Zlarin

Zlarin lies in the Sibenik channel and its trade was red coral, harvested by divers from the seabed around the islands and worked into jewellery in the village - a craft that supported the island for generations and that a small museum and the remaining workshops still represent, though the coral beds are long depleted and protected. In 2019 the island declared itself free of single-use plastic, the first community in Croatia to do so, with shops and bars switching away from disposable cups and bottles and a scheme for visitors. There are no cars, the village runs along the harbour, and the paths inland go through pine and old olive terraces.

What you actually see

• The coral island - the harvesting and working trade that built it.
• First plastic-free community in Croatia - declared in 2019.
• No cars - the village and paths are walked.
• Pine and olive terraces - the interior behind the harbour.

When to go

June to September, when the boats run frequently. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Coral is no longer harvested and what is sold is largely old stock or imported, which is worth asking about. Boat schedules thin out sharply off season. Services are a handful of places on the harbour. Beaches are shingle and rock.

Nearby

Prvic is the next island; Sibenik is twenty minutes by boat.