Silba

Silba is a small island in the Zadar Archipelago, lying between Premuda and Olib, roughly fifteen kilometres southeast of Lošinj. Covering only 15 square kilometres, the island is shaped like a figure eight, with the village sitting at its narrowest point — a mere 600 metres separates the two harbours of Mul, on the northeastern side, and Žalić, on the southwestern side.

Silba has been settled since at least the 9th century, passing over the centuries through the hands of monasteries and Venetian noble families before its inhabitants gained ownership of the island in 1852. Today it is home to around 290 permanent residents, a number that swells considerably each summer. The island is almost entirely car-free: no motor vehicles are allowed beyond a handful used for essential deliveries, so getting around means walking or cycling along quiet, shaded paths.

The best-known landmark is the Toreta, a hexagonal, 15-metre-high stone tower with an external spiral staircase, built in 1872 by a local sea captain, Pietro Marinich, in his family's garden; a small chapel attached to it was consecrated in 1894. Local tradition ties the tower to a story of a sailor and his beloved, and it remains the highest viewpoint in the village.

Along the coast, coves such as Sotorišće — the main sand-and-shallow-water public beach — sit alongside the rockier Vele Stene, the sandy Dobre Vode, the sheltered anchorage of Port Sv. Ante, and the cove of Pernastica. The island has no car-ferry ramp for outside traffic, only passenger connections from Zadar — but for cruise itineraries built around quieter anchorages, Silba is worth a visit if you're chartering a gulet in Croatia and looking for an unhurried stop away from the busier islands further south.