Literally ‘Naked Island’, Goli Otok has a history that has little to do with tourism. A very barren island, Goli Otok was never permanently settled until the last century, and its main use was as a top security prison from 1949 to 1988, before the prison was abandoned completely in 1989. Political prisoners were subjected to forced labour in summer temperatures in the mid-30s, contrasted with the biting bura winds in winter. Shepherds and the occasional tourist visiting what remains of the prison are the most frequent visitors these days.
