Island of Svetac

Remote and extreme, the island of Svetac, is a very special place, the only place in the whole of Croatia where there is no frost! With the average temperature of above 17ºC, the climate of the island resembles Malta and Creta. However, the isolation of the island favors stong winds blowing around the island. Jugo blows so strong, that even the most recent and sophisitaced docks that were built on the island got shattered. The island was once covered in pine trees, but with the building of shipyard in 1760, the majority of the pines was cut down as their raisin was used to waterproof the ships. Only the northern part of the island still remains covered in pine, and maquis covers rest of the island. Thanks to its location, Svetac is a resting place for many birds traveling to the south. The eleonor hawk, an endemic species, and the eagle owl, the biggest owl of the Europe make the island their home, too, feeding mostly on intoxic snakes.
Even though conditions make life hard on the island, it had been inhabited since the ancinent times by the Greeks, followed by the Romans. Over the last few centuries, the island's owners are the Zanchi family, but the church still holds the right to exploit island's resources.

 

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