Island of Iz is situated in Zadar archipelago, 14 nautical miles from Zadar, between islands of Ugljan and Dugi otok. It is one of the 18 islands that are placed between the mainland and the Kornati archipelago.
The island of Iž has area of 17,59 km2 and only around 700 inhabitants. It has been inhabited since the prehistoric times. In medieval ages and later on, Iž was owned by the aristocracy and citizens from the nearby town of Zadar. The preserved buildings from that period are the castle of the family Canagietti, castle of the family Fanfogna built in romanesque style (in the 19th century it was turned into school) and the small preromanesque church from the 11th century.
Island of Iz is very popular among tourists because it is surrounded by many islets and great beaches. The intact nature of this island, crystal clean sea and the scents of wild herbs create a green paradise and oasis of peace. There are more than 70 000 olive trees and hundreds of species of wild herbs. A visitor can enjoy this beauty walking along the paths that are winding through whole island. Trere are two beautiful villages, Veli Iz and Mali Iz. Veli Iž is the center of the island, situated in a bay on the north-western side of the island.There are many facilities like hotel, marina, tennis courts, few restaurants and local inns. Mali Iž is smaller settlement located on the south-eastern coast of the island and built on three hills.
Beside from sailing, fishing and agriculture, Island of Iž is famous for a long tradition of pottery making. You can buy unique souvenir – “iski lopiz”, which is used for storing olive oil and other products. Also, if you use it for cooking, locals say that the food has special taste. On the south of island, there is a safe bay called Vodenjak. Together with safe mooring, it is famous for clear blue sea even in depths of 15 meters. And if sailor needs a mooring place with water and electricity supply, he should go to Marina Veli Iž that is situated in a bay on the north-western side of the island. The marina is open all year long, with 45 mooring places, service zone and other facilities that sailors need.
