Bavljenac island, Croatia

Info. Bavljenac island, Croatia

Of the 1,246 islands on Croatia's fragmented coast, the isle of Bavljenac might be the most recognisable. It's nicknamed 'Fingerprint Island' for its dry-stone walls that look like the spiralled ridges of a human fingerprint. The tiny, uninhabited island in the Adriatic Sea was once an agricultural centre. In the 19th century – the peak of Croatian wine production – farmers from the nearest populated island built the winding walls on Bavljenac to protect olive trees and grapevines from the winds blowing in from the Adriatic.