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Dubrovnik Surroundings<br />
Mljet Tourist Board Archives<br />
restaurants.<br />
Despite their tiny scale and the fact that you can still find your<br />
own little Robinson Crusoe beach, these three islands aren’t really<br />
off the beaten track - there are several hotels used by tour<br />
operators and you’ll find a healthy number of tourists, particularly<br />
on Lopud. These islands are great if you need a relaxing<br />
break away from it all, and don’t expect wild nightlife or a heap<br />
of facilities laid on.<br />
76 Dubrovnik In Your Pocket<br />
Mljet<br />
Mljet gets a growing share of tourists, but as one of the<br />
more remote and less developed islands, with a limited ferry<br />
service, it lacks the kind of mass tourism of much of the<br />
Dalmatian coast and some other more accessible islands.<br />
This isn’t the place to come for late night bars, concerts or<br />
discos. One might hope it never will be.<br />
Be prepared to fall in love with nature all over again, for this<br />
island has a stunning quality waiting for you to discover.<br />
Croatia’s 8th largest island is approximately 3km wide<br />
and 37km long making attractive to explore for a short or<br />
lengthier stop. It has an area of roughly 100 square km with<br />
131km of coastline and many little niches and coves to<br />
discover, so you’d be forgiven for wanting to stay. With five<br />
distinct forest tree varieties, abundant fauna and lush vegetation,<br />
it’s easy to see why Mljet is called the “Green Island.”<br />
Mljet offers a panorama of coastline, cliffs, reefs and numerous<br />
islets as well as the rich topography of the hills that rise<br />
steeply above the sea and plummet back into deep valleys<br />
sheltering ancient stone villages. The submarine world includes<br />
quite an array of fish and several types of corals. With<br />
fantastic weather, sailing, recreational sports, swimming,<br />
scuba diving, hiking and bicycle paths are only a fraction<br />
of the pleasures that you can enjoy here. The western end<br />
of Mljet has been protected as a National Park since 1960.<br />
Getting there and around<br />
Two ferry types are available to/from Dubrovnik, a car<br />
ferry and a catamaran mostly provided by Jadrolinija ferries.<br />
Mljet is only 8km away from the peninsula of Pelješac,<br />
18km from Korčula and 30km from Dubrovnik. There are<br />
a number of harbour ports in Mljet. Polače is its largest<br />
and main port of call in the north, however, you can also<br />
access the island from Sobra which is best used to reach<br />
Maranovići and Babino Polje. Other harbours include Pomena<br />
which has daily connections to Dubrovnik (watch out<br />
for reefs and shallow water), and Lokve or Gonoturska port<br />
where you can throw anchor just before the entry canal<br />
toward the Big Lake.<br />
What to See<br />
Mljet National Park (Nacionalni Park Mljet). Established<br />
in 1960, the park is Mljet’s top attraction. The park, encompasses<br />
54 square kilometres at the western end of the<br />
island, with an astonishing interior and coastline beauty.<br />
Veliko Jezero and Malo Jezero (Big Lake and Small Lake),<br />
and the villages of Soline, Babine Kuće, Pomena, Polače and<br />
Goveđari all lie within the park boundaries. Of interest, this<br />
park represents the first institutionalised attempt to protect<br />
the native eco-system in the Adriatic.QPristanište 2,<br />
Goveđari, tel. (+385-20) 74 40 41, 74 40 58, np-mljet@<br />
np-mljet.hr, turizam@np-mljet.hr, www.np-mljet.hr.<br />
Benedictine Monastery on the islet of St Mary (Samostan<br />
Sv Marija) This tiny island, in a lake on the island of<br />
Mljet, is at the island’s cultural and spiritual heart.<br />
Polače The village is named for the ruin of a significant<br />
Roman palace and fortifications - one tower is 20m high<br />
- built between the 2nd and the 5th century. Second in<br />
size to the Palace of Diocletian in Split, you can’t miss it: The<br />
road to Pomena slips right between its high walls.<br />
Pomena Located on the western coast of Mljet in the<br />
National Park, about 200 m from Malo Jezero. This village,<br />
built after World War II, has only about 50 inhabitants living<br />
among charming thick forests and working in agriculture,<br />
fishing and tourism. The bay of Pomena is perfect for small<br />
yachts, which can pull up to the pier while you enjoy the<br />
hotel’s amenities.<br />
<strong>dubrovnik</strong>.inyourpocket.com
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