01Best Areas to Stay in Cres at a Glance
Cres is a long, narrow island, and where you sleep decides how much driving you do. Cres Town on the west coast is the only place with a real town centre. The villages around it are small, and most have a few dozen to a few hundred residents. The island is about 66 km long, so choose one base and drive to the rest.
- Best overall: Cres Town
- Best for beaches and families: Martinšćica
- Best for quiet and character: Valun
- Best for nature and hiking: Beli
- Best for views and a few nights of silence: Lubenice
- Best for history and a southern base: Osor
02Cres Town: Best Base for First-Time Visitors
Cres Town has a Venetian-style harbour, a walkable old centre, bakeries, supermarkets, restaurants and the ACI marina. Trg Frane Petrića is the central square. Pebble beaches such as Melin and the Kimen beach are on the edge of town, usually 10–15 minutes' walk from the harbour.
Old Town and Harbour
Staying in the old town means no car for daily needs. Rooms and small guest houses fill the stone lanes, for example Rooms Piazzetta on Pjaceta. Expect €60–€110 for a double in July and August, and less in May, June and late September. Evenings around the harbour are lively but not loud. Rooms facing the waterfront restaurants hear chairs and conversation until about midnight.
Melin and Kimen Coast
The stretch south of the harbour holds the larger hotels. Hotel Kimen is a 3-star property with a beach in front and roughly a 10-minute walk to the old town. It suits budget travellers and families who want a restaurant on site. The Isolano is the island's top-end option. It is a 5-star, adults-friendly resort next to Melin Beach with a pool, spa and restaurant. Summer rates start around €230 a night, so it is a splurge rather than a default.
Is Cres Town Worth It?
Yes, for most travellers. It has the widest choice of restaurants, the most accommodation (several hundred listings) and the easiest access to a supermarket. Its drawback is that beaches are pebble and rock, and the town beaches get crowded in August.
03Martinšćica: Best for Families and Campers
Martinšćica sits in a bay on the western coast, about 12 km from Cres Town by road. The village has a long pebble beach, a small promenade, a few restaurants and basic services. It is the best-equipped resort village on the island outside the main town.
Hotel Zlatni Lav is a 3-star hotel about 300 m from the pebble beaches. It has a pool, spa and restaurant, and runs activities such as cycling tours and boat cruises. Summer prices are roughly €90–€150 for a double with breakfast. Apartments close to the sea, many with parking, cost approximately €70–€130 in peak season.
Camp Slatina is the campsite beside the bay, surrounded by Mediterranean forest. It is a good choice for tents, caravans and families with children. The nearby Štivan area has quieter private apartments with sea views.
Skip the first row of apartments directly on the main road into the village if you are a light sleeper. Pick units set one street back.
04Valun: Best Quiet Village on the Coast
Valun is a small harbour village between two pebble beaches, about 15 km from Cres Town. It is known for the Valun Tablet, a 11th-century Glagolitic inscription kept in the parish church. Restaurants line the waterfront, and most of the accommodation is private apartments and rooms within a few hundred metres of the sea.
Bed & Breakfast Palac is among the better-rated options, with doubles at roughly €75–€90 in summer. Apartments cost approximately €80–€110 in July and August. Valun has little parking, so book a unit with a reserved space. There is no large supermarket, so shopping happens in Cres Town or Martinšćica.
Valun versus Martinšćica
Valun is smaller, prettier and calmer. Martinšćica has more beach space, a hotel and a campsite. Pick Valun for couples and Martinšćica for children.
05Beli: Best for Nature and Hiking
Beli is a medieval hilltop village about 22 km north of Cres Town, with a small pebble beach below at the sea. The Caput Insulae Eco-Centre here focuses on the island's griffon vultures. The settlement is small, with few shops, so plan to eat dinner at one of the local konobas.
Pansion Tramontana Eco Stay is the best-known guesthouse. It is a 10-minute walk from the centre of Beli and costs approximately €85–€100 for a double in season. Apartments in the village are generally €70–€110.
Beli is ideal if you want hiking trails, a quieter atmosphere and a short drive to the northern ferry. It is not suitable without a car. The road down to the beach is steep, so walking back up in July heat is tiring.
06Lubenice: Best for Views
Lubenice is a stone village on a clifftop about 378 m above the sea, roughly 4 km from Valun. Accommodation is limited to a handful of rooms and apartments, for example Rodinis Room and Apartment. The pebble beach below is reached by a steep, rough road or a long walk, so the village is best for a quiet one- or two-night stay. Evenings are very still and the stargazing is excellent. Do not choose it as your only base if you want to swim every day.
07Osor: Best for History and the South
Osor is a small town on the narrow strip between Cres and Lošinj, about 35 km from Cres Town. It has an open-air sculpture display, a small museum and a notable summer music festival. Accommodation is scarce, with roughly a dozen listings. Stay here only if your plan is to explore the southern end of the island. For beaches and dining, the west-coast villages are better.
08Cres Accommodation Types and Prices
| Type | Typical summer price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Camping pitch | €25–€45/night | Families, outdoor travellers |
| Room in a guest house | €60–€90/night | Couples, budget travellers |
| Apartment (2–4 people) | €70–€130/night | Families, longer stays |
| 3-star hotel | €90–€150/night | Convenience, breakfast |
| 5-star resort | €230+/night | Luxury, adults only |
The island has just two traditional hotels outside the luxury segment, Kimen in Cres Town and Zlatni Lav in Martinšćica. Most visitors therefore stay in private apartments. Rooms for two to six people usually include a kitchen, which keeps costs down.
09When to Book
Book July and August stays four to six months ahead, particularly beachfront apartments in Valun and Martinšćica. Many owners require a minimum stay of 3–7 nights in peak weeks. June and September bring lower prices (often 20–30% less), warm sea and fewer visitors. Many small businesses close from late October to Easter, so winter stays in villages mean limited dining.
10Local Tips for Choosing a Base
- Rent a car.
- Public buses are infrequent, and the villages are 12–25 km apart on winding roads.
- Check parking first.
- Old-town Cres and Valun have restricted space, so confirm a reserved spot.
- Check air conditioning.
- Older stone houses stay cooler, but not every room has it.
- Pick pebble-beach shoes.
- Almost every beach on the island is pebble or rock.
- Bring groceries from Cres Town.
- Choice in villages is limited, and prices are higher.