Where Should You Stay on Ugljan Island?

What kind of accommodation is available on Ugljan?

Private apartments and rooms ("apartmani"/"sobe") make up much of the supply, usually let by owners who live close by. Kukljica's tourist board alone counts about 700 beds in private accommodation, mostly in family houses in the village centre and in the Zelena Punta holiday park (Source: Kukljica Tourist Board, checked 13 October 2026). Hotels are few. The Preko tourist board lists four hotel-type properties in its municipality, namely Hotel Preko (part of Hilton's Curio Collection), Hotel Dunatovi Dvori and the villa complex Vile Dalmacija, all three in Preko, plus the Lioqa Resort in Ugljan village (Source: TZ Preko, hotels listing, checked 13 October 2026). It also lists two boarding houses, Pansion Stari dvor in the Batalaža area of Ugljan village and Pansion Rušev in Preko (Source: TZ Preko, boarding houses listing). In Kukljica, Holiday Park Zelena Punta has 132 apartment suites in the pine forest by the sea (Source: Kukljica Tourist Board).

Campers have more choice than many guides suggest. TZ Preko lists eight campsites, seven in Ugljan village and one in Lukoran, from Camping Ugljan Resort to smaller sites such as Camp Rebac and Camp Coto (Source: TZ Preko, camps listing, checked 13 October 2026). Camping Ugljan describes itself as a four-star eco-camping resort on the west coast, about 2 km from the centre of Ugljan village (Source: Camping Ugljan, official site). The tourist board's page on Ugljan village calls the hamlet of Sušica the "camp hamlet", with five campsites within 1.5 km (Source: TZ Preko). No official source publishes price ranges for the island, so compare current rates directly with the properties.

• Private apartments and rooms, with about 700 private beds in Kukljica alone
• Four hotels and resorts on the TZ Preko list, three of them in Preko
• Holiday Park Zelena Punta in Kukljica, with 132 apartment suites
• Eight campsites on the TZ Preko list, including the four-star Camping Ugljan Resort

Which village should I choose as a base?

Each village has a different character. The distances below are straight lines measured on OpenStreetMap from the Preko ferry terminal, so the drive is longer (OpenStreetMap measurement, 13 October 2026).

• Preko, under 1 km from the terminal, is the island's transport and administrative centre, with the marina, shops, market, pharmacy and post office, and the 11th-century Church of St. John near the ferry dock (Source: TZ Preko)
• Kali, about 1.7 km away, is a working fishing village, and Batalaža, its most popular beach, has deck chairs, parasols and a café (Source: Kali Tourist Board)
• Poljana, about 2 km away, is a small bay settlement with the 13th-century Romanesque Church of St. Peter on its peninsula, two restaurants and a shop (Source: TZ Preko)
• Sutomišćica, about 2.7 km away, lies in a large sheltered bay with Olive Island Marina and the 17th-century baroque Lantana summer residence (Source: TZ Preko)
• Lukoran, about 4.4 km away, has hidden bays, pine-shaded beaches and a large campsite (Source: TZ Preko)
• Kukljica, about 6.3 km away in the southeast, has the Zelena Punta holiday park, about 700 private beds and boat excursions toward Telašćica and the Kornati (Source: Kukljica Tourist Board)
• Ugljan village, about 9.5 km away, spreads over several hamlets, with the sandy beach of Mostir and the 15th-century monastery of St. Jerome, the Batalaža cove and most of the island's campsites (Source: TZ Preko)

Is Ugljan better as a day trip or an overnight stay?

Both work, depending on your priorities. The Zadar-Preko crossing takes about 25 minutes on either Jadrolinija line. The 2026 timetables add up to 29 departures from Zadar on a summer weekday, and the car ferry alone runs 17 a day in winter (Source: Jadrolinija sailing schedules 2026, checked 13 October 2026). This frequency makes Ugljan an easy half-day or full-day trip from Zadar. An overnight stay makes more sense if you want to explore beyond Preko, visit the quieter fishing villages, or use the island's cycling and coastal-walking routes without rushing for a return sailing.

Does Ugljan have large resort-style hotels?

Not in the mass-tourism sense. TZ Preko lists only four hotel-type properties in its municipality, and Holiday Park Zelena Punta in Kukljica counts 132 apartment suites (Sources: TZ Preko; Kukljica Tourist Board). One of the Preko hotels belongs to Hilton's Curio Collection, so an international brand is present, but a large share of the island's beds sits in apartments and rooms let by local owners. Travelers expecting resort-style hotel infrastructure similar to larger Croatian coastal destinations should adjust their expectations.