Dugi Otok Island Speedboat Tour with Sea Cave and Snorkelling Zadar

Dugi Otok, the long island

Dugi Otok, literally "long island", stretches for about 45 kilometres along the outer edge of the Zadar archipelago, facing the open Adriatic. Its western side is steep and wild, with high cliffs, while its eastern and northern shores hide quiet villages, pine forests and some of the clearest water in Croatia. The island has only a few small settlements and little traffic, which keeps it calm even in summer.

Reaching Dugi Otok by ferry takes time and leaves you without transport on the island, which is why a Dugi Otok day trip from Zadar by speedboat is the most practical way to see its highlights in one day. The crossing takes about 40 minutes, with views of the smaller islands of the archipelago on the way.

Božava and Veli Rat: tunnels, shipwreck and lighthouse

The first stop is the fishing village of Božava, where you see military tunnels built during the Cold War to protect the island and its people from attack. Today they are a curious reminder of a tense era in a peaceful setting. From there the boat heads to Veli Rat, where you jump in to snorkel over a sunken 18th-century ship, an underwater archaeological site where remains of the past still lie on the seabed.

At Punta Bjanka, a protected nature area on the northwestern tip of the island, rises the Veli Rat Lighthouse, built in 1849 and the tallest lighthouse on the Adriatic. Local legend says its warm ochre colour comes from egg yolks mixed into the paint. The long lunch break of the day is also taken in this area, with a family-run fish restaurant nearby (cash only) or time to swim.

Sakarun Beach

Sakarun is the most famous beach on Dugi Otok and one of the most beautiful in Croatia: a long crescent of fine white sand in a protected nature area, sloping so gently into the sea that you can walk far out in knee-deep, turquoise water. A dense pine forest behind it provides shade on hot days.

The tour spends about an hour here, with time to walk the beach, wade in the shallows, snorkel over the sandy seabed or just lie in the sun. It is a rare sandy beach in a country of pebbles and rocks, and arriving by boat lets you see its colours from the water first. Is Sakarun Beach worth visiting? For many travellers to Zadar it is the highlight of the summer.

Golubinka sea cave and the Dragon's Eye

In Brbinjšćica Bay, a protected nature area, lies the Golubinka sea cave, whose name comes from the doves that nest in it. You swim in from the sea, and inside, sunlight pours through an opening in the ceiling, lighting the water in shades of electric blue. It is one of the most magical swims on the Croatian coast.

Nearby is the Dragon's Eye, another natural landmark of the bay that gives this stop its name. About 30 minutes are spent here swimming and snorkelling. The entrance to the cave is reached by swimming, so this stop is for confident swimmers; your skipper-guide explains how to enter safely and keeps the group together.

Hidden coves, Veli Žal and the Sea Organ

Between the main stops the boat passes Veli Žal beach for photos and pulls into hidden coves for extra swims and snorkelling, places the skipper chooses according to wind and sea conditions on the day. If the weather allows, the route can also include the cliffs near Sali and the edge of Telašćica Nature Park.

On the way back to Zadar, the boat slows in front of the Sea Organ on the city waterfront, where waves play notes through pipes set into marble steps. The tour returns to the same pier after about eight hours. The best time for this trip is June to September, when the sea is warm and calm.