It often happens to find by chance objects that have taken the shape of a heart: a stone, a tuber, a leaf.
I am amazed every time it happens, it always arouses a lot of amazement that something whose shape is random has been transformed according to this shape and this applies to small objects that can be seen every day but sometimes nature decides to overreach and it is this is the case: in Croatia there is an island that has taken the shape of a giant heart.
THE ISLAND of LOVE
# Galešnjak, the island of love
It is called Galešnjak and is located in Croatia, in the Pašman channel on the Adriatic Sea, about 25 km from Zadar, halfway between the coastal towns of Sveti Petar na Moru and Torrette.
This island can be considered a real paradise on earth: surrounded by crystal clear waters, rich vegetation and rocks up to 40 meters high, man has never interfered in this special wild ecosystem.
However, this island has an even more special feature: it is heart-shaped. In fact, the Croatians call it “Otok za Zaljubljene” which means ‘Island of Love’.
# Discovered by Napoleon’s cartographer
But when was its heart shape discovered? It is said that the discovery of its shape was completely accidental.
One day in 2009, Mr. Vlado Juresko, owner of the island and owner of a travel agency, typed Galešnjak’s name into Google Earth and discovered his heart shape.
However, some legends narrate that the first to discover the heart shape of the island was Charles-François Beautemps-Beaupré, Napoleon’s cartographer, in the early 1800s.
# Romantic getaway, without the resort
The heart-shaped island could be the perfect place for a romantic getaway or honeymoon but there is a problem: there is nothing.
Galešnjak can be considered more of an islet as it measures only 132 square km and also due to its size there are currently no tourist services.
You cannot stay overnight on the island, unless you choose a campsite that is nothing short of wild, which is only possible if you obtain the permit.
In fact, most of the people who visit Galešnjak stay either on the nearby island of Pašman or in Zadar, and then rent a boat to reach the island of love.
In general, being a private island, you must ask for permission to visit it.
# The other heart-shaped islands
Credit: @thatbohoblonde – Tavarua Island – Isole Fiji
The island of Galešnjak is not alone, from Argentina to the Fiji Islands there are several heart-shaped islands in the world, both in the seas and in the lakes.
Heart-shaped islands may be inhabited but it is much more likely that they are small and uninhabited islands, immersed in a remote paradise.
The next time you go to an island, i recommend you to search it on Google Earth, you could be inside a giant heart without knowing it.
ARIANNA BOTTINI
