Otok Cres

No Stress on Cres.

On Island Cres, life doesn’t really start until the summer does. Each year, this sleepy beach town is revived, the stone streets flood with enthusiastic tourists, and all the old buildings open their shutters. Children run around with ice cream cones, watching the little boats come and go, and that familiar scent of salt and sunscreen fills the air. Cres Town has a way of quickly feeling like your own little corner of the world.

For the most part, the same families return each year, the majority of them being Croatians or Slovenians. There is no proper hotel in town, so many rely on their family houses for accommodation. Others camp, there is a site just off the beach, or are lucky enough to find an Airbnb.

It doesn’t take long to spot the regulars. Fortunately, a friend of mine was raised on the island, and I was introduced to his summer circle. They have been together every summer, for as long as they can remember, and every day is the same. For the few days I was lucky enough to visit, they took it upon themselves to “adopt” me, and I got a glimpse of what it’s like to be local.

It feels a bit like groundhog day, in the best possible way.

The day starts at 4:00 pm, when we’d meet on the beach. This was unlike any of my beach vacations thus far, as my parents preferred to drag me out of bed at 9:00 am. However, this is actually a quite common occurrence in Croatia, as they prefer to avoid the harsh rays of the mid-afternoon sun. At the beach, there is an ongoing game of sand volleyball. Absolutely no part of this game is treated as recreational, and the competition is fierce. We would play and swim until sunset, when we’d be called for dinner.

Dinners were in the harbor, and we always spent them with our families. With only a few restaurants to choose from, it was typical to rotate through your favorites, mine being Luna Rosa, Nono Frane, and Hambi. The setting is nothing short of picturesque, as you sit outside and enjoy the summer air.

Our nights out began around 11:00 pm. There is only one (very mediocre) club in town, so the young people find ways to entertain themselves. They truly have a gift of bringing the party anywhere - and they are committed. It wasn’t unusual to see guys carrying concert-grade speakers to the beach, basketball courts, or even a construction site. Nobody was ever officially invited, but everyone always came.

Croatian music, known as “trash,” is pumped into the air until the morning, and it is a sin to leave before sunrise. At the first hint of light, we head to what I lovingly refer to as the “secret bakery.” The pekara in town doesn’t open until 6:00 am, but the employees have been known to sell to teens at all hours of the night, cash-only, of course. If we snuck to the back door and handed them a few kunas, mystery pastries would appear.

The best nights always ended with a sunrise swim, and I don’t think there is a more euphoric feeling. The lifestyle is truly a young person’s dream, and I am already dreaming of the summer to come. The town’s popular catchphrase is “No Stress on Cres,” and they embody it beautifully.