Lighthouses of Croatia: Istria

The Republic of Croatia (Republika Hrvatska in Croatian) is located on the east side of the Adriatic Sea and includes most of the coastline of the former Yugoslav federation. Including the historic provinces of Istria and Dalmatia, this coastal region has a very long history. In recent times it was part of the Austrian Empire for several centuries until that empire was dissolved in 1918, at the end of World War I. Most of the Croatian coast then became part of Yugoslavia, but the peninsula of Istria, in the northwestern corner, was annexed by Italy. After the end of World War II in 1945 the northwestern corner of Istria was part of the UN-administered Free Territory of Trieste until 1954, when the entire peninsula was reunited with Yugoslavia (the city of Trieste remained in Italy). Croatia became independent in 1991 when the Yugoslav federation fell apart.

This page covers lighthouses of Istria County, which includes nearly all of the territory added to Croatia from the former Free Territory of Trieste. A small portion of the northeast coast of the Istrian peninsula was placed in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.

Both Croatian and Italian are spoken in Istria. The Croatian word for a lighthouse is svjetionik. The word rt is a cape or promontory, otok is an island, otočić is an islet, hrid (plural hridi) is a rock, plićak or pličina is a shoal, zaljev is a bay, rijeka is a river, and luka is a port or harbor. Italian place names are shown in brackets{}.

Aids to navigation in Croatia are managed by Plovput, a state-owned corporation. Plovput has developed fourteen of the light stations for vacation rental.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. PS numbers are the numbers, if known, from the Croatian light list Popis Svjetala i Signala za Maglu. Admiralty numbers are from volume E of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.

General Sources
Plovput - Aids to Navigation - Lighthouses
Information and photos posted by Plovput. There is also an Other Aids to Navigation page with photos of typical smaller beacons.
Online List of Lights - Croatia - West Coast
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
World of Lighthouses - Croatia
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Lighthouses in Croatia
Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Leuchttürme an der kroatischen Küste
Photos by Olaf Riesenberg posted by Bernd Claußen.
Lighthouses in Croatia
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
Weitere europäische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard views posted by Klaus Huelse.
GPSNavigationCharts
Navigation chart information for northern Croatia.

 


Porer Light, Pula, June 2022
Google Maps photo by A Kiss

East Coast (Kvarner) Lighthouses
The Kvarner Gulf (Kvarnerski Zaljev in Croatian, Golfo del Quarnaro in Italian) is the sound on the east side of the Istrian peninsula. The westernmost of several ship channels leading to Rijeka passes through the Kvarner between Istria and the island of Cres.

*
[Rt Sveti Andrija {Porto Rabaz, Porto Albona} (3)]
Date unknown (station established 1886). Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); three white flashes every 8 s. 4 m (13 ft) square stone tower, unpainted. Trabas has a closeup photo, Nicolas Bock has a beach view, Sasha Gostev has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the original lighthouse. It was rebuilt in 1907 and destroyed in 1945. A blogger has images of the historic lighthouse at various times in its history. Located on a promontory at the entrance to the harbor of Rabac. Site open, tower closed. PS-144; Admiralty E2794; NGA 12104.
* Crna Punta {Punta Nera} (1)
1873. Reactivated; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two white flashes every 10 s) is on a 9 m (30 ft). Lantern mounted on the second floor, south corner, of a 2-story masonry keeper's house. The lighthouse is unpainted white stone; lantern painted white. A 2021 photo is at right, Trabas has a photo by Hans de Graaf, Marijan Nikic has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. For several years the active light was moved to a white concrete post in front of the historic lighthouse. This house is privately owned and apparently available for vacation rental. "Crna Punta" means "Black Point." Located on a prominent cape about 12 km (7.5 mi) south of Labin. Site closed (private property), but apparently the lighthouse can be seen from the beach nearby. ARLHS CRO-035. Active light: PS-143; Admiralty E2782; NGA 12100.
[Rt Ubac (2)] {Punta Ubas}
Date unknown (station established 1887). Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 4 s. 5 m (17 ft) post on a small cylinder, painted white. This beacon replaced a historic light station. The original lighthouse, a 14 m (46 ft) stone tower attached to a keeper's house, was blown up by German troops in 1944. Trabas has Eckhard Meyer's photo and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a prominent cape on the east side of Zaljev Rasa, a fjord-like inlet (uvala) near Trget. May be accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. PS-135; Admiralty E2768; NGA 12068.

Crna Punta Light, Koromačno, December 2021
Google Maps photo by Boris
Rt Rtac (Uvala Teplica)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); green flash every 2 s. 6 m (20 ft) octagonal concrete tower mounted on a large square concrete base. Tower painted green. Trabas has a closeup photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on the east side of Zaljev Rasa. Being at the base of a very steep slope, the light is accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E2776; NGA 12092.
* Rt Sveti Mikula
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); red flash every 2 s. 6 m (20 ft) octagonal concrete tower mounted on a large square concrete base. Tower painted red. Trabas has a photo by Capt. Peter Mosselberger, Tilo Steinmüller has a 2019 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory on the west side of Zaljev Rasa near Rakalj. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E2772; NGA 12080.
* Marlera (1)
1883. Reactivated; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white flash every 9 s. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) square cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to the front of a 1-story stone keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. The light was previously on a 9 m (30 ft) white concrete post in front of the historic lighthouse. Johann Tausch's 2023 photo is at right, Trabas has Eckhard Meyer's photo of the station, Pula Online has a nice photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Kornél Dulácska has a 2017 street view, and Google has a satellite view. For a long time the historic lighthouse was in poor condition and clearly endangered, but Plovput's photos show that it has been restored and the light has been returned to the lantern. A 2018 photo by Szymon Czarkowski shows that the post has been removed. Maria Linz has a 2018 photo that also shows a sign "Lighthouse for rent" (in English). In Findlay's 1879 list there is a note that a light was proposed for this location. Located on Rt Marlera, an east-pointing promontory about 5 km (3 mi) by sea northeast of Rt Kamenjak and 13 km (8 mi) east southeast of Pula. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CRO-094; PS-131; Admiralty E2750; NGA 12060.
 

Marlera Light, Pula, May 2023
Google Maps photo by Johann Tausch

West Coast (Adriatic Sea) Lighthouses
Pličina Albanež
1910. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two flashes every 8 s, white or red depending on direction. 15 m (49 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a conical pier. The tower is unpainted white concrete. Trabas has a photo by Hans de Graaf and Bing has a satellite view. Located on an isolated and very dangerous reef in the Adriatic about 2.8 km (1.75 mi) southeast of the Porer lighthouse and in the center of the approach to the Kvarner Gulf. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CRO-208; Admiralty E2742; NGA 12048.
 
Porer (Hrid Porer) {Isola Pora, Capo Promontore}
1833. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 31 m (102 ft) round cylindrical masonry tower, centered on a 1-story keeper's house. The lighthouse is unpainted cream-colored stone; the lantern is white with a gray metallic roof. Fog siren (two 4 s blasts every 42 s). Staffed weather station. M. Prinke's photo is at the top of this page, Trabas has a good photo by Tom Chisholm, Vlado Privrat has a 2020 photo, Dániel Fafula has a 2021 photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the southern tip of the Istrian Peninsula. Although it is located on a tiny scrap of land, it has two apartments available for vacation rental. Plovput provides boat transportation for guests from Pula, but only in the morning; it's difficult to land at the lighthouse during the west winds that usually blow in the afternoon. Located on an islet about 2.5 km southwest of Rt Kamenjak, the tip of the peninsula, and about 10 km (6 mi) south of Pula. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed except to paying guests. . ARLHS CRO-014; PS-125; Admiralty E2738; NGA 12040.
* Verudica (Rt Verudica) {Verudella} (2)
Date unknown (station established 1877). Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red flash every 3 s. 8 m (26 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with gallery, attached to one corner of a modern L-shaped keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white with a red horizontal band at the top. Trabas has Eckhard Meyer's closeup photo, Peter Goulding also has a photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The original light here was described as an "iron stand." Located at the tip of a peninsula at Verudica, about 4 km (2.5 mi) south of Pula. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CRO-187; PS-124; Admiralty E2734; NGA 12036.
* Rt Peneda (Otok Brijuni) {Rt Pinida, Punta Peneda (Isola Brioni)}
1877. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the seaward side of a 2-story keeper's house. Alexander Nolle's 2023 photo is at right, Peter Goulding has a photo, a sunset photo is available, Trabas has Tom Chisholm's closeup photo, Vito Cecchetto has a good photo, Jan Ťopek has a closeup, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Brijuni (Brioni in Italian) is a popular resort island off the southwest tip of Istria; most of the island is set aside as a national park. Brijuni is readily accessible by ferry from Fazana. Located at the southern tip of the island, about 7 km (4.5 mi) west of Pula. Site probably open, tower closed. ARLHS CRO-210; PS-113; Admiralty E2710; NGA 11996.

Rt Peneda Light, Brijuni, June 2023
Google Maps photo by Alexander Nolle
Sveti Ivan na Pučini {San Giovanni di Pelago}
1853. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) octagonal cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-story stone keeper's house. The lighthouse is unpainted cream-colored stone; the lantern is white with a gray metallic roof. Fog siren (one blast every 30 s). Staffed weather station. A photo is at right, Elena Aderenti has a 2017 closeup photo, Trabas has Darlene Chisholm's photo, Alberto Deck has a 2022 photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The history of the station is unclear: between 1912 and World War II the tower height was listed as 21 m (69 ft), and we don't know if this means that the tower was first raised and then lowered in height or if the building was rebuilt completely. This lighthouse marks the end of a dangerous reef extending southwestward from Rovinj. It is available for vacation rental -- which is unusual for such an exposed light station. Plovput provides boat transportation for guests from Rovinj, but only in the morning; it's difficult to land at the lighthouse during the west winds that usually blow in the afternoon. Located on a rocky islet about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) offshore and about 4 km (2.5 mi) southwest of Rovinj. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed except to paying guests. ARLHS CRO-017; PS-104; Admiralty E2690; NGA 11960.
* Rovinj (Rt Sveta Eufemija) {Rovigno (Punta Santa Eufemia)} (2)
1903 (station establsihed 1883). Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 4 s. 7 m (23 ft) square cylindrical stone tower with a square lantern and gallery. The lantern is not in use; the light is displayed from the gallery rail. The lighthouse is unpainted; gallery rail painted black. A good photo is available, Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's closeup, another photo is available, Jonathan Hilton has a closeup street view, and Google has a satellite view. A mole light was established in Rovigno in 1865. Located at the tip of Rt Sveta Eufemija, a sharp-pointed peninsula sheltering the harbor of Rovinj. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CRO-155; Admiralty E2680; NGA 11944.
* Sveti Nikola (St. Nicholas)
About 1403. Inactive since the mid 1800s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical stone tower, now in ruins. Markus Haselböck has a closeup photo, Ivan Leskovar also has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. This tower, one of the oldest lighthouses of the eastern Mediterranean, was built by Venice. It displayed an open fire until a lantern was added sometime in the 17th century. The old lighthouse is preserved in the grounds of a resort. Located at the western tip of Otok Sv. Nikola (St. Nicholas Island), sheltering the harbor of Poreč. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Isabella Island Resort. ARLHS CRO-166.

Sv. Ivan na Pučini Light, Rovinj, August 2006
Wikimedia public domain photo by Ivana
Poreč (Otok Sveti Nikola) {Parenzo (Isola San Nicola)} (2)
Date unknown (station established 1903?). Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); green flash every 3 s. 6 m (20 ft) round concrete tower topped by a dome; the light is displayed atop the dome. Tower painted white, dome green. Trabas has a closeup, Ron Dirken has a photo, and Google has a distant street view, and a satellite view. The original light was on an iron post. According to Findlay's 1879 list, there was a light at Parenzo from 1866. Located at the end of a mole extending from the northern tip of Otok Sv. Nikola (St. Nicholas Island), sheltering the harbor of Poreč. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E2663; NGA 11912.
* Rt Zub {Porto Quieto}
1872. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); three flashes every 10 s, white or red depending on direction. Lantern and gallery mounted on a concrete post in front of a 2-story rectangular stone keeper's house. The light was formerly displayed through a second-story window of the house. Gábor Nagy's 2024 photo is at right, Trabas has Arno Siering's closeup photo, Volker Matthies has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. The house is unpainted stone with a red tile roof. Rt Zub (Cape Tooth) shelters the south side of the bay of Novigrad; its odd name comes from a legend about a woman whose teeth were miraculously restored there. The house is available for vacation rental. Located at the tip of the Lanterna (lighthouse) peninsula, about 13 km (8 mi) north of Poreč. Site open, building open to paying guests. ARLHS CRO-157; PS-087; Admiralty E2658; NGA 11904.

Rt Zub Light, Novigrad, September 2024
Google Maps photo by Gábor Nagy
* Novigrad Breakwater (Umag) {Cittanova, Porto Umago}
1875. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 2 s on, 3 s off. 6 m (20 ft) octagonal white concrete tower. Trabas has a closeup photo, Marijan Kelava has a photo, a 2022 photo and another photo are available, and Google has a distant satellite view. Novigrad is a small port now used almost entirely by pleasure craft. Located at the end of the breakwater. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. PS-084; Admiralty E2654; NGA 11892.
Pličina Paklena {Secca Pegolotta}
1912. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two flashes every 8 s, red or white depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) round strongly conical concrete tower, painted white, topped by a metal beacon painted red and mounted on a round concrete pier. Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselnerger's photo and Bing has a satellite view. Located on a shoal off the entrance to Umag harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. PS-076; Admiralty E2644; NGA 11872.
* Savudrija (Rt Savudrija) {Punta Salvore, Bassania} (2)
1818 (Pietro Nobile). Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 29 m (95 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with lantern and double gallery, rising from a 1- and 2-story keeper's complex. Fog siren (two blasts every 42 s). The lighthouse is unpainted cream-colored stone; the lantern is white with a gray metallic roof. This is a staffed station. A 2020 photo is at right, Trabas has Arno Siering's closeup, Ann Abulf has posted a good closeup photo, Roger Wirz has a 2021 closeup, Matic Kremžar has a 2023 drone view, Klaus Huelse has a historic postcard view, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a 2024 street view and a satellite view. This is the oldest lighthouse in Croatia and is claimed to be the oldest lighthouse of the Adriatic (this is uncertain; the old lighthouse at Barletta, Italy, is said to have been built in 1807). According to Findlay's 1879 list the tower originally had a height of 19 m (62 ft), and the change in height seems to have occurred in the late 1890s. The 200th anniversary of the lighthouse was celebrated in April 2018. The light marks the southern entrance to the Gulf of Trieste. Before World War II the lighthouse was usually known by its Italian name, Punta Salvore. The 2-story principal keeper's house has two large apartments available for vacation rental. The lighthouse stands on the westernmost point of Croatia, near the village of Savudrija and within 5 km (3 mi) of the Slovenian border. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS CRO-134; PS-075; Admiralty E2642; NGA 11868.
* Stara Savudrija Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); two red flashes every 5 s. 5 m (17 ft) round tapered concrete block tower, painted white. An external stairway winds around the tower. A photo is available, Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's photo, Csaba Gajáry has a 2022 photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater of Stara (Old) Savudrija. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, and anyone can claim the stairway. PS-075.2; Admiralty E2643; NGA 11870.

Savudrija Light, Savudrija, May 2020
Instagram photo by Istra Terra Magica

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Slovenia | South: Primorje Region

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Posted October 9, 2006. Checked and revised January 31, 2025. Lighthouses: 17. Site copyright 2025 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.