Goli otok, 6-7 June 2025

The aerial view of Goli Otok makes it clear why its name translates into English as "Barren Island" and into French as l’Île Nue. We spent two nights there in the square-shaped harbour to visit the island.

Goli Otok was an internment camp established in 1949 in the aftermath of the Tito–Stalin split. Tito, who became Prime Minister of Yugoslavia in 1945, sought a more independent and regionally influential role for Yugoslav communists, particularly in relation to neighbouring countries such as Albania, Greece, and Bulgaria—an ambition Stalin did not support. Tensions culminated in 1948 when the Communist Information Bureau (Cominform) issued a resolution calling for a change of leadership in Yugoslavia. This led to a rift between Tito’s Yugoslav communists and the pro-Stalin Cominformists.

The Yugoslav communists retained power and established a system of camps and prisons to detain Cominform supporters—the largest of which was the Goli Otok camp, opened in July 1949.

Image source: Republic of Croatia State Geodetic Administration

Today, the island is abandoned and slowly being reclaimed by nature. Yet, Croatians remain acutely aware of their history and the crises that have shaped it—reaching a peak during the Balkan wars of the early 1990s.

Let's have a tour...

A walk around Goli Otok feels like the forced march of a convict under a blistering sun — no shade, no water, just rugged, unforgiving terrain. We followed the internal trail going through all the red spots. This map is extracted from the booklet A short guide through the history of the internment camp on Goli otok.

We started from the Uvala Melna habour where we spent the night. The best place on the island to have a quiet night as it is not crowded and you can freely moor along side.  

Uvala Melna harbour

Beware of the 40cm tides, coming at funny amplitude and time intervals (refer to the posts "Tides and currents in the Adriatic sea - 9 April 2023" and "What influences the tides in Croatia? - 14 April 2023". Below is the extract for Goli otok at the time we were there. 

Close to the Uvala Melna harbour is the only local tavern (konoba). During the day, tour boats are brining few visitors and are moored on the two piers. After they leave, visiting boats wishing to day overnight are welcome (for an exorbitant price as stated on Navily). Water, cold drinks and ice-creams available).

Getting back to Goli otok...

From there, we walked 1km to the Goli otok "main gate", where prisoners were disembarked. From 1949 to 1955, the camp was only "hosting" political prisoners for forced labour and reeducation in particularly harsh conditions. In particular, the lack of water made it particularly difficult. On the aerial picture above, you can see two small delimited white polygons which were stone areas surrounded by walls for draining water into dug reservoirs.  

View towards the main gate. Notice the cactuses  

The first established camp cold the "Old wire camp" is the one you see when arriving by the sea (above picture). Then an extension was built, the "Great wire camp" seen extending on the left on the picture below.

View to the "Great wire camp"

Barbed wires remaining in the "Old wire camp"

Pear cactus (opuntia), very common on the island, as aggressive as the barbed wires with their spine

Departing from Goli otok, heading South in the Velebit channel

Fascinating historical site, known by all Croates, but obviously still somehow a tabou subject. There are a few descriptive explanations on some locations in the island, but you will never see the name of Tito mentioned anywhere. Tito was the one holding Yugoslavia together for half a century and people are grateful for this, dissociating it of what it took to maintain unity in such a disparate assembly of very different entities.