Just a short boat ride from Pula lies a small island with a surprisingly rich story.

St. Jerolim, one of the 14 islands and islets that make up Brijuni National Park, is one of those places that feels different the moment you arrive. Surrounded by the clear waters of the Adriatic, covered in Mediterranean vegetation and shaped by centuries of history, the island offers the perfect escape from the busy rhythm of everyday life.

And the best way to experience it?

From the sea.

A Small Island with a Big Story

St. Jerolim covers approximately 7.84 hectares and has around 1.16 kilometres of coastline. Today, it is a popular destination for day trips and swimming, attracting visitors looking for a more peaceful experience of the Brijuni archipelago.

But the island is much more than a beautiful place to swim.

Its landscape carries traces of a fascinating past, shaped not only by nature but also by people who worked with the island’s most valuable resource: stone.

The Stone That Travelled Across Europe

One of the most fascinating chapters in the history of St. Jerolim is connected to its limestone.

For centuries, stone was quarried on the island. The intensive extraction changed the appearance of St. Jerolim and created some of the unusual rocky formations that can still be seen today.

Even more remarkable is where some of this stone ended up.

According to Brijuni National Park, stone from St. Jerolim was used during the second half of the 19th century for important buildings around Vienna’s Ringstrasse, including the Vienna State Opera and Vienna City Hall, as well as for Miramare Castle near Trieste.

So when you walk across the island or look at its rocky coastline, you are looking at a landscape that is connected to a much larger European story.

The Church of St. Jerolim

The island takes its name from a church and monastery dedicated to St. Jerome, which once stood prominently on the island.

The original complex was destroyed over time through the exploitation of the island’s stone. Today, only the foundations of one of the walls remain.

It is a small detail, easy to miss if you are simply visiting for a swim — but it adds another layer to the experience.

St. Jerolim is not just somewhere you stop.

It is somewhere you can discover.

Crystal Clear Water and a Day by the Adriatic

For many visitors, the biggest attraction is much simpler.

The sea.

St. Jerolim is open to visitors and offers the opportunity for swimming and spending the day surrounded by the protected landscape of Brijuni National Park.

The combination of clear Adriatic water, rocky coastline and Mediterranean vegetation creates the kind of setting that makes it easy to forget about time.

No crowded city streets.

No traffic.

No schedules.

Just the sea, the island and the people you came with.

A Special Place for Sea Lovers

St. Jerolim is also known for its underwater world and is a popular diving location.

The waters surrounding the island are part of the protected marine environment of Brijuni National Park, making the journey here about more than simply reaching a beach.

It is an opportunity to experience the Adriatic as a living ecosystem.

Above the surface, you have the islands, cliffs, vegetation and open horizon.

Below it, another world begins.

St. Jerolim – An Island Without Plastic

Today, St. Jerolim is also part of an important sustainability initiative within Brijuni National Park.

The island has been developed as a plastic-free destination, encouraging visitors to take their waste with them rather than leaving it behind. Visitors receive a waste bag and instructions as part of the park’s approach to reducing waste and protecting the island’s natural environment.

It is a simple idea, but an important one.

The beauty of St. Jerolim exists because its natural environment is protected — and every visitor has a role in keeping it that way.

Why Visit St. Jerolim by Boat from Pula?

There is something special about approaching an island from the sea.

You watch Pula slowly disappear behind you.

The horizon opens.

The Brijuni islands begin to appear.

And then, almost suddenly, St. Jerolim is there.

The journey becomes part of the experience.

Instead of simply arriving at a destination, you experience the coastline, the islands and the Adriatic along the way.

For visitors staying in Pula, a boat trip to St. Jerolim offers an opportunity to combine nature, swimming, history and the sea in one unforgettable day.

More Than Just a Beach

It would be easy to describe St. Jerolim simply as a beautiful island near Pula.

But that would only tell half the story.

It is an island shaped by nature and human history.

An island whose stone travelled far beyond Istria.

An island where the foundations of an old church still tell part of its story.

An island surrounded by a rich underwater world.

And a place where you can spend a few hours swimming, exploring and simply enjoying the Adriatic.

That combination is what makes St. Jerolim special.

Discover St. Jerolim with Arena Boat Tours Pula

If you want to experience Brijuni National Park from a different perspective, join us aboard Boat Ana and discover the beauty of the archipelago from the sea.

Our boat tours from Pula combine the freedom of being on the Adriatic with time to explore, swim and enjoy the islands.

And St. Jerolim is one of those places that stays with you.

Not because it is the biggest island.

Not because it has the most famous monuments.

But because it offers something increasingly rare:

time, space, clear water and the feeling of being somewhere truly special.

Come aboard. Explore St. Jerolim. Experience the Adriatic.

Arena Boat Tours Pula

Where every journey becomes an unforgettable experience.