Cres - Bird Sanctuary with a View
The island Cres is an attractive spot for ornithologists, as it is home to the extremely seldom Eurasian griffons. For yacht charter crews, the second biggest of the Kvarner Islands is a great place, too. As many other Croatian towns, the town of Cres is dominated by the traces of the Venetians. Numerous coats of arms above the entrances of the town houses witness the long Venetian period.
General Info
Often mistaken with the island it sits on due to the similarity of their names, the small city of Cres is actually located on the northeastern part of the homonymous island, in a bay that protects incoming Yacht Charter boats from rough waters.
The old town reveals its long history stretching back to antiquity to the curious Yacht Charter traveler gradually from the harbor from the churches to the old villas. The tourist boom started out sometime around the late 60s and early 70s when hotels were built to house the increasing numbers of sailors arriving here.
Travel & Arrival
The closest airport is the one in Rijeka, back on the Croatian mainland, situated at about 48km, to the northeast. That’s quite a ride back into town, but the advantage is that this airport offers lots of international flights, giving traveling Yacht Charter groups a chance to link up no matter where thery’re coming from.
The problem is there is a ferry crossing from Krk island to Cres at the town of Mereg, meaning that a car would be more difficult to accommodate, especially since the town has mostly pedestrian streets and is not very car friendly. Your best chance would be to catch a bus here from Zagreb, a trip which takes around 4 hours
Water travel is more accessible with daily ferries from Rijeka, which has an estimate time of travel of about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Another town linking with Cres is Brestova on the mainland, in case your Yacht Charter crew arrives from that direction.
Avant & Apres Sail
You’ll be amazed at the gothic architecture the town displays, which is due to the long connection Cres had with Venice, being part of the Venetian Republic up until 1797. Among the most visited Yacht Charter attractions are the town gates, the towers around town, the church of St. Isidor, the Franciscan monastery, the Benedictine monastery and a number of Roman ruins.
When all the visiting is done, it’s time to sample the local cuisine. Nothing but fresh seafood caught from the neighboring waters cooked with vegetables or grilled over an open flame. And speaking of grilling, the locals are experts in grilling lamb. Most of the restaurants serve these dishes, especially those along the seafront, as well as the pecorino cheese with Croatian wines. Picky Yacht Charter gourmands can also get more international menus, such as the Italian pizza.
As night sets on the wooden shores, the town goes quiet for the most part, as the majority of Yacht Charter visitors head to one of the local bars for a drink. Of course, there are clubs for the younger segment of the Yacht Charter population in neighboring towns as well as some rave parties on the island’s beaches.
Events & Actions
The most famous cultural event around these parts it the Musical Evenings of Osor, with a tradition going back to 1976, taking place from July the 15th to August the 15h with classical music concerts. In addition, there are some religious holidays such as St. Isidor day who is the patron saint in January, St. Anton, St. Phillip and St. John the Baptist day on June 24th. Yacht Charter visitors might be interested more by the Cres Summer Festival which features a food fair, cultural celebrations as well as sports events.