More Ugljan
11 August 2022
Phil Heaton
Preko marina on Ugljan is quite small, but facilities are good and the folk running it very friendly. The day we arrived (Wednesday 3rd August) we took the ferry across to Zadar old town to visit the main sights. The ferry only takes 25 minutes each way. There are the inevitable Roman ruins (the forum), 12th/13th century St Anastasia’s Cathedral, and pleasant pedestrianised streets with cafes and shops.
For many, including us, one of the highlights is the Sea Organ – designed by a local architect, Nikola Basic, it is a system of pipes and whistles set in perforated stone steps that descend to the sea. The sounds it makes as the sea pushes air through it are quite soporific. You can swim from the steps but just sitting there listening and looking at the channel between Zadar and Ugljan is almost mesmerising. Unique.
The following day we returned to Zadar but to the main ferry port as we were in search of a few bits for the boat – only partially successful.
Friday 5th August was Victory Day for Croatia – a public holiday celebrating the end to the war with Serbia. We were wakened by lots of noise and chatter as many boats tied up outside the harbour wall and thronged the inside of the harbour. Just behind us some guys set up cured ham legs and got stuck in to beer and prosciutto. It turned out to be the annual Preko to Zadar marathon swim. Our new neighbours were cheerfully friendly and we joined in sampling their prosciutto. They gleefully told us they were celebrating sending the Serbs back to Serbia on their tractors. There must have been over one hundred swimmers, probably an even mix of men and women, undertaking the 4.4km swim which they had to complete in under two hours, and each swimmer had their own support boat.
With two supermarkets and a fresh fruit and vegetable stall right beside the marina we took the opportunity for major provisions replenishment, before heading back to the west side of Ugljan and a small bay Prtljug.
This is a truly delightful spot with shelter from SW through N to SE. Ashore there are some old fishermen’s cottages and stone jetties – and a large rubbish bin.
We had picked up a superb cycling and hiking map of Ugljan, which showed that we could make an 8 miles round trip hike to Scah, the highest point on Ugljan (296 metres). We were pleased to have the opportunity for a decent hike. The trail started as gravel and stone, being part of an island-wide network, until we reached the walking-only trail up to Scah. We were not dismayed by a sign showing that flip-flops should not be worn as we were shod in the new hiking boots we bought in Cortina when our old ones fell apart after the Dolomites hikes. It was very hot and the climb was over a broken and rocky track with occasional shade … until we neared what we thought was the summit. Now we were actually climbing over cracked and creviced limestone pavements and boulders, with no shade. The route was increasingly rugged and twisting, and then we saw … dammit, a false summit and the true summit was probably still a quarter of a mile away but the route was even more broken and steep. Discretion became the better part of valour and we decided we had nothing to prove, but we did want to avoid damaged limbs and so stopped short. On the return to MINNIE B we detoured to the seaside village of Lukoran for ice-cold water, beer and lemonade.
The village of Ugljan is on the east side of the island and takes about an hour to walk there from Prtljug. It has a couple of supermarkets, a fresh fruit and vegetable market and a fish stall, so OK for some provisioning. The walk is through olive groves, which in many cases are on very small plots as land has been divided and sub-divided over the centuries. The Romans turned Ugljan into a major olive producer and there are still some trees from 2000 years ago … we are told. The walk is along gravel and stone tracks and by contrast has some solar powered smart benches which provide wifi connections and charging points. There are about six of these scattered around the island on the cycle and walking routes. Who knew?
We have thoroughly enjoyed Ugljan but the time has come to keep moving slowly south.