Unije

Unije lies west of Losinj in the open Kvarner, the largest of the small islands out there, with a single village of white houses on the western shore and a permanent population in the tens. The interior is olive groves, drystone walls and scrub, much of it worked in the past and now partly abandoned, with a grass airstrip laid across a flat stretch. There are no cars. Water has always been the limit here - the island has no springs and depends on rain collection and shipment. The bays around the coast are reached on foot and are empty for most of the year, which is the reason people who come here come back.

What you actually see

• One village and few residents - white houses on the western shore.
• Olive groves and drystone walls - the worked interior, partly abandoned.
• A grass airstrip - cut across a flat stretch inland.
• Empty bays on foot - the coast reached only by walking.

When to go

June to September; ferries are sparse otherwise. A full day.

Honest expectations

Ferry times make a day trip tight, and bad weather cancels crossings. There is no shop worth the name outside summer and water is precious. There is no medical service. Bring what you need.

Nearby

Susak is south; Mali Losinj is the ferry port east.