Susak is a small island in the northern part of the Adriatic Sea, located west from the island of Lošinj. With its surface of 3.7 km2 and around 100 inhabitants it is among smaller islands in the Adriatic Sea, but the most special one because of its history and geology. It is the only sand island in Croatia, and there is no unique explanation how it has developed; there is a theory that lower sandy layers are sediments created by the inflow of the River Po, while upper sediments are Aeolian alluvion blown and deposited on top, but it has not been proven. Another theory says that submarine springs caused sand accumulation which surfaced with tectonic elevations.
There is only one settlement in the island, which has been inhabited since the Illyrian times, because it is an important location on trade routes from Istria and Dalmatia. In the Roman era, the settlement (then called SANSEGUS) was a summer residence of their wealthier population. The village now called Susak is divided in two parts: ‘’Gornje selo or the Upper Village’’ and ‘’Donje selo or the Lower Village’’ on the shore. These two are connected by stairs and are not accessible by any means of transportation as there are no roads and cars on the island, all streets are very narrow, so their main mean of transportation is a wheelbarrow or ‘’karjola’’ as they call it. The best way to see many different transportation methods is when the ship arrives, and this occurs twice a day. Susak is accessible by catamaran from the Port of Rijeka and from the Lošinj port. And when the ship from Lošinj arrives, the whole village awakens and rushes to the port carrying all kinds of wheels, and colorful karjolas (they paint them in different colors to be easier to recognize). This is the only way to get supplies, and in the winter time, Susak gets cut off from any very often because of a strong wind called Bura. Gornje selo is the older, historical part of the island village, with its church, winery, Benedictine abbey, one restaurant, gallery and few apartments but mainly the place where the locals live. While walking through the labyrinth of its streets one must pay attention to small details on the houses, like painted doors, nameplates, as every house is interesting in its own way. You can also spot a karjola crushed into the wall, which is a symbol of the Susak Expo festival that is a gathering of local artists. From Gornje selo you can take a nice walk to the top of the island, 98 m high point with one of the last inhabited lighthouses. Or take a walk through the ‘’jungle’’ of bamboo and reed to the other side of the island, where there are two bigger rocky bays called Nasuzanski and Porat.
The Nasuzanski bay is a great place for divers, because near the bay there is a sunken ship, and near the Porat bay, you can find an abandoned watch tower (a military outpost) built in the middle of the 20th century. Enjoy the landscape while walking because such landscape does not exist in other parts of Croatia. You will notice that besides reeds and bamboo there are also a few vineyards from which ‘’Sansego’’ wine comes, but there are no domestic animals, farms, or any industry suggesting that tourism and viticulture are the only branches of the island economy. Once there was a factory for fish processing, but it was closed when this island was hit by a great wave of emigration process.
There are not a lot of mainstream things for tourists to see on the island, but there are some for sure: St. Nicolas parish church from the 18th century, cemetery, and chapel at cape Darto from the beginning of the 20th century.
The most popular Susak attraction is for sure the Spiaza beach, located in the center of the village, and widely known for its golden sand. It is the largest beach on the island, the most visited and the most equipped one (rent a paddle, SUP, umbrella, chair). Except Spiaza, Susak has another sandy beach called the Bok bay that is just 10 minutes away from Spiaza. Other beaches are rocky, so whatever you like, either sand, rocks, privacy or crowd, you will find it there. wds. Each of the five islands that I am going to write about is unique to itself and a must-see.
There are not a lot of mainstream things for tourists to see on the island, but there are some for sure: St. Nicolas parish church from the 18th century, cemetery, and chapel at cape Darto from the beginning of the 20th century.
The most popular Susak attraction is for sure the Spiaza beach, located in the center of the village, and widely known for its golden sand. It is the largest beach on the island, the most visited and the most equipped one (rent a paddle, SUP, umbrella, chair). Except Spiaza, Susak has another sandy beach called the Bok bay that is just 10 minutes away from Spiaza. Other beaches are rocky, so whatever you like, either sand, rocks, privacy or crowd, you will find it there.
