June 7 – June 21, 2025
In 2024 we had a great time on the island of Pag (read more HERE). Over Pentecost, we returned to Croatia, 9A—this time to the beautiful islands of Cres and Lošinj, and the 2025 project: An Island is More Than IOTA launched.
🏝️ About Cres and Lošinj
The islands of Cres and Lošinj are located in the northern Adriatic, forming part of the Kvarner Gulf in Croatia. Once a single landmass, they are now separated by a narrow canal near the town of Osor, connected by a small swing bridge.
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Cres is wild, quiet, and rugged—famous for its steep cliffs, pristine nature, fallow deers and rare griffon vultures. It’s ideal for hiking, solitude, and of course, SOTA and WWFF activations.
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Lošinj, on the other hand, is livelier and greener, known for its pine forests, wellness tourism, and charming towns like Mali Lošinj and Veli Lošinj. With a slightly more developed infrastructure, it also offers great POTA opportunities and family-friendly beaches.
These islands is a true paradise for any outdoor ham radio operator. With over 35 XOTA references, Cres and Lošinj offer a wealth of opportunities. Since this was a family vacation, I aimed to keep all my radio activities family-friendly. That meant focusing on the XOTA programs I enjoy the most:
SOTA – 6 main island summits + 1 Plavnik island → ✅ 7 of 7 activated,
WWFF – 2 nature reserves → ✅ 2 of 2 activated,
POTA – 10 parks → ⚠️ only 3 of 10 activated.
Cres and Lošinj belong to the Croatia Kvarner Group, IOTA EU-136, and by default include WLOTA:
- Cres, island – IOCA CI-012, WLOTA LH-0553,
- Lošinj, island – IOCA CI-058, WLOTA LH-4295,
- Plavnik, island – IOCA CI-088, WLOTA LH-2344.
Any additional references were a pleasant bonus for the GMA triathlon. Whenever I could include MOTA, COTA, or LOTA references during my SOTA, WWFF, or POTA activations, I did so.
🌤️ Conditions & Equipment
The weather was fantastic the entire time! But the propagation conditions were weak and fickle. Nevertheless, even with QRP (4W), I managed 20+ QSOs per SOTA activation.
Learning from my 2024 experience on Pag island, I brought my low power station (running 20-40W) – and it turned out to be a great decision. The low power setup made the activations more enjoyable and effective.
Below is a summary of my activations and adventures, including a few unforgettable moments.
🏔️ SOTA Activations
June 9 – Velo Gračište (9A/PH-037, 562m)
A light family hike and a short QRP activation on a windy day:
✅ 23 QSOs on 40/20m in 30 minutes. Job as usual.
June 10 – Helm (9A/PH-042, 483m)
A spontaneous activation during a day trip to Lubinice with friends and family. I hiked ahead to set up early. At the summit, I was stunned to see a fishing pole with a SOTA flag! Who could it be? To my surprise, it was Frank, DJ2FR! I knew he had been on the island, but I thought he had already left.
After he wrapped up his activation, I plugged my QRP TRX into his antenna and logged ✅ 20 QSOs in 30 minutes. TNX, Frank! We chated about the HAMing, XOTA, islands, etc. and agreed to do a joint activation.
June 11 – Gorice (9A/PH-034, 648m)
A solo morning activation with ✅ 33 QSOs (mostly on 40m) in 55 minutes.
Afterwards, I activated Fojiška - Predošcica, 9AFF-0056: ✅ 63 QSOs (mostly 20m) in 1¾ hours.
Propagation was so poor, I skipped further radio haming that day😒.
June 12 – Televrina (9A/PH-003, 588m)
The highest peak on Cres, jointly activated with Frank, DJ2FR.
✅ 44 QSOs on 40/30/20/17m in about 1 hour made with QRP.
We even enjoyed a brief early 17m opening. The other bands were also in good shape.
Great weather, great views, great company. Thanks again, Frank!
June 14 – Zlostan (9A/PH-047, 428m)
A midday activation in hot weather, with ✅ 26 QSOs in 45 minutes.
Trail and summit were rather uneventful—job as usual.
June 17 – Grgoščak (9A/PH-058, 241m)
A drive-in activation with the family. ✅ 56 QSOs on 40/20m in just over 1 hour using low power. The family enjoyed the views while I operated. The highlight was an S2S QSO on 2 m with Daniel, 9A/DM1DF, who activated Zlostan, 9A/PH-047.
June 19 – Krušija (9A/PH-061, 194m) – Real Adventure!
This one was epic. A real adventure!
Originally, Daniel, DM1DF and I wanted to charter a fishing boat from Merag to Plavnik Island. But due to rough seas, the trip was canceled. Once things calmed down, I decided to make the crossing solo on my stand-up paddleboard (SUP)!
Why Plavnik? This small uninhabited island between Cres and Krk is known for its secluded coves, wild goats, fallow deers, and dramatic cliffs. It’s remote, pristine, and totally off the tourist radar—making it a dream destination for adventurous ham radio operators (LOTA, IOTA/IOCA) and nature lovers alike. And, it has one SOTA reference — Krušija (9A/PH-061, 194m). This one was my real goal and this one was the hardest one pointer in my life!
🌿 WWFF – 9AFF Activations
June 15 - Mali Bok (9AFF-0057)
The second WWFF activation was at Mali Bok, 9AFF-0057:
✅ 84 QSOs on 20/30/40m in about 2 hours.
Tough propagation conditions. The stunning cliffside location made it a highlight.
🏖️ POTA Fun on the Beach
Operating POTA on Cres and Lošinj is pure enjoyment. The island of Cres has two references: HR-0085 (Otok Cres Natura 2000) and HR-0026 (Kvarnerski otoci Natura 2000), and neighboring Lošinj offers at least one—HR-0226 .
I ran my station casually, often from the beach. If the bands died, or there were no takers, I’d take a break to swim, paddle, or play with the kids—then return to operating. That’s how POTA is meant to be!
📻 Summary
TNX for reading — see you on the bands!
73 de Dzianis, DD1LD
