Zadar and you have a view of the Panther Bay in which are located our holiday apartments.
The beach on the left is very nice !
More information here https://www.gorgonia.hr/5-facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-croatian-island-dugi-otok/
The sandy beach in Croatia
The best sandy beach in Dugi otok is Sakarun, one of the few in Croatia and it is located in the north of Dugi otok. The beach is 800 meters long. The seabed slopes gently to the open sea ; it is a paradise for families with children! On the sides of the beach there are pines that provide shade. If you prefer to lay at the sea border it is advisable to bring a sun umbrella.
As it is a protected area there are no villages that develop near the bay, but there are three small restaurants. It is ideal to visit Sakarun beach outside of August, when it is overcrowded. You can reach the beach by car: the parking is wide but on payment. In summer buoys mark the area for bathers: boats are not allowed to reach the shore.
The bay of Veli Zal
This beach is located in the centre of the island of Dugi otok, on the west side, opposite the small island Mezanj.
This place is very special: the bay faces the open sea and the gaze wanders over the horizon. The thick Mediterranean vegetation is reflected on the white sand in the sea, giving the sea wonderful shades of turquoise and contrasting colours. The transparency of the sea, pure air and tranquility make the place untouched in time.
Here you can spend beautiful moments looking at the sea, perhaps with a good book.
The beach has little natural shade and the few visitors have created Robinson’s huts made of trunks and woods brought by the sea, which give this wild place the charm of times gone.
Dugi otok kayaking in the Pantera Bay
The beauty of the Pantera bay is its deep shape that protects from the winds, which makes the trip with the kayak pleasant. The sea is calm and you can see the seabed all the way. If you don’t like paddeling too much you can stop at the red lighthouse for a picnic. Otherwise it is nice to continue to the wreck Michele for snorkelling. It is a cargo ship stranded in shallow water and located in front of two beautiful islands. Nature has taken the ship and transformed it.
Afterwards you can spend a few relaxing hours in a bay that our guests have nicknamed “Gorgonia beach”.
Dugi otok biking on the Polje cliffs
You will start from the holiday apartments and in a short time you will reach the path behind the village of Ploje which leads to the rocks overlooking the sea. There is little vegetating that resists the sea and salt in this place. It is a place to cast a hook into the sea and catch a fish or have a picnic. In this area our elders used to go and collect the sea salt that was deposited in the puddles, the raw salt that gives an intense taste. The place is nice for snorkelling because the seabed quickly degrades into the deep blue. After a siesta you can continue to the Sakarun peninsula to visit the two beautiful pebble beaches at the two ends of the small canopy. They both offer an inviting place for bathing or snorkelling because they hide beautiful rocks. Continuing on you will reach the beach of Sakarun described above. From this cliff you can see definitively or tuna jumping out of the water.
Dugi otok what to do – living the days as in the past
At Dugi otok time seems to have stopped. To experience the island at its best, we recommend to take off the watch for the entire holiday and let to be carried away by the natural rhythm. As soon as the sun rises, the cicadas remind us that it is time to go out to discover the island.
As the sun goes down, there are wonderful trams, especially from the pier in front of the Gorgonia Apartments, or from the lighthouse. It is the cricket that fill the sounds of the night and the little fireflies that give brightness.
In Dugi otok you also have a wonder night vision of the stars : Cassio Pea and the Big Wagon appear above the apartments and it seems as if you can touch them.
Dugi otok Island without traffic lights
There iss no traffic on the entire long Island Dugi otok. The pleasure of driving on a perfectly maintained road surface, but without roundabouts and no traffic lights is pure. Sometimes it is possible to leave the holiday apartment without meeting cars until Sali. In some parts of Dugi otok the island narrows so much to have a wonderful view of the sea from both sides. As there is little traffic, it is possible to see wild animals. Early in the morning there may be an owl sleeping on the side of the road, or a few martens quickly cross the road. The mouflons are very shy, but they can be seen far from the villages.
In the mid-nineties the inhabitants of our village Verunic used to walk to Sali, the capital of the island, to buy flour. There are 40 Km to divide the two villages: today there are good sportsmen to cover the distance by bicycle; by car it takes just under an hour.
Dugi otok restaurants sea front
Nothing better than ending a day in one of Dugi otok’s restaurants. In almost every village of Dugi otok there is at least one restaurant. It is an opportunity to taste traditional dishes such as Peka, where the food is cooked for a few hours under an iron bell. The villagers use to cook different dishes in this way, such as octopus, some types of meat and fish, enriched with island herbs.
