SAVUDRIJA / SALVORE

Savudrija, built in 1818, is the oldest Adriatic lighthouse and the most north-western lighthouse in Istria and all of Croatia. It is situated on a cape bearing the same name, 30 m from the sea, in the middle of a tourist zone. The lighthouse is 9 km from Umag (Umago) and 56 km from Trieste, and is reachable by car. The lighthouse has a luxuriant garden, and it surrounded by a high fence and a parking lot. The house itself now contains two 4-bedroom rental apartments.

Each lighthouse in the Adriatic has its own story or legend. This lighthouse  is said to be hiding Count Metternich's secret love. The famous Austrian politician allegedly ordered that the first lighthouse be built in Savudrija, the reason for such a decision being a beautiful Croatian lady originating from the area whom the count had met at a ball in Vienna. Unfortunately, the lady did not live to receive the count's love messages sent out in the flashes of the newly-built lighthouse: she died on the very day the lighthouse tower was completed.

PORER / IL FARO DEL PROMONTORE

The Porer lighthouse was built in 1833 on an islet of the same name, southwest of Istria's southernmost cape of Kamenjak, a protected nature park (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.  This bleak rock eroded by the sea stands out, and the tall stone tower was built on it as if by some miracle. The islet is so small that it takes just over a minute to walk around it, nevertheless, the walk is magnificent due to the sunsets on Porer that are considered to be the most beautiful on the Adriatic.

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).

There are many beautiful bays and islets in the vicinity of Porer, and the islet itself is characterized by the richness of fish species in its undersea and by its isolation from cilivization. It is situated 1 n.m. to the southwest from the southernmost cape of the Istrian peninsula. It is a circular shaped and bare cliff 80 meters wide, situated 1.5 n.m. from land and the Premantura Bay or 2.5 km. It is possible to reach this bay by a road from Pula (20 kilometers). 

There are three wharfs on the island. The 35 m lighthouse tower is central with regards to the rest of the stone building.  The islet itself has three smaller berths. The stone edifice is a single-story building with a concrete courtyard. It has been converted to two four-bed apartments, but is not recommended for children due to its strong currents. Food provisioning can be arranged with the housekeeper, using his boat. Travel by boat from Premantura takes about 15 minutes.

The ancient legends linked to this rock have been covered by layers of sand from which sometimes an amphora or some other trace of long forgotten tragedies are revealed by the currents. No one knows how many ships, Liburnian and Roman, Croatian and Venetian, have found their eternal anchorage in the surrounding shallows of Krsine, Fenoglia and Veliki balkun.

[The photo below was taken in 1986 by Francesco Zardo; courtesy of Istria - Dalmazia]

SV. IVAN NA PUCINI / SAN GIOVANNI

The lighthouse of Sv. Ivan, built in 1853, is located on the southernmost islet of an archipelago that consists of thirteen islets in front of the town of Rovinj (Rovigno). This lighthouse is only 2 nautical miles from Rovinj. The islet is a rocky cliff measuring 70 x 50 m and is surrounded by shallow sea. The depths of the sea that surrounds Sv. Ivan vary from 10 to 40 meters where the seabed is rocky and rick in flora and species of fish, and the protected bottle-nosed dolphins are also present. There is a small berth and a hoist for boats. The lighthouse building has been converted to two 4-bedroom rental apartments.

Curse of the doge

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. 

RT ZUB / PUNTA DEL DENTE

This lighthouse was built in 1972 on the Lanterna peninsula, 13 km from Poreč (Parenzo) and at about the same distance from Novigrad (Cittanova). The peninsula is situated between two beautiful bays with stone and pebble beaches. The lighthouse is a stone building situated 10 m from the sea. It has a ground floor and a first floor and is surrounded by a fenced courtyard and parking lot. This lighthouse has a one 8-bedroom apartment now used as a rental.

PUNTA MARLERA
 Near Medulin (Medolino)

SAN GIUSEPPE SUL PUCINO

KURILA - LOŠINJ (LUSSINO) ISLAND

MURTAR - MURTAR ISLAND
Across the bay from Artatore, Lošinj (Lussino) Island

SILO
Near Male Srakane Island

GALIJOLA / GALIOLA ISLAND
NW of Unije / Unie Island and SW of Zeča / Levrera Island photos above and below)

VNETAK, UNIJE / UNIE ISLAND
 (above and below)

LIGHTHOUSE SUSAK / SANSEGO
[photo not yet available]

Built in 1881, the Susak lighthouse lies on the top of the island 100 m high. 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.

PIRAN - LIGHTHOUSE AND SV. KLEMENT CHURCH AT PUNTA MADONNA