Zavratnica Bay

Zavratnica is considered one of the most beautiful bays of the northern Adriatic. It looks like a fjord but is a flooded torrent valley: about 900 m long, 50 to 150 m wide and lined by steep cliffs up to 100 m high.

The bay has been protected as a significant landscape since 1964, has been part of Velebit Nature Park since 1981 and belongs to the Natura 2000 network. 116 plant species grow here, 24 of them legally protected.

The water holds a piece of war history: on 25 August 1944 British aircraft attacked two German patrol boats, and one sank close to shore, its steel frame still visible today. Remains of a German Siebel ferry lie at the mouth of the bay.

A shoreline path leads from Jablanac to the bay in about 20 minutes.

• Sights