Attractions

Cliff-nesting Griffon Vultures build their nests on the island’s stone cliffs towering above the sea. These huge birds with a wingspan of almost three metres reach a speed up to 120 kilometres per hour. In most European countries the species is already extinct, but not on Cres and the neighbouring islands of Krk and Prvić. Because of this there are ornithological reserves on all three islands.

In the locality of Beli, on the island of Cres is the seat of the Ecological centre Caput Insulae – a research-educational centre for nature protection. Its main task is the care of endangered plant and animal species on the island, wherein a lot of attention is dedicated precisely to vultures, and you can offer assistance to them in several ways, including their adoption. Cres visitors will certainly find it interesting that the Ecological centre established a net of seven instructive ecological-tracks that cross what once used to be paths connecting villages from the Tramuntana area, on the northern part of the island.

By flying without fluttering their wings, griffon vultures win man’s admiration. Their lifespan is fifty and more years and they remain faithful to the same partner throughout their life. The number of vultures is constantly decreasing, about seventy of them –  live in Cres and, as distinguished from other places, they nest on cliffs plunging vertically down into the sea, while elsewhere they are mountain and river-canyon birds.

For more information please visit:

Eco-Center Caput Insulae

Look for the brochure "Protected natural heritage“