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Adventure
Lastovo
started to flourish. That is because the Yugoslav military
regime forbade foreigners from coming to this island,
which made it “forbidden fruit” for foreign tourists along
with the island of Vis. These days, many of them already
know about the traditional festivity in February, the Carnival
Tuesday, which is called the Lastovo Carnival by
locals. That’s when you’ll find a dummy being lowered
on a 300-metre rope from the near-by hill Pokladareve
Grže towards the sea, with simultaneous explosions from
firecrackers that are attached to its legs. Before the very
process of burning the dummy, masked people and
carnival participants visit homes of the more influential
people on the island and sing local songs and chants.
Come August, many also visit the local jazz festival. Entertainment
for young people is limited to several likeable
coffee shops and one disco-club, so the island’s offering
is much more aimed towards families, couples in love
and, due to mild winters, elderly people. In the summer
you can test yourself in diving courses, fish-picnic trips
to near-by islands, fishing, “trecking” mountain climbing,
as well as sightseeing the island on bicycles. The town of
Lastovo is the largest and it’s one of the most beautiful
older settlements on the Adriatic. The whole settlement
is a protected cultural monument due to its unique renaissance
architecture and amphitheatric way of constructing.
The town can’t be seen from the sea as it is located
inland, which is further proof of the turbulent past
and pirate activity.
Right below the town of Lastovo, there is a place called
Lučica, little bay with archaic stone fishermen houses
and boat moorings. When you leave the town of
Lastovo, you can head to Skrivena Luka (“hidden port”)
on the south of the island, which has an ideal shape for
nautical people. This large bay is protected from the sea
and the wind from all sides, and it features hidden peace,
quiet and wonderful nature, which makes it ideal
for resting, swimming and exploring the rich underwater
world. That’s where you can also find the oldest Austro-
Hungarian lighthouse on the Adriatic, as it ascends on a
tall steep cliff and guides all ships to safety with its light.
Zaklopatica is another natural bay worth mentioning,
Zaklopatica
and it’s located three kilometres ahead of Lastovo. It received
its name after a little island that closes in on the
bay. These days, Zaklopatica is renowned for its fantastic
taverns, which are a true “must see” for all foreign sailors
as they enter Croatian waters. South of the island, you
can find an archipelago called Lastovnjaci, comprised
of 46 little islands, and you will find Vrhovnjaci as you go
even further south, and that’s a group of ridges and tiny
islands that vertically rise from the deep sea and that
have some volcanic activity. Some of those tiny islands
feature sand beaches that are just ideal for picnics and
swimming.
The ferryboat harbour is located in Ubli, which is a small
coastal place about 10 kilometres from Lastovo. Near
Ubli, you can find the island’s tourist zone located in Pasadur,
as well as a narrow passage that features a small
bridge that connects Lastovo to another island – Prežba.
Lastovo can be reached from Split, bringing your car in
tow, with a large and comfortable “Jadrolinija” ship that
is active every day. The travel takes up about five hours.
A catamaran represents faster means of transport
for people without cars, as the trip lasts merely 2,5 hours.
During the summer months, there is a direct connection
to Italy that is provided by a catamaran that travels two
times a week. Split can be reached by plane, railroad,
ship or highway.
Most of the island’s private accommodation is located
in the tourist zone on both sides of the bridge, and that’s
where you can find the “Solitudo” hotel (only one on the
island), as well as the divers’ club and several restaurants.
Hotel “Solitudo” is a unique example of harmony between
architecture and nature. It is wonderfully adjusted to
the thick pine forest at the very coast with some yacht
moorings. The hotel was built in the 1980s and it has a
long, rich history of carrying the island’s tourism industry.
It has recently been completely redecorated and it now
features wonderful rooms and apartments with balconies
that overlook the sea. A sumptuous pine forest and the
crystal-clear sea give special charm to this place, and
they certainly deserve a visit from everybody. Lastovo is
truly the last Mediterranean paradise.
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