Pogana is a small village of 50 inhabitants south of the island of Cres (Cherso), overlooking Jadriscica Bay. The bay is recommended as an anchorage for those leaving the Kvarner area and heading south toward Central Dalmatia. The bay offers adequate shelter from the bora, which can blow very strongly in this area, and at the same time, it has an easy entrance, a firm seabed, and is very spacious. In the event of a strong bora, the most exposed part of the island of Cherso is the eastern side, which is characterized by steep cliffs and, for this very reason, is sparsely populated; so if you find yourself sailing along the eastern coast of Cres and a northeasterly wind begins to pick up, it is advisable to continue on to Pogana and take shelter there. In the event of a sirocco, however, this area should be avoided.

Also in the eastern part of the island are two nature reserves that are home to the griffon vulture, a bird of prey with a wingspan of over 2 meters. These birds tend to build their nests on steep cliffs, so this area provides them with an ideal habitat. In October, during the mating season, it’s common to see two birds flying side by side in the sky.

For those coming from the west, however, passage between the islands of Cres and Losinj is only possible during the bridge’s operating hours (from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). The channel is 3 meters deep and only 12 meters wide, which is why there is a right-of-way system: boats coming from the south have the right of way, with a maximum speed limit of 5 knots. Access from the north is marked by a red flashing light with a 1.5-second flash interval. Although the western part of the island is much more lush and populated once you’ve passed through the channel, Pogana remains a good choice for anchorages, since the bays along the route are smaller or have certain obstacles, such as at Kaldonta—where anchoring is no longer possible due to a fish farm—and at Martinscica, where you must be very careful of shoals and shallow waters in certain areas of the bay.

There are about twenty buoys in the bay, all of which require a fee; some are located across from the Baldarin campground, where you’ll also find a restaurant and a fueling station. The depth ranges from 4 to 2 meters; do not anchor too far inside the bay. At night, there is a flashing green light on the Pogana pier; the water is only 2 meters deep right at the end of the pier.