Discover Kali: Fishing, Coast and Cultural Heritage

Kali lies in the southern part of the island of Ugljan in the Zadar Archipelago. When looking for hotels in Kali, you can consider whether fishing traditions and regional tastings, the coast, nature or cultural heritage should shape your stay. These different themes offer guidance for planning your trip without making any single excursion the benchmark.

Fishing Traditions and Regional Tastings

Kali is known worldwide for its long tradition of tuna fishing. The fishermen of Kali also became known worldwide for catching blue fish in the Srednji kanal and on the open sea of the northern Adriatic. Kualjske ribarske noći–Tunuara is part of this theme as well: the official 2024 tourism program states that the event has been organized continuously since 2003 and usually lasts three days. The 2024 edition’s program included an offering consisting exclusively of fish, as well as a competition to prepare traditional Kali-style brudet. The main attraction was to be a two-hour procession of boats from Kali’s fishing fleet through the Zadarski kanal.

The Blue Fish Festival in Kali takes place every year in June. If you are planning a future trip around one of the festivals, check the dates for that year’s edition. There are also opportunities to learn more about fish and regional products outside of festival planning: Ribarski obrt Moćun offers tastings where guests can fillet fish and prepare dishes such as seafood pâté, tartare or carpaccio. The tasting room at R.O. Mrotine serves olive oil from the family’s own olive groves, along with local Plavac wine and homemade specialties such as marinated anchovies, in the traditional atmosphere of a Dalmatian konoba. Moćun focuses on preparing fish, while R.O. Mrotine focuses on tasting oil, wine and homemade specialties.

Beaches and Coves

Beaches in Kali include Mala Lamjana and Mul. Mala Lamjana and Velika Lamjana are also among the deepest coves in Kali. An Aqualifter, which helps people with disabilities enter the sea, is installed at Tratica public beach. If this aid is important for your visit, confirm in advance that it is working.

A rental boat is recommended for exploring the many coves on the island’s northern and southern sides. Find out about providers and availability before making your plans. There are fishing grounds along the coast and in the coves that are considered suitable for sport fishing. This offers anglers general guidance; it does not identify specific spots.

Trails and Landscape on Ugljan

Kali has around twenty hiking trails of varying lengths. As trail conditions can change, check the condition of your chosen route before setting out. The Kali tourist office provides a trekking and mountain biking map with detailed information about trails on Ugljan and Pašman; ask locally about its availability. On the island of Ugljan, visitors can walk or cycle through olive groves.

Kali’s Mediterranean landscape includes forests, maquis, olive groves and dry-stone walls. Dry-stone walls stretch for kilometres, bordering paths, fields and olive groves. Kobiljak is 199 metres high and is one of the highest peaks on the island of Ugljan. The natural features of the areas of Podgora and Podravno in the southwest of the municipality of Kali, as well as the uplands of Pelegrin, Veli Vrh and Orjak, must not be disturbed.

Churches and Cultural Heritage

The 14th-century chapel of Sv. Pelegrin stands above Kali. During its restoration in 2007 and 2008, an early medieval stone pluteus was discovered. The chapel and an even older archaeological find thus come together in the same place. The parish church of St. Lawrence in Kali is a single-nave Baroque building with a bell tower dating from the 15th century; it contains five marble altars.

Glagolitic script was used in Kali’s parish registers until 1873. The parish preserves eight Glagolitic codices, including the “Libar godov”, described as one of the oldest codices in the Adriatic islands. The folk Glagolitic mass is still sung in Kali today. On 3 September 2026, the local dialect Kaljski govor (“kuãļski jazȋk”) was registered as intangible cultural heritage of the Republic of Croatia. These cultural themes range from writing and music to architectural history and archaeological finds.

For the broader travel overview: Kali.