One notable feature of Ilovik's culture are the burial rites. After church services are held on the main island of Ilovik in the church of Saints Peter and Paul (Sveti Petar i Sveti Pavao), the body is taken by boat to the cemetery, which is located across the water on another small island named Sveti Petar. The walls enclosing the present-day cemetery date back to the 11th century and were part of a Benedictine monastery. Sveti Petar also houses a summer monastery for monks of the Franciscan Order and the remnants of a small castle, which was built in 1600 by the Republic of Venice. The castle was erected by Filippo Pasqualigo to defend the area from pirates ("uskoks"). The first Croats arrived on Ilovik at the end of the 18th century from Veli Losinj. This marked the beginning of the modern-day Ilovik.