Susak

Susak is an unusual sand-covered island west of Lošinj and administratively part of the Town of Mali Lošinj. Thick layers of yellowish sand lie over limestone, while reeds planted around former vineyards and fields have long helped bind the loose soil. Its settlement has two distinct levels: Donje Selo beside the harbour and Spiaža beach, and Gornje Selo on the hill, linked by steps built in 1906. At 98 metres, the island’s highest point, Garba, carries a lighthouse dating from 1885. Roughly eight kilometres of sandy walking trails lead to Bok Bay, Cape Arat, vineyards, the cemetery and St Nicholas’ Church, which contains the Romanesque crucifix islanders call Veli Bouh. Ordinary car traffic is absent; tractors and wheelbarrows serve local needs, while visitors explore on foot. Shallow, sandy Spiaža is the easiest beach to reach from the harbour. Susak’s distinctive dialect, vivid short women’s costume and Emigrants’ Day on the final Sunday of July maintain a close link with the island’s large expatriate community in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Susak consists of a rocky base buried beneath deep layers of fine wind-deposited sand. Islanders planted reeds around cultivated terraces so their roots would help stabilise the soil against erosion. Donje Selo developed beside the harbour, while older Gornje Selo occupies the hill around St Nicholas’ Church; steps have linked the two since 1906. Conventional cars are absent, so sandy paths, vineyards and coves are explored on foot, with tractors and wheelbarrows still used for practical local transport.