Losinj Island

Losinj hangs off the southern end of Cres, joined by a bridge at Osor that swings open twice a day to let boats through. Unlike its bare neighbour it is thickly wooded, mostly with Aleppo pine planted over the past century and a half, and the island has built its identity around the resulting air and plant life: marked trails signposted with the aromatic species growing beside them, and an aromatic garden in Mali Losinj. The waters between Cres and Losinj hold a resident group of bottlenose dolphins that has been studied for decades, and a marine education centre in Veli Losinj explains the work. Mali Losinj itself curls around a deep natural harbour.

What you actually see

• The Cikat bay pine woods - a forested peninsula with a long shoreline path and shaded coves.
• The marine education centre - a small exhibition in Veli Losinj on the resident dolphin population and Adriatic research.
• The aromatic garden - a collection of the island's medicinal and scented plants, with the same species labelled along walking trails.
• Osor bridge - the narrow channel cut between Cres and Losinj, with a swing bridge that opens on a fixed daily schedule.

When to go

May to October. Early summer is best for the plant trails, when everything is in flower and the heat is manageable. September has the warmest sea. Dolphin sightings from boats are a matter of chance in any month and no trip can promise them. The Osor bridge closes to traffic during its opening times, which catches drivers out.

Honest expectations

Getting here takes effort: either two ferries and a long island drive, or a catamaran with limited sailings. Mali Losinj is busy in August and parking is difficult. Beaches are mostly rock and pebble with concrete platforms. Boat trips advertising dolphins often return without seeing any, and responsible operators keep their distance when they do.

Nearby

Cres is directly north across the Osor bridge, and the sand island of Susak is a short boat ride west.