Palagruža comprises interesting group of around ten islands, different in size, located in the open sea in the middle of the Adriatic Sea. It is the most remote Croatian island situated 42 miles away from Komiža. Palagruža is particularly proud of its natural beauty and a fact it has a light house built as early as in 1875, that truly attracts attention with its monumental features. Fascinating archipelago with extraordinarily rich fish fund makes this area a basic fishing destination for the fishermen from Vis, even Hvar and Lastovo.
The history of Palagruža island dates back to the time of ancient civilization, i.e. in the 6th century BC. More recent archaeological findings from Palagruža show this island had won the heart of Greek hero Diomede, the most famous Greek hero besides Odysseus. Palagruža has two beautiful pebble beaches with a shallow, especially appropriate for children. Natural features of this island are so exquisite that the entire area is in fact a nature reserve with plenty of plant and animal species and many of these are endemic. Best known endemic animal is a mammal Mediterranean monk seal whose survival in the Adriatic Sea has recently been confirmed and whose future also depends completely upon the ecological balance of the Palagruža archipelago. This area is also peculiar for having the average January temperature of 11,5°C, while the one in July is 24,4°C. This is why on Palagruža, as well as on island Sušac, grows lush wild subtropical vegetation containing deciduous shrubs that have leaves only during wet winter season and that flowers in the fall. If only it would be possible to set off to this open-sea -oasis of beauty …
D. Šabić