Veli Rat Lighthouse

Veli Rat light was built in 1849 at the north-western tip of Dugi Otok and its tower is about 42 metres, the tallest on the Adriatic. The story attached to it, told by every guide on the island, is that thousands of egg yolks were mixed into the mortar to make it hold and to give the render its yellowish tone; it is repeated as fact locally and there is no documentary evidence for it, which is the position. The keepers' quarters are let as holiday accommodation. Around the point are shallow bays with pine down to the water, and the beach at Sakarun is a short drive south.

Background

The lighthouse is still in service and is a well known landmark beside the village of Veli Rat on Dugi Otok. A single storey keeper's house wraps around the base of the masonry tower, which carries a white lantern and one gallery. The light sits 41 metres above the sea and reaches 22 nautical miles. Veli Rat is one of the Croatian lighthouses that still has a resident keeper, and since 2000 rooms inside have been let to holiday visitors. In 2010 the Croatian postal service put it on a set of commemorative stamps together with the lighthouses at Vir and Tajer.

Source: Wikipedia, "Veli Rat Lighthouse"

What to look for

• The tallest Adriatic lighthouse - about 42 metres, built 1849.
• The egg-yolk mortar story - told everywhere, evidenced nowhere.
• Keepers' quarters as lets - the buildings around the tower.
• Pine and shallow bays - the coast at the island's tip.

When to go

May to September; ferries thin out sharply off season. Half a day.

Before you go

The tower cannot be climbed. Getting there means a ferry plus a long island drive on a narrow road. There are no services at the point. The last stretch is a rough track.

Nearby

Sakarun beach is south; Telascica and Kornati are at the island's other end.

Key facts