Susak | The Kvarner Gulf

About 9km west of Lošinj, Susak is one of the most interesting of the smaller Kvarner islands. Its clay and sand composition gives it an appearance quite different from the rocky terrain of the other Adriatic islands , while its isolation has produced a distinctive way of life: islanders still their own dialect and have retained many traditions and customs, including an unusual method of singing directly from the throat and a local costume which consists of gaudy green-and-yellow skirts worn with even brighter pink tights. Postcards and guidebooks would have you believe you'll see this all the time, though in fact most of the island's two hundred inhabitants are elderly and rarely dress up in their brightest garb, preferring a gentler version of the same costume in navy or black.The island's industry, fish-canning, has long since died out, and many islanders emigrated to the Americas in the early twentieth century (there's a sizeable Susak community in Hoboken, New Jersey). The remaining population relies on money sent back by relatives to supplement income from sales of, among other things, Susak's wines – the red pleskunac, and trojiMina, an intriguing, dry rose. There's one village on the island but little of historical interest, though you might want to climb up to St Nicholas's Church (Crkva svetog Nikole), inside which there's a large wooden twelfth-century crucifix which the locals call Veli Buoh – the "Great God".

Susak gets its fair share of day-trippers; a Jadrolinija ferry does the rounds of the local islands daily in July and August (less often during the rest of the year), leaving Mali Loginj early in the morning and returning in late afternoon. There are also excursions to Susak in smaller boats (from around 150Kn per person including lunch), leaving from Mali Lokrjs Riva. There's a limited number of private rooms on Susak but they're usually reserved months in advance –the tourist office in Mali Lošinj can give you a list of telephone numbers, but won't make bookings on your behalf. For snacks and drinks, there's a cafe in the village, also serving as the main local meeting place.

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