Croatia’s flattest and most densely populated island

Island of Krapanj (Photo credit: Hrvoje_Photography)

Krapanj Island is the lowest Croatian island in terms of elevation, and simultaneously the most densely populated among all the islands. It is also one the smallest by area, writes Večernji list.

Krapanj is located in the Šibenik archipelago, just under 400 metres from the mainland.

Its highest elevation does not exceed 1.25 metres, and in the 1960s, with over 1,500 inhabitants, it was the most densely populated island in the Adriatic.

Covering an area of only 0.36 km², the island now has fewer than 200 residents. The island lost a lot of its population in the middle to late 20th century as many emigrating to Australia, Canada and the United States. 

Krapanj (Photo: Tomislav Vukelja/C BY-SA 3.0)

Krapanj is famous for fishing and its long-standing tradition of harvesting and selling sea sponges. This practice dates back over 300 years.

For many years, diving for sponges was the primary source of income for families on the island.

The settlement on the island consists mainly of stone houses connected by narrow stone alleyways, characteristic of the Dalmatian region.

Krapanj (Photo: Tooma2/C BY-SA 3.0)

Notable features include the centuries-old pine forest and the Monastery of St. Cross, whose museum houses many exhibits depicting the history of life on Krapanj.

The shortest ferry trip on the Croatian coast is from Brodarica, a village located 8 km south of Šibenik, to the island of Krapanj.

(Photo credit: Hrvoje_Photography)

For the past 50 years, a boat named Spužvar has connected the two locations daily. The 320-metre journey takes just 3 minutes.