Veli Rat Lighthouse

At the northwestern tip of Dugi Otok stands Veli Rat — the tallest lighthouse in the Adriatic at 42 metres, and by common consent one of the most beautiful. Built in 1849 by the Austro-Hungarian Empire to guide shipping through the treacherous Kornati archipelago, the lighthouse is a graceful white cylindrical tower rising directly out of a small copse of pines on a rocky promontory, and its yellow tint (particularly noticeable at close range) is legendarily supposed to derive from thousands of egg whites mixed into the lime mortar during original construction — Austrian imperial engineers believed it would waterproof the exterior. The lighthouse is still operational and its two guest apartments in the former keeper's cottage are available to rent through the Adriatic Lighthouse Programme for genuinely unforgettable back-to-basics island stays (no shops, no restaurants, one electricity generator, one boat a day). Even for day visitors the setting is magnificent — a lovely pebble beach in a small cove beside the lighthouse offers excellent swimming, and dolphins are regularly seen from the shore in June and September. Access is by car from Sali (45 minutes north on the island's spinal road) followed by a 20-minute walk from the small car park. The lighthouse interior is not open to visitors but the exterior and grounds are freely accessible.