Silba – Coastal Landscapes, Culture and Maritime History

Silba brings together a small, low-lying island landscape, distinctive coastal areas, and a maritime and religious history. Its small size and flat terrain make it well suited to walking and exploring on foot. When planning your trip, you can choose from several areas of interest: Natura 2000 sites, churches and chapels, archaeological remains, maritime monuments, and Šotorišće Beach. This can help you decide which of these aspects you would most like to explore during your stay.

Coastal Areas and Nature

The 2023–2032 Natura 2000 management plan lists the 28-hectare site HR2001279 Silba, with Mediterranean coastal cliffs covered in endemic Limonium species. The marine Natura 2000 site HR3000053 Silba – podmorje covers 700 hectares of Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. The two sites represent different habitats: coastal cliffs on land and seagrass meadows in the sea.

Archaeological Traces and Churches

In Pocukmarak Bay, a stone waterfront structure served as a small Late Antique quay. Stone sarcophagi are incorporated into the structure. Valuable sarcophagi from the 5th and 6th centuries were also found near the bay. Pocukmarak thus brings together a former waterfront structure and archaeological finds from two centuries.

Silba’s churches and chapels span several centuries. Sv. Ivan Krstitelj is considered the oldest church on Silba and dates from the 15th century. The Baroque parish church of Uznesenja Blažene Djevice Marije was built between 1637 and 1844. The church of Gospe od Karmena dates from 1660 and was consecrated in 1752. The medieval church of Sv. Marka was expanded in 1637 and is associated with a cemetery; the chapel of Gospe od Sedam Žalosti dates from 1758.

Seven white chapels on Silba mark the Stations of the Cross along the route taken through Silba by a church procession before Easter. The chapels add a shared religious theme to the island’s history, complementing its individual churches.

Maritime History and Notable Places

In the centre of the village stands Toreta, a 15-metre-high stone tower with a spiral staircase. Built in the 19th century, it is linked by legend to the love story of sailor Petar Marinić and Antonija Mauro. Another reminder of seafaring is “Jedrilje”: this four-metre-high stone sculpture by Šime Vulas stands on the waterfront near the Old Quay in Žalić. It was erected in 1997 as a symbol of Silba’s maritime tradition. The old captains’ houses scattered throughout the village also recall the island’s seafaring heritage. Silba lies on an old sea route from Zadar to Istria and onward to the Gulf of Trieste and Venice; this historical context adds to the visible evidence on land.

Beach, Getting There and Getting Around

Šotorišće is the most visited beach on Silba. Its light-coloured sandy seabed and turquoise water offer a different setting from the cliffs, churches and historic buildings. Together with the opportunities to explore the island on foot, this gives you a choice of beach, nature and cultural history.

Silba is connected to the mainland from Zadar by ferry and catamaran services. Check the timetables before your trip. There are no cars on Silba; only water-distribution vehicles, small mopeds and bicycles are permitted. Bicycles are prohibited during the peak season. Check this seasonal restriction before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Olib, Crno, Zadar, Rava, Mali Iž, Petrcane, Zverinac, Kozino.

For the main travel overview: Općina Zadar.