Skrivena Luka is the biggest and one of the most beautiful bays on Lastovo island in the Adriatic Sea.
The place got its name because it cannot be seen from the open sea – “skrivena luka” in Croatian means “hidden port”. It is also known as Porto Rosso in Italian.
The bay is located in the southern part of Lastovo island and is well protected from strong winds and rough sea, providing yachtsmen with safe anchoring.
Skrivena Luka is declared a part of Lastovo Natural Park thanks to its beauty and intact nature rich with terrestrial and marine fauna and flora. You will not want to go anywhere but stay anchored and enjoy its turquoise waters forever.
However, if you feel like stretching your legs, do not hesitate to put on your walking shoes or sneakers and take a walk to Lastovo town which is 7 km away. There you can find one of the oldest lighthouses in the Adriatic, called Struga, keeping a watch over the bay and showing the way to seafarers since 1839.
Fortunately, I got the lighthouse keeper’s cell-phone number and announced my visit to the lighthouse. He was very hospitable and invited me to the lunch prepared excellently by his wife Nada. I really cannot say what part of the visit was more exciting – the view of Skrivena Luka, Lastovo archipelago and the open seas or the lunch with the lighthouse keeper’s family…
If you fall desperately in love with this place there is still hope for you in the fact that the lighthouse keeper provides accommodation within the lighthouse premises so you can enjoy the view and isolated life for a while.
Jure Kvinta, the current lighthouse keeper is the successor of the three-generations-long family tradition of lighthouse keeping at Struga lighthouse. When not on duty, Mr. Jure goes fishing with his dinghy and is happy to take you along if you have deserved it with your approach and behavior.
Besides experiencing the stunning view from the top of a vertical cliff and learning about the Kvinta family tradition, there is a legend about a giant lobster and a coral that were caught in depths of the sea below Struga lighthouse. The gigantic lobster weighting just under 18 kg was caught with a fishing net some time at the end of the 19th century.
The lobster was sent to Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph who gratefully returned the favor by sending a chest full of coffee and sugar, precious foodstuffs at that time. The other story is about a coral weighting some 45 kg that was pulled out by the divers at the same location in the 1950s using special devices. According to existing data, it is the biggest coral ever pulled out of the Adriatic.
Is there any better invitation to visit Lastovo and Skrivena Luka right away?
If you whish to visit the beautiful island of Lastovo, you can charter a yacht in Dubrovnik and enjoy your day in the magnificent nature.
I wish you a calm sea, a fine wind and a strong mast!