Ugljan

That tower you see on the pinnacle on the island opposite when you look from Zadar is St Michael's Church, an easy hike from the village of Preko on the island of Ugljan. The island’s name comes from the Croatian word ulje, meaning oil – olive oil production used to be one of the main activities here. The gentle slopes facing Zadar are fertile, and there’s a pleasant agricultural feel away from the coastal settlements – you’ll see ladies walking along the road carrying the day’s harvest.

Kukljica is the main tourist development on Ugljan, and is a great starting point for hiking and biking, a great way to see the numerous historical sites on the island. There are a number of routes outlined by the Tourist Board – call into their office or check out the website below. A 15 minute walk takes you to the other side of the island where you come to excellent beaches at Sabuša and Jelenica, some of which are sandy. The nearby cove of Kostanj also has a lovely shallow beach and the 13th century Romanesque Church of St Jerome (Sv. Jerolim) is nearby. Close to Kukljica is the Zelena Punta (Green Cape) peninsula, a tourist settlement where you’ll find a fantastic beach formed of a promenade with deep shade from pine trees, super-clean water and shingle and sand in the water.  The islet of Ošljak is also popular for bathing – two Jadrolinija ferries call here per day, taking you to Zadar or Preko.

On August 5, Kukljica celebrates the festival of Our Lady of the Snows - apparently it snowed once here in August - and everybody complains about how bad the weather is these days! A convoy of fishing boats travels ceremoniously to a nearby church. The port of Kali also celebrates this occasion – the townspeople are famous for being great fishermen, and oddly enough, 90 percent of them went to Panama and still can be seen fishing there to this day.