Kvarner · Croatia
Mali Lošinj
Our timetable holds no scheduled ferry into Mali Lošinj, and that is not a gap in the data. Lošinj is joined to Cres by a bridge, and Cres is a short car-ferry hop from the Istrian and Kvarner mainland — so most people arrive here by road, not by boat. Knowing that saves you searching for a crossing that you do not need.
The road route, which is the normal one
Drive to Brestova on the Istrian coast or Valbiska on Krk, take the car ferry to Porozina or Merag on Cres, then follow the island road south across the bridge onto Lošinj and down to Mali Lošinj.
Those crossings are short and frequent and do not take reservations — you queue and you board. The drive down the two islands is long and beautiful and takes longer than the map suggests, because the road follows a ridge.
Arriving without a car
Two catamarans do the job:
- Jadrolinija runs a daily fast service from Rijeka to Mali Lošinj, calling at Cres and often several small islands on the way.
- Kapetan Luka runs Pula–Zadar via Mali Lošinj, stopping at Unije and Susak before and Ilovik and Silba after — twice a week off-season, three times in June and September, five times at peak.
Both are foot-passenger services. There is also a Zadar link on which, unlike the Cres shuttles, reservations are advised in high season.
⚠ Why this page has no timetable
Our data holds Mali Lošinj's links to Unije, Ilovik and Premuda — the small islands on the catamaran's route — with no current sailings against them.
Rather than present an empty schedule as though the island were unreachable, the honest version is the one above: the primary access is a road journey with a car ferry in the middle of it, and the direct catamarans are a seasonal supplement. Check Jadrolinija and Kapetan Luka directly for dates.
Two islands that work as one
Cres and Lošinj are joined at Osor by a bridge that swings open for boats, and they were a single island until the Romans cut the channel. In practice you treat them as one long strip: Cres is bigger, emptier and wilder; Lošinj is greener, more developed and where the hotels are.
Mali Lošinj itself is the largest town on any Croatian island, built around a deep natural harbour, with a captains' quarter of pastel houses from the days when the place ran a merchant fleet.
The small islands offshore
Unije, Susak, Ilovik and Vele Srakane sit west and south, each with a few dozen to a few hundred residents. Susak is built on sand rather than rock, has no cars and its own dialect; Ilovik is known for flowers.
The catamarans call at them, which makes a day trip possible but requires reading the timetable carefully — these are lifeline stops with one boat, not a shuttle.
What the island is for
Lošinj markets itself on air quality and pine forest, and the claim has some substance — the island was prescribed as a health resort under the Habsburgs and planted with hundreds of thousands of trees. There is a resident population of bottlenose dolphins in the surrounding waters and a research institute that studies them.
It is a quieter, older-fashioned kind of Adriatic holiday than the Dalmatian islands further south, and considerably easier to reach from central Europe by road.
Season
The Cres car ferries run year round because the islands depend on them. The direct catamarans are the seasonal element, at their fullest in July and August and down to a couple of weekly sailings in winter.
June and September give you the catamarans and the summer weather without the peak-season traffic on the island road, which is single carriageway for its whole length.
Mali Lošinj ferry & travel FAQ
Is there a ferry to Mali Lošinj?
Not a mainland car ferry direct to it. Lošinj is joined to Cres by a bridge, and Cres is reached by short car ferries from Brestova or Valbiska — so most people arrive by road. Foot passengers can use the Rijeka or Pula–Zadar catamarans.
How do I drive to Mali Lošinj?
Take the car ferry from Brestova to Porozina, or Valbiska to Merag, then follow the island road south across the bridge onto Lošinj. Those crossings do not take reservations — you queue and board.
Can I get to Mali Lošinj without a car?
Yes. Jadrolinija runs a daily catamaran from Rijeka, and Kapetan Luka runs Pula–Zadar via Mali Lošinj — twice weekly off-season, three times in June and September, five at peak.
Why does this page show no ferry schedule?
Because our data holds only Mali Lošinj's links to the small neighbouring islands, with no current sailings against them. The island's primary access is by road, so an empty schedule would be misleading rather than informative.
Are Cres and Lošinj the same island?
Effectively. They are joined at Osor by a swing bridge and were one island until the Romans cut the channel. Cres is bigger and emptier; Lošinj is greener and has the hotels.
What are the small islands near Mali Lošinj?
Unije, Susak, Ilovik and Vele Srakane. Susak is built on sand, has no cars and its own dialect; Ilovik is known for flowers. The catamarans call at them, but they are lifeline stops with one boat rather than a shuttle.
What is Lošinj known for?
Air quality and pine forest — it was prescribed as a health resort under the Habsburgs and planted with hundreds of thousands of trees. There is also a resident bottlenose dolphin population and a research institute studying it.
When should I visit?
June or September. You get the catamarans and the summer weather without peak traffic on the island road, which is single carriageway for its whole length.
Reviewed by Serhat Özçelik, Founder & Editor of Ferry Schedule Hub · Last updated August 8, 2026.