June the 29th, 2025 – Žirje is a Croatian island that might only be a short distance from bustling, popular Šibenik, but it’s a million miles away in every other sense.
With less than 100 residents and frequently referred to as Croatia’s Cuba, stepping onto glorious Žirje is like hopping into a time machine and transporting yourself back a good few decades – if not more. Close to the stunning Kornati National Park, Žirje is a lure for anyone seeking to get to know the true soul of a Dalmatian island, as they were all once very similar before tourism took hold.
As Putni kofer writes, less than 100 people call Žirje home, and they’re mostly elderly people economically engaged in agriculture and fishing. The central town is named the same as the island itself – Žirje. One cafe can be found there, as can one shop. That’s it. At the ferry pier in the bay of Muna is the somewhat newer settlement of Riva, or waterfront/promenade, while the oldest, Selo, which literally translates to village, is located up on a rocky hill. It looks both beautiful and somewhat depressing at the same time. Ancient, typically Dalmatian stone houses stand eternal. Most of them have unfortunately long since been abandoned and left to be ravaged by the often cruel elements and the passage of time. Along with the whistle of the wind and the song of thirsty crickets, all that can be heard is the occasional slamming of old wooden doors and shutters. They act as a constant reminder of better times on Žirje, before emigration displaced the former locals of this Croatian island to all corners of the world, never to return.
In the central part of the island, on an area spanning 108 hectares, there’s a rich, fertile field. Olives, grapes, figs, and as many as five different varieties of plums and almonds are grown there.
The highest peak of this untouched paradise in the Šibenik archipelago is called Kapić, sitting at 131 metres above sea level. It’s a far cry from the busy, historic Dalmatian city just across the mainland.
Žirje is a Croatian island which, while lacking in human inhabitants, abounds in natural wonder. It boasts eight natural caves and pits – Golubnica, Mala Jama, Podvodnje, Gravanjača, Mala buža in Tratinska, Gradina, Mala buža za Prisligom and Draževica. The island also has 29 gorgeous coves and bays, with the larger and more populated ones being Muna, Koromašna, Mikavica, Tratinska and Pečenja. The irregular, heavily indented coastline is also surrounded by 17 neighbouring islets, reefs and steep cliffs.
The island supposedly got its name from the dense forests of Mediterranean oak, packed with acorns. Wherever you go on Žirje, you’ll be accompanied by the intoxicating scent of orchids and numerous medicinal and aromatic plants. Overgrown with macchia, this Adriatic paradise is also rich in traditional Dalmatian dry stone walls. As impressive as these stone labyrinths are, they also act as constant reminders of the hard work that once took place here, rendered fruitless in the face of Croatia’s many crises. The sea here is another trump card. Not only is it crystal clear, but it’s known all over Croatia by fishermen for being a historical hunting ground not only for fish, but coral. Žirje is a Croatian island that seems to double up as a treasure chest with no bottom in sight. That’s evidenced by the fact that an expansive underwater archaeological site rich in precious amphorae was discovered between the bays of Muna and Koromašna.
Alluring bays, coves and beaches like Mala Stupica, Velika, Mala and Koromačna are ideal for swimming, and if you’re a fan of an active holiday, you can always opt for cycling, trekking or trying your hand at a bit of kayaking.
Although there has been no school on this island for decades, you’ll be surprised by how many cars there are on its roads. Believe it or not, it is estimated that there are as many as three cars for every inhabitant! Given the year of their production and running condition, today we can comfortably declare them old-timers, and the picturesque Žirje has been nicknamed the “Croatian Cuba” precisely because of them.
The Byzantine emperor Justinian built two defensive fortresses on Žirje way back during the 6th century. Gradina (over the Stupica bay) and Gušterna (over Mala Stupica bay), and their remains still stand proudly on the island today. The Croatian king Petar Krešimir IV. handed Žirje over to the Benedictines in 1059, and later it was ruled by the Venetians and the Ottomans. Throughout all this time and changes of hands, Žirje was always the Croatian island chosen to play the part of an outpost. It was also a very important military stronghold during the Homeland War many, many centuries later in the 1990s. The coastal battlements of Zvizdulje and Vela Glava, the observation post on Straža hill (Štacijun), and the command post in Mikuljice all played a significant role in the defence of Šibenik from Serbian aggression in 1991. The three former island barracks are now abandoned and devastated, and everything was tragically looted after the war drew to a close.
Getting back to more pleasant topics of discussion about Žirje, it should be stated that four cultural assets registered on this Croatian island – the parish church of St. Mary (Sveta Marija), the fortresses of Gradina and Gušterna, and the Stari stan bunker complex in the Samograd area (it was protected back in 1998, which was the first protection of a dry-stone building in Croatia, and then permanently in 2008).
You won’t find luxury hotels, parties, clubs or exclusive beach resorts when visiting this piece of paradise, but you will find authenticity that unfortunately has long been lost on certain Croatian islands. It’s a slice of Dalmatia as it once was, and it’s highly unlikely to ever change.
