Veli Lošinj is a charming historic village on the southern tip of the island of Lošinj, in the Kvarner archipelago of Croatia. Despite its name — "Veli" meaning "big" in Croatian — it is far smaller than its neighbour Mali Lošinj, with a population of around 1,000. For centuries it was the island's principal settlement, and its well-preserved old town still reflects that legacy: pastel-coloured Venetian-era houses from the 18th and 19th centuries line a sheltered harbour, overlooked by the 15th-century Venetian watchtower known as the Kula. The island of Lošinj earned a reputation as a health destination as early as the 19th century, celebrated for its exceptionally clean air, rich with aromatic oils from vast pine forests, holm oak and Mediterranean herbs. Today Veli Lošinj is best known as a base for dolphin watching: the surrounding waters are home to one of the best-studied bottlenose dolphin populations in the Mediterranean, monitored by the Blue World Institute of Marine Research. The village also holds a remarkable archaeological treasure — the Apoxyomenos, a perfectly preserved Hellenistic bronze statue of an athlete dating to the 1st century BC, recovered from the sea in 1999 and now displayed in the island's dedicated museum. Quiet, authentic and unhurried, Veli Lošinj offers crystal-clear coves, hiking trails through fragrant pine groves, and a genuine glimpse of old Adriatic life.