Palagruza

Palagruza lies about 70 kilometres from Vis and roughly halfway between the Croatian and Italian coasts, a steep uninhabited ridge with a lighthouse built on its top in 1875 by the Austro-Hungarian administration - the highest lighthouse on the Adriatic by position. Excavation on the island has produced plenty of Greek pottery from the Late Archaic period onward, among it a painted sherd of the sixth century BC inscribed with the name of Diomedes, the Homeric hero said to be buried here, making it one of the more remarkable island sanctuaries in the Adriatic. The only accommodation is in the lighthouse keepers' quarters, let to visitors.

History

People reached Palagruža in the Neolithic: early Impressed Ware pottery of the 6th to 4th millennia BC has been found, and more from the Ljubljana-Adriatic culture of the first half of the 3rd millennium BC and the Cetina culture of its second half. Greek seafarers left many finds from the Late Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and early Roman periods, and the island is linked with the Island of Diomedes, where the Homeric hero was said to be buried - a painted 6th-century BC sherd inscribed with his name suggests a shrine of his cult here. The galley fleet of Pope Alexander III landed on 9 March 1177, maps from the early 14th century name the islands Pelagosa, and from the 15th and 16th centuries they were the fishing ground of the people of Komiža on Vis. After 1797 they passed to Austria, in 1806 to Napoleon's Kingdom of Italy, from 1809 to 1815 to the Illyrian Provinces and then back to Austria, which sent missions to build a lighthouse, notably in 1858 (Wikipedia, Palagruža).

The main sights

• The remotest Croatian island - about halfway to Italy.
• A lighthouse of 1875 - the highest positioned on the Adriatic.
• A Diomedes cult site - a sherd of the sixth century BC with his name.
• Lighthouse quarters as the only lodging - booked well in advance.

When to go

June to September, when the sea allows the crossing. Several days.

Things to know

Getting there depends entirely on weather and being stuck for extra days is normal - supplies must be brought. There are no shops, no medical help and patchy signal. The landing is difficult in any swell. This is not a day trip.

Nearby

Vis and Komiza are the departure points; Bisevo lies on the way.

Key facts