"...if you ever try the sweet water from Vrana Lake, you shall surely return..."
Standing on the top of the island's highest plateau, our eye can observe the whole of the Bay of Cres, while also discerning the blue shades of the Istrian Peninsula to the west, and the peak of Mount Ucka to the north. Towards the east we can see the Vrana Lake, the island's precious water reservoir, consciously saved in all its ecological integrity.
Above us, the white-headed condor lets the wind stream carry it. This bird, a member of the vulture family, is an eternal traveler and explorer. After being born on the island, it leaves these shores and travels first to Greece, continuing on to Sicily and Spain, and by way of Italy and Austria returns to its "native soil" during mating time. Immersed in the landscape that offers the eye magnificent vistas thereby filling the soul with a feeling of tranquility and harmony, and built by only the most basic of materials, villages like Orlec, Stivan, Pernat, Belej, Loznati and others, represent the most pristine testimony of a rural way of life that has managed to remain unspoiled through modern times, while the people that spend their entire lives here, live in harmony with the nature that surrounds them.
The fruits of the scarce arable land on the island give free rein to the senses that the year's seasons masterfully complement: the smell of roasted lamb, the taste of goat cheese, olive oil, and figs. The open-hearted and sincere hospitality of the native population makes the true representatives of the Mediterranean way of life, with tradition and interesting customs that go back centuries.