The
ISLAND OF KRK is the most northern and one of the largest islands in the Adriatic Sea, situated in the Kvarner Bay, west of Istrian peninsula.
Size: The
Island of Krk covers an area of 405.78 sq km. It is surrounded by several islets, namely the islet of St Mark (Sv. Marko) in the north, the islets of Plavnik, Kormat and Košljun in the southwest, and the islets of Prvić, Galun and Zec in the southeast. The most significant among them is the islet of Košljun, a natural and cultural phenomenon.
Places: The island of Krk belongs to the Primorsko-goranska County and is divided into the
City of Krk and six municipalities:
Punat,
Baska, Dobrinj,
Malinska,
Omišalj and
Vrbnik. The population of the island is 16,402.
Relief: The area is characterized by karst relief with interesting karst formations: caves (Biserujka Cave near Dobrinj), sinkholes and cracks. There are fertile fields in the central part of the island. The coast is indented. There are numerous bays, coves and pebble beaches.
Traffic Connections: We can freely say that the Island of Krk is the most accessible Croatian island. You can reach the island by car, by bus, by boat and by plane, and the nearest railway station is in Rijeka (56 km). Since 1980 the island of Krk has been connected with the mainland by a bridge. There are ferry connections from the island of Krk to the islands of Cres and Rab (operating June thru September). The Rijeka Airport is located in the vicinity of Omišalj on the island of Krk and connects our island with numerous European cities.
Climate: The Island of Krk is situated in the area characterized by a moderate and mild climate. The
average summer air temperature is 26°C. During
July and August, on average over 25 days will have maximum temperature of over 25°C out of which there could be 10 days with daily high temperature of over 30°C. Even in
June there could be 15 days with daily high of over 25°C and equally nice is
September with approximately 10 days with daily high temperature of over 25°C. The
average sea temperature from June to September reaches above 23°C. The most common winds are: a northeastern wind locally called bura, the sirocco (locally called jugo), and a landward sea breeze locally known as maestral. The island of Krk is also one of the sunniest parts of Europe with 2500 sunny hours per year.
Flora and fauna: The relief diversity and favorable climatic conditions have resulted in the development of more than 1300 various plant species. The central and western parts of the island are characterized by forests, cultivated Mediterranean fruit and vegetable cultures, vineyards and olive orchards. The northern and southern parts of the island, on the other hand, are characterized by pastures and rocky areas. What makes the Krk landscape distinct are the terraced drywalls (gromače) and shepherd's sheep pens (pastirski mrgari), preserved on karst meadows above the Baška plateau.
Beaches: The environment protection measures are being conducted continuously and systematically. To confirm this, there are numerous blue flags fluttering on the beaches in the city of Krk, Baška, Malinska, Nivice, Omišalj and the Punat Marina.
For almost 13 years now, the sea and coastal environment protection program, the Blue Flag Program (for beaches and marinas), has been successfully implemented in Europe. The holder and the international program manager is the Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe (FEEE) established in 1981 at the European Council. More than 20 countries, which consider tourism one of their strategic goals, are now involved in the program.
The Blue Flag symbolizes a preserved, safe and pleasant environment intended for vacation, entertainment and recreation, a well-defined coastal zone management system and sustainable tourism development. Being awarded the Blue Flag means excellent tourism promotion for a beach or a marina based on a high level of service quality, the cleanness of the sea and the coastal area, and the equipment and amenities provided on the beach.