Mali Lošinj

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Mali Lošinj/wiki/Mali_Lo%C5%A1inj

Mali Lošinj 44°32.05′N, 14°27.96′E44.534166666667;14.466 destination

Mali Losinj harbour - Click for larger view

Yacht Club Marina, Mali Losinj

The newly refurbished E quay

The W quay opposite the harbourmaster's office

The harbour of Mali Losinj lies on the W coast of the island of Losinj, at the head of a three mile long natural inlet. Entered from its NW end, the inlet provides good protection in winds from any direction, although with a three mile fetch the harbour at its head can be choppy in strong NW winds. The town itself is most attractive, its waterfront lined with the imposing former residences of 19th century sea captains. It was a popular resort during the days of the Austro-Hungarian empire and the bay of Cikat a mile W of the town is overrun with smart villas and exclusive hotels. Yachts are well catered for, with no less than three small marinas in the inlet plus the option in settled weather of the E town quay or the W harbourmaster's quay. No anchoring is permitted in the inlet, although the bay of U. Artaturi two miles NW offers good shelter in all but S winds.

Local Weather

Diurnal winds among the islands are mostly moderate during the summer months, predominantly from NW and rarely exceeding force 4/5, although gusting is common in narrow channels between islands and on the lee side of headlands. At night, katabatic winds off the mountains affect some of the islands close to the mainland coast. During early spring and (especially) autumn conditions can be more unsettled, occasionally accompanied by violent thunderstorms - luckily of short duration - with winds of 30-35 knots or more and vicious, steep seas. In the winter the sudden, violent N wind off the mountains, the bora, is much to be feared, especially along the coast from Rijeka down to Zadar, although its effects can be felt as far south as Split.

Equally prevalent in winter - although not uncommon in summer - is the scirocco, a S/SE wind that blows up from North Africa, usually in advance of a depression moving E across the Mediterranean. Unlike the bora, the scirocco only occasionally exceeds gale force, but is still a phenomenon to be wary of, especially if on a lee coast.

For sources of weather forecasting, see Croatia.

Charts

British Admiralty

202

Croatian charts

MK 8 (Otok Losinj)

Imray

M24 (Gulf of Trieste to Losinj and Rab)

Approach and Navigation

The approach to Mali Losinj is through a 500 metre wide channel between the island of O. Koludarc to the S and the headland of Rt. Torunza to the N. Both should be given a good clearance as there are shallows extending for some 50 metres off them. An alternative approach is through a narrow canal, the Prolaz Privlaka, dug through the spit of land that encloses the E side of the inlet a mile NNW of the harbour. Depths in the canal are around 3.0 metres but the width is little over 6.0 metres and passage is therefore only suitable for monohulls of moderate draft. The bridge which carries the road over the canal opens morning and evening (currently 0900 and 1800) to allow passage by yachts. Shelter in Mali Losinj is good in most conditions, although in strong NW winds the harbour at the head of the inlet gets quite choppy. Conditions are unlikely however to be dangerous unless a yacht is alongside the quay on the E side of the harbour.

Check-in facilities (for Customs and Immigration)

Mali Losinj is a port of entry. The customs office is immediately S of the canal of Provaz Privlaki. The harbourmaster's office is on the W side of the harbour, 100 metres N of the Yacht Club marina pontoons.

Berthing Options

There are five main options for yachts berthing in Mali Losinj, working from N to S:

Marina Losinj
lies on the NE side of the inlet, a mile NW of the town and just N of the canal of Provaz Privlaki. It offers 84 berths for yachts up to 18 metres and maximum draft of 8.0 metres. Click on the link Marina Losinj for separate Wiki page.

Mali Losinj Marina
lies on the NE side of the inlet, just under a mile NW of the town and just S of the canal of Provaz Privlaki. It offers 80 berths for yachts up to 18 metres and maximum draft of 8.0 metres. Click on the link Mali Losinj Marina for separate Wiki page.

Yacht Club Marina
lies inside the old harbour at the head of the inlet and consists of five pontoons with 110 berths for yachts of up to 30 metres and maximum draft of 8.0 metres. Click on the link Yacht Club Marina for separate Wiki page.

W Quay
There is a newly refurbished length of quay just outside the harbourmaster's office immediately N of the pontoons of Yacht Club Marina. Yachts can lie alongside here in depths of 5.0 – 6.0 metres while completing formalities in the harbourmaster's office (or even overnight at less busy periods). Shelter here is adequate in settled weather, but subject to swell from passing vessels and probably untenable in a bora.

E Quay
The town quay on the E side of the harbour, which used to be too low for use by yachts, has been raised by around a metre and mooring rings have been installed at the N end of it, just S of the stub jetty. There is room here for 3-4 yachts to lie alongside in depths of 3.0 - 4.0 metres with reasonable shelter from most directions, albeit with regular wash from the tripper boats

Click on this link for a map of berthing locations: Map of berthing options in Mali Losinj.

Marinas & Yacht Clubs

• Marina Losinj
• Mali Losinj Marina
• Yacht Club Marina

Anchorages

U. Artaturi

U. Artaturi/wiki/Mali_Lo%C5%A1inj#U._Artaturi

anchorage U. Artaturi [[Mali Lošinj#U. Artaturi|U. Artaturi]] 44°34.3′N, 14°24.6′EU. Artaturi44.571666666667;14.41

The inlet of U. Artaturi is situated one mile NW of the entrance to the inlet of Mali Losinj and extends for nearly a mile N from the open sea. It offers good shelter in all winds except strong southerlies. Anchor at the head of the inlet on either side of the central rocky spit. Depths are between 4.0 and 10.0 metres and the holding is good in sand. The bay is popular with both cruising yachts and holidaymakers and parts of it are taken up with moorings. Chartlet

Offshore Islands and Groups

• Cres
• Unije
• Ilovik

Yacht Repairs and Services

Marine Stores

See marina entries.

Repairs/Yards

See marina entries.

Fuel, Water, & Electricity

Fuel

stations on E side of the harbour at Marina Losinj and W side 100 metres N of Yacht Club Marina pontoons

Water and electricity

at all three marinas and on the town quays.

Things to do Ashore

Cikat still has a few palatial villas

Tourism

Mali Losinj is a typical Croatian island town, with narrow mediaeval streets and red-tiled rooftops punctuated by soaring church bell towers. Its quays are mostly lined with the imposing former mansions of 19th century sea captains. The 17th century Church of the Nativity 100 metres SE of the harbour is worth a visit for the impressive artworks contained within. A walk along the sea promenade to St Martin’s Bay half a mile E of the harbour brings you to the Church of St. Martin, with a fine cemetery containing tombs of Italian nobility and local sea captains. The walk along the E side of Losinj island continues to Veli Losinj, the original island settlement, which is dominated by the impressive Baroque church of St. Antun on the harbour. Dozens of sea captains lie buried under the church floor here, their other memorial being the numerous fine villas ringing the harbour. Another half hour’s walk SE around the peninsula is the neighbouring and even smaller harbour of Rovenska. A rather longer walk or cycle ride in the other direction from the harbour takes you to the bay of Čikat along a narrow sea promenade fringed with pine trees. Čikat is a relatively upmarket resort, with several villas formerly owned by Austrian and Italian aristocrats, although the route there is lined with ugly campsites and camper van parks.

Grocery & Supply Stores

• Several supermarkets and other provisions shops in the town.
• Several butchers and bakeries.
• Fish market.

Eateries

• Numerous cafes and restaurants around the harbour and in the town.
• Baracuda restaurant on W side of harbour was good in 2004 (and excellent in 2015). --Athene of Lymington

Internet/WiFi

At internet cafes in the town. Also free municipal wifi and at the marinas but usually hard to get online.

Laundry

In the town.

Motorbike & Car Rentals

Rental outlets in the town.

Garbage Disposal

Bins around the harbour and in the marinas.

Transportation

• Buses to Cres and Rijeka on mainland and, in season, Zagreb.
• Seasonal ferries to Zadar and Pula.

Routes/Passages To/From

See Croatia.

Cruiser's Friends

Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

Forum Discussions

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

External Links

• Mali Lošinj at the Wikipedia
• List of all Croatian marinas
• List of government-owned ACI marinas
• Croatian National Tourist Board
• Find Croatia travel guide
• Wikipedia - Croatia

References & Publications

See Croatia.

Comments

We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.

Last Visited & Details Checked (and updated here)

Date of member's visit to this Port/Stop & this page's details validated:

• June 2015 --Athene of Lymington

Contributors to this page
Names: Lighthouse, Athene of Lymington