Mezanj Island

Mežanj (often written Mezanj) is a small, uninhabited islet on the northwest coast of Dugi Otok, the largest island of the Zadar Archipelago, lying only around 300 metres offshore across from Veli Žal beach and facing the open sea toward Italy. There are no houses, docks or facilities on the islet — it is visited almost exclusively by boat.

The main reason divers and sailors stop at Mežanj is what lies beneath the surface. A small cave on the islet's seaward side has its entrance at roughly 10 metres, sloping down toward about 40 metres, and the surrounding seabed is dotted with underwater walls that drop from a few metres to well over 20 metres, with visibility clear enough to see the bottom in the shallows. The low shrubland and Mediterranean scrub that cover the islet, together with its white pebble shore, are typical of the wider Dugi Otok coastline.

Because it has no marina or mooring infrastructure, many charter guests exploring Croatia anchor here for the afternoon before continuing on to Dugi Otok's better-known Sakarun beach or the Telašćica nature park further south.