Britons Enthralled by Croatian Island: ‘You Can Still Experience the Authentic Adriatic Here’

Cres has emerged as the favorite undiscovered island among readers of Britain’s Guardian, standing out from nominations that ranged from Ireland’s coast to the Greek archipelagos.

The Croatian island was praised as “a bird’s-eye view of wild Croatia,” a description that captures its rugged character and quiet atmosphere. The recognition places Cres alongside destinations such as Italy’s Lipari and Spain’s La Graciosa, while reinforcing its appeal as an alternative to crowded Mediterranean hotspots.

Cres is the least populated of the four main Kvarner islands. Its landscapes range from the ancient oak forests of Tramuntana in the north to scrub-covered plateaus, lavender and old olive groves in the south. Trails in the forests follow routes that once served as Roman roads.

The island’s skies offer one of its most striking sights. Endangered griffon vultures, which nest on its sea cliffs, glide on thermal currents above the rocky terrain. One Guardian reader described taking a bus to the island’s highest point and being accompanied in the air by the birds, whose wings can span almost three meters.

The main town of Cres is a fortified harbor marked by Venetian architecture, narrow paved streets and a 16th-century Venetian tower. Fishermen sell their morning catch to waterfront restaurants, while local farmers offer honey and olive oil near the historic town loggia. Elsewhere, villages such as Lubenice, perched 378 meters above a cliff, retain a sense of a place where time has slowed.

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A bird’s-eye view of wild Croatia