No Stress on Cres

 Cres Island, Croatia * otok Cres,  Hrvatska

Cres is the biggest Croatian island, situated at the northern tip of Kvarner gulf. It is a long, narrow, mountainous island stretching 66 kilometers(41 miles)long and only from 2-12 km (1-7.5 m) wide. 
The coast (total length 248km/154m)is indented with plenty of coves, bays and fine beaches to explore on its western and southern side, while northern and eastern shore is rather steep and rocky - 

All with some spectacular scenery.

To celebrate our anniversary, 
this year we spent a few fine days on Cres Island. 

Driving from Zagreb to Krk, then boarding the Valbiska to Merag ferry, 
we were on Island well before noon. 
We rented a studio apartment in the 'old town' of Cres 
(on the west coast, the ferry docks on the east.) 
The old town is mostly an auto free zone, so we parked our car in a lot right outside the town gate.

 Each morning we walked down to the docks, 

which is the main square, to relax over a cup of coffee. 

Then we packed lunch and taking our bikes we spent a few hours riding, 

swimming and enjoying the spectacular coast.

Cres has a path that winds around the cove,  

I couldn't find much info on it, but the U shaped path seems to run about 10 miles from point to point. Besides the cove, marine and many beaches, the path runs alone marsh land, pine forest and an olive grove. On the side farthest from Cres docks, the last couple of miles are newly paved and I spied 2016 written in the cement. At the end, marked by a small green lighthouse, we carried our bikes further around the point, finding a great place to snorkel and eat lunch. 

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In the late afternoons we hopped in the car to explore.

Did I mention the Island has only one main road that run down the middle.

So to get to the several villages, some at the bottom of the mountain, some high on a cliff, you need to travel on small narrow, sometimes unpaved, roads. Most being the only road in and back out... at times someone has to back up or pull over into very tight (scary;) places!

Noted: a few new guardrails and a couple paved spots to pull into!

Heading South...

Lubenice - 4000 yr old tiny village, high cliff 378 meters above the sea
 - stunning beach below- park and walk.

If you keep heading south, you come to the Island Of Lošinj.
 Long ago Cres and Lošinj were the same island, 
but are now connected via a bridge. (over the Osor channel)

We stopped for dinner and a stroll in Mali Lošinj. 

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Heading North...

Porozina - great hike, weeds as tall as us, amazing views and 15th century ruins of an Franciscan monastery and an old Gothic church.. 

Beli - along the way we saw the famed griffon vultures circling the skies!

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If you ever get out this way, you will not be disappointed! 
So much beauty and of course amazing history. 
And for us, close enough to Zagreb, we hope to go again!

 On foot, or bike, touring the narrow streets and alleys of old city Cres. 

Okay, I'll stop with the pictures...

(Happy 31st Anniversary to us:)

For those of you that want more history: Cres and Lošinj were the same island, but are now connected via a bridge in Osor. 

FYI: The Cres-Lošinj was once called Apsyrtides during the roman times, the name is linked to the mystical hero Apsyrtu.

   It is recorded that the first known residents of the islands were the Illyrians who inhabited the area since the 7th century B.C.. As skillful seafarers,  they established their first settlements at Apsoros (Osor) and Crepsa (Cres). It is still believed today that the Illyrians dug the artificial channel separating the islands of Cres and Lošinj to provide faster maritime transport in North Adriatic. 

   Once part of the Venetian Republic, in 1797 the ile passed under Austrian-Hungarian rule. After World War I, it was given to the Kingdom of Italy. In 1947, it was incorporated into Yugoslavia. In 1991, it became part of present-day Croatia.

   Today Mali Lošinj is the largest town on the islands  (20011 cenus - 8,116 inhabitants) It is situated right at the bottom of the bay. By 1868, there were as many as eleven shipyards, and it became the place with the largest and most developed merchant marine in the Adriatic Sea.

  Today the town of Cres has a population of about 2500. It is a typical small Mediterranean town with plenty of narrow and high small houses attached to each other and little street and alleys winding in a maze, seeming to always come back to the center and all with many characteristic remains of the Venetian influence … 

Love it's motto - "There is no stress on Cres”

Lubenice - This ancient mountain village has an amazing view of the sea and neighboring islands. You park in the lot and walk around. Today there are just 40 Buildings and 7 permanent inhabitants. The buildings are mainly constructed out of the same material as the surrounding cliffs, and parts date back to a former settlement of ancient Romans. If you have enough water, you can hike down to the beach below, it is said it can be done in 45 minutes, but it looks long and hot and getting back up would definitely take twice as long!

Beli - 2000 year old village, on the northern part of the Island at the end of a long and very narrow road, is home to the endangered Griffon vulture.

Porozina - Is the other ferry terminal to Brestova on the Istria mainland. Besides the port, the old town is situated upon a hillock above the port, and is worth a look around on foot. On this site today sits the ruins of an old Franciscan monastery of Saint Nicholas and an old Gothic church, dating to the 15th century.

Besides these, the island includes the following villages, some of them only accessible by dirt road and with only a few locals remaining or even uninhabited: Dragozetići, Filozići, Grmov, Ivanje, Loznati, Mali Podol, Martinšćica, Merag, Miholašćica, Orlec, Pernat, Predošćica, Stanić, Stivan, Sveti Petar, Valun, Važminež, Vidovići, Vodice, Vrana, Zbičina i Zbišina… With a few more on Lošinj.

for more info I have linked a the sites I used below…

gleaned from: tzg-cres.hr/en/, .island-cres.com/Island-Cres, camps-cres-losinj.com/, 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki,  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History,  jadrolinija.hr/en/ferry-croatia

Cres Island, Croatia

One of the many Croatian Islands worth exploring.

Cres (pronounced [t͡srɛ̂ːs]; Latin: Crepsa) is an Adriatic island in Croatia.

"There is no stress on Cres"

Sunset  June 4,  2015

A History lesson from wikipedia: *Cres has been inhabited since the Paleolithic time period and was later ruled by the Greeks, then since the 1st century B.C., the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Roman Empire for centuries, the island was taken over by the Byzantine Empire. In the 7th century the Slavs invaded Cres and the islands around it. Then, around 866 the inhabitants saw the first conflicts with the Republic of Venice. The Venetians eventually took control of Cres and the neighboring islands in the 10th and 11th centuries.  

The Croats regained the islands and the islands went through a change of rulers for centuries, being ruled by Croats, Hungarians, and for 400 years the Venetians. After Napoleon's victory over the Venetians, the island went under Austrian rule. After the defeat of Austria by Napoleon in 1809 the islands became part of the French Empire. After the fall of Napoleon, Austria once again took control of the island for 100 years. During this time the economy developed with olive trees, sage, and other plants becoming key to the success of the island. At the end of World War I, with the Treaty of Rapallo signed in 1920, the island was once again handed over to Italy. This lasted until 1947 when the Islands, along with Istrian Peninsula, were assigned to Yugoslavia."

our attempt at capturing the sunset ...

While my sister, Maureen was here, one of our adventures was an over night trip via a bus from Zagreb to Cres, [very doable and easy]!
Of course to get to an island there has to be some sort of boat... our bus took the ferry from Valbiska on Krk, to Merga on the east coast of Cres. Back on the bus we traveled to the west coast, getting off in the town of Cres. We then walked to our hotel, changed into our bathing suits, walked a few steps to the beach and jumped in the Adriatic - very cold water in June - but oh so beautiful! 
We also rented bikes, saw a few sites, ate great food, then spent the next day on the pirate ship Korsaro... 

Making our way to this beautiful beach...(about 1 nautical mile after we passed St John's beach, which is written up as one of the top 10 beaches in the world).

 

Blue grotto - a hidden cave with a large blue lagoon inside. 

                 
 Lunch included...(about 75 ppl. on our trip, but the ship can hold more:)

As we sailed along, the captain shared some of the local history and landmarks .... thousands of years of dry stone walls, of course olive trees, and a very cool island with a lighthouse, which we were told involved 1000's of chicken eggs to build! We could also see the 4000 year old village of Lubenice, which sits on a cliff (383 meters above sea level). And just under that we passed one of the most famous Croatian beaches - Sveti Ivan (St. John). 

Once we docked about 20 of us swam out to Plava Grota aka - Blue Grotto; which can only be reached by sea, (that is by jumping off your boat, as our captain did, or swimming from shore, as those of us brave or determined enough to do it, did.
 'There is a narrow entrance at a depth of 3 m and a tunnel that runs into the cave above sea-level. The cave is about 20 m long',
an awesome site and worth the freezing water and short swim.
(no pictures bc no water proof camera:(
Yes, an awesome relaxing day at the beach!!

Interesting fact **Sailboat Korsaro was made ​​in Holland in the 1930's as a yacht of the The Dutch queen. During the 80 year history it changed owners and purpose. On it stayed many celebrities, among others, and Josip Broz Tito.

Then in 2011 the boat was restored and adapted to the needs of modern travelers, taking on the appearance of a pirate ship. korsaro.com

I shall write and post more pictures of our adventures soon,
Happy summer  to you all...