People that are living near the sea or those who are just going somewhere on the coast to spend a vacation probably would love to have a small boat to discover all the hidden coves, islands or beaches. Across the Adriatic you can find lots of places that are just waiting to be discovered. We are lucky because we have a small boat so we decided to look for the secrets of Croatian national park Kornati. We went on our trip from Zadar harbor, we passed under the bridge that is connecting island of Ugljan and Pašman and only two hours of sailing in rough seas was separating us from the real adventure. This group of islands is located in central Adriatic and it is the meeting place of the islands of Zadar and Šibenik archipelago. National park Kornati has 89 islands, islets and rocks. Every part of this natural beauty has something special and because of that it is also called the heaven for boaters.
Of course that swimming in this crystal clear sea is must but if you visit Kornati and you don’t dive into that magical world it would be a big mistake. Diving in this part of the Adriatic provide an unforgettable scene. To experience at least a part of this unique feeling, all you need is a snorkel and the mask because the view from the surface is impressive as you’ve delved into greater depth. Once we arrived and tied up for one of the Kornati islands we wanted to climb to its top so that we can check is there any truth in the claim that the view from the belvedere is breathtaking. It is not really hard to climb up but as it was thirty degrees, hat and cream with a high SPF is required because there is very little shade on Kornati – you could even say that it is totally absent. It is difficult to single out one among the many vantage points on these islands. I can’t say that one is more exciting than others. Metlina is the highest peak but there are also Opat, Ravni Žakan and Litnji vrh from where you will have a truly unique view.
After a day of swimming and sunbathing somewhere on the islands of Kornati you will probably get hungry. Here you can find around twenty restaurants and taverns where the hosts will be very happy to prepare a local dish for you. If you like to go fishing maybe you can catch something and just ask them to prepare your catch for you 🙂 Fish specialties are something that every guest want to try but if you will have a chance try the lamb. It will satisfy the appetites of the most demanding guests.
Maybe some of you have already visited this part of the Adriatic with a boat and you will agree with me that the best place to spend a night is cove Mir in Natural Park Telašćica. This cove is situated south west of Dugi otok and it is really near the national park Kornati. It is known as one of the largest and best protected natural harbor on the Adriatic coast and that’s why we decided to stay there a bit longer.If you don’t have your own boat you can get here from Zadar and Šibenik. During the summer there are lots of day trips. For travelers who prefer active vacation this is a perfect destination because you can explore the island by bikes and it is also a perfect area for trekking.
Salt lake Mir is one more thing that is making this place even more special. It is 900 m long, 6 m deep and the water is salty because its underground channels are connected with the sea. During the summer temarature of this lake can reach 30 degrees.
On the outer side of the bay Telašćica you will see cliffs over 160 meters high so your trip must include the arrival on these rocks. This is an area rich with interesting flora and fauna, and tourists are very exciting when they see dolphins that are often guests here.
More than 2500 hours of sunshine a year, great sea temperatures and indescribable nature are the best invitations to all who have not yet visited this, as many call it, true paradise on earth.
