Ugljan is a Dalmatian Island connected by a ferry to Zadar. We stayed in Lukoran which is a 1-hour walk from Preko (or 5 minutes by car ☺︎ ). All the places mentioned in this article are also available in the following google map.
Towns
My favourite towns were definitely Kali and Kukljica. Preko is the biggest town in Ugljan and also a ferry port, but more crowded in comparison to other towns. I definitely recommend to get a vegan ice cream - in Plavi Jadran!
Beaches and Coastal Walks
Our daily go-to sandy beach was Beach Lovre - the one in Lukoran. We were lucky that the nicest beach was just a couple of steps from our apartment. Apart from Lukoran, we visited also Velika Sabusa (Kukljica) and Beach Poljane (Tkon) which were both sandy beaches. In Dobropoljana, you can take a "sunset walk" around the coast. Some of the places are located on Pašman which is another island connected with Ugljan by a bridge.
Muline is a small village located in the north west coast - our favourite location to watch the sunset.
Hiking Trails and Viewpoints
Fort Saint Michael (Sveti Mihovil) is a viewpoint over the islands, overseeing Zadar and Paklenica from one side and Kornati on the other. We left our car at Tommy's supermarket and hiked up to the ruins, it took us around an hour. The trail was mostly concrete, with a lot of spiders and a snake ☺︎
We hiked during the evening to see the sunset. It is generally not recommended to hike during the day due to high temperatures.
Veli Bokolj is located on Pasman and offers nice views overlooking Sveti Petar na Moru and Kornati.
The last "hike" (rather a short walk) we did was to see Benedictine Monastery of Saint Cosmas and Damian (Samostan svetih Kuzme i Damjana) which is located on Pasman in Tkon. We visited late in the afternoon when it was closed but the surroundings were quiet and very nice.
Zadar Trip
From Ugljan, you can take a catamaran directly to Zadar city centre (by car, you go from Gazenica port).
By the seaside, you can visit Sea organs (Morske orgulje) and enjoy the sounds created by wind and waves.
Walking around the Peninsula, you will pass by the Church of St. Donat located on Roman Forum. There are many tiny streets and other smaller churches, just let yourself be lost and you won't regret it.
Near the University of Zadar, you can visit see the Five Wells Square and the Statue of Spiro Brusina. I studied in Zadar for a semester and was always amazed by the views you get by walking around the university buildings. After classes, you would just hop to the sea for a break. Awesome.
From Zadar Peninsula, you can also take a coastal walk towards the Gazenica port (Parc Punta Bajlo).
Around the Peninsula, there are city walls where you can take a walk, sit in the shade or visit a restaurant.
And last, a little hidden gem - The Sphinx of Zadar (Zadarska Sfinga)!
Lastly
Zadar and Dalmatian islands have a lot to offer.
Here's a photo of a cat.
bye bye ♡
