Things to do
Dolphins in open water, a Roman bronze pulled from the seabed, pine forests with Habsburg villas, a viewpoint at sunset, and an aromatic garden with 1,200 species of healing plants.
One of Croatia’s genuine cultural highlights, and almost nobody outside the country knows it exists. The Apoxymenos is a first-century BC Roman bronze athlete — one of only a handful of ancient bronzes preserved in such extraordinary condition — found by a Belgian diver in the sea off the island of Lošinj in 1996. The museum built around it is beautifully designed and takes the statue seriously. Worth the journey alone.
Year-round. Allow 1–2 hours.
About 180 resident bottlenose dolphins live in the Lošinj archipelago year-round — one of the most studied populations in the Mediterranean. The Blue World Institute in Veli Lošinj has been monitoring them since 1987. Their research boat trips put you in open water with trained naturalists who know individual dolphins by name and fin markings. Sightings are not guaranteed, but the encounter rate is high.
Season: May–October. Book ahead in summer.
blue-world.org →A fragrant pine forest laced with coastal walking and cycling trails, dotted with Austro-Hungarian villas from the late 19th century when the Viennese upper classes came here for their health. The Alhambra is in here; so are several other Belle Époque buildings in various states of restoration. The forest runs directly to the sea in several places. Walk through it in the early morning when the air is still cool and the light comes through the pines sideways.
The best view on the island — a scenic promontory above Mali Lošinj with a panorama across the harbour, the surrounding islands, and the open Adriatic. At sunset the sea turns orange and the Habsburg facades glow. The Vidikovac Bar at the viewpoint serves cocktails. Book your table there if you can; or simply arrive an hour before sunset and find a spot on the rocks. The island spreads out in every direction.
Book the bar in advance for sunset in peak season.
Lošinj is sometimes called the Island of Scents: 1,200 plant and herb species grow on the archipelago, many of them with documented medicinal properties. The Aromatic Garden in Mali Lošinj gathers them in one place — sage, rosemary, lavender, oregano, thyme — arranged across dry-stone terraces above the sea. A tranquil, fragrant hour. The island’s designation as a health resort in 1892 started here.
The smaller town, four kilometres south. A compact harbour surrounded by steep, pine-covered hills, with the tall pink baroque church of St Anthony rising above the waterfront. Inside: seven Baroque altars and paintings by Italian masters. On the hill above: a crenellated Venetian tower built in 1455, now used for exhibitions. Walk along the ridge to the tiny harbour at Rovenska: three restaurants, a pebbly beach, and complete quiet.
St Anthony’s Church open daily. Venetian tower open in summer.