Welcome to my first travel article.
I’ve decided to start off by writing about Croatia. In 2016 we visited Croatia for the first time. We were a bit nervous about the planning process so to make it easier on us we decided to only visit the main cities, and become more familiar with the environment if we ever wanted to come back. By now everyone knows how much we love it here! There is so much beauty in this country, that I simply can’t bring myself to dedicate just one article to Croatia. So the focus today will be around the gorgeous island of Mljet and its National Park.
WHY VISIT MLJET
We returned to Croatia last year, and this time around we wanted to relax more, spend some time away from big crowds, restaurants, and tourists… We took a chance and booked an Airbnb for three nights in the island of Mljet. Why Mljet? Besides the fact that is looks unimaginably beautiful, I was intrigued by the fact that half the island is a National Park. If you’ve known me for some time or follow me on Instagram then you're familiar with my proclivity for National Parks; I wish I could visit them all. Every National Park is unique in some way. Mljet in particular is composed of salt water lakes surrounded by mountains. Just imagine!
HOW TO GET TO MLJET
It was surprisingly very easy to get to Mljet, though the information you’ll find online can be a bit confusing. I’ll try my best to explain our experience, in case you’re currently planning on visiting. Okay here goes! There are only two ferry lines that will make a stop in Mljet. The one we used is called Krilo. This ferry makes one round trip every day from Split early in the morning and returns at night, making stops in Brac, Markarska, Korcula, Mljet and finally Dubrovnik. It arrives in Dubrovnik around noon and leaves from here around 4pm making stops back through the same islands. [Great ferry for island hoping from Split to Dubrovnik or vice versa, as long as you're willing to stay in one of the islands for a night, since you wont be able to catch the same ferry until the next day.] Ferries in Europe are amazing, they have food and drinks inside, it’s a very comfortable form of transportation. We actually flew into Croatia thru Dubrovnik, so we took the ferry on its way back to Split and simply stayed in Mljet. We left Dubrovnik at 4 p.m. and arrived in Mljet around 5 p.m. it was an easy one hour trip. The cost from Dubrovnik to Mljet was 80 Croatian Kunas so about $12 USD per person.
TRANSPORTATION INSIDE THE ISLAND
There are two ports in Mljet. One is called Sobra which is right in the middle of the island. The other one is called Polace. Polace is right inside the National Park and it has about 5-7 restaurants along the port. If you choose to pick the ferry that will leave you in Polace you don't really need to rent a car since you will have everything within walking distance. The park is huge so you will need to rent either a scooter or a bicycle to get to the lakes but that is about it. If you choose to arrive at Sobra you will probably need a car. We chose Sobra because we wanted to explore the entire island from point to point. If you decide to rent a car the only company is called Mini Brum, it is very easy to find because they are right by the port as you step off the ferry. They have scooters and cars, but all of the cars are compact and manual transmission. Keep that in mind when you decide how much you're packing or how many people are going to share the car. They do accept cash, or debit/credit cards everything except AMEX, and the prices are fairly reasonable. There are only two gas stations in the entire island and they are both located by the ports. When you pick up the car they will give you a map with all the instructions. We drove every single day back and forth and only used half a tank, so I really don't think anyone should need to refill until they return the car.
THINGS TO DO
Whenever I am planning a trip I tend to look for informative articles or blogs about “things to do.” Although we usually don't end up following exactly what we read about, it’s good to have an idea of where to get started. So, if you're still reading (which I hope you are) you're probably wondering: What is there to do in Mljet? SOOOOO MUCH! This is paradise! We spent 3 nights/4 days and there were still hikes and places we couldn't visit. There are ruins to explore, lakes to kayak, sandy beaches, and thrilling nature hikes that will make this a place worth visiting for everyone.
HIKES AND CAVES
In your research about Mljet you will find that everyone will agree that the Odysseus Cave is a must see place. Although you’ll find little to no information on how to get there, or to be more exact information about the hike to get there. Right next to our Airbnb there was a little market where we bought all of our food to cook. Right across from that market there was a written sign that said “Odysseus Cave”. I had read online about it and everywhere it said it was an easy walk to a beautiful diving cave (which Carlos is into diving not me obviously) so one afternoon we decided to begin the walk. Let me say it is not an easy walk!!!!!! I think we hiked down for about an hour then back up for another hour…The trail we were following was marked by handwritten red arrows. We had no phone signal and hoped we were going the right way. When the trail ended we could see the cave from above but no actual trail way to get to it. At that point we considered giving up and returning, but we were already so close and who knew when we would be able to return. So rock climbing our way down, was our only option. It was scary! I was in flip flops and on top of that I’m not about heights and precarious situations. I am a very safe person, I follow instructions, and stick to the trail. Ugh but it was Croatia.. and we really wanted to make it to the cave! Suffice it to say we survived the treacherous climb down and found a little “divers village” not sure who built it but it had seats and an amazing view. That’s where this picture is taken. It was a nice place to sit and relax before continuing our way down. Long story short ... we found the beautiful cave! Carlos dived in a few times while I watched. I got in the water a little bit, and we watched the sunset, then we began our way up back to our car. It was worth it! So... most definitely I recommend going here but go prepared. Take water, the right shoes, allow time for the hike down, time to spend in the water, and time to hike back up.
This picture was taken where the trail ended right before we began rock climbing down and the following picture is from the divers village. From here its a very easy and a short climb
SPEND A MORNING EXPLORING OLD ROMAN RUINS
Mljet is an island full of rich history. I absolutely loved exploring the ruins. No matter where in the island you go you’ll find them so take a morning, dress up, grab your camera and go out and explore. My favorite ruin was in Polace. The Roman palace dates from the 5th century and it is absolutely impressive.
KAYAKING IN THE LAKES
Kayaking in the lakes was one of the easiest and enjoyable things we did in Mljet. Once you make it to the lakes walk along the side or take your bike until you find the person renting the kayaks. Everything is cash but it’s extremely cheap. We payed 4 kunas an hour thats less than a dollar. They keep your license and write down the time you picked up the kayak. You can keep it for as long as you like and once you return it they charge you for the amount of hours you kept it.
BEACH YOUR DAY AWAY
Surrounded by water on all sides there are no lack of beaches in Mljet! As you might know Croatian beaches are pebbled. Yes it is beautiful, but I am a sandy beach type of gal so finding some sandy beaches here was such a plus. My absolutely favorite one was Saplunara beach which was on the east side of the island. Drive on the main road going east until the road ends. When that happens just park your car wherever you find a spot, and you're at the beach. You’ll find a tiny little restaurant which serves drinks only (coffee, beer, wine, and even ice cream) For us it was perfect. We took food from a market ahead of time and then purchased drinks from this little place right by the beach.
No matter what you decide to do, Mljet will leave you with lasting memories, and stories to share with all your family and friends when you return home. Don’t miss out on this wondrous place!
Blogger’s Note: The entire island is 23 miles long so you can't walk it. It also doesn't have public transportation. It doesn't have a hospital either, and there are only maybe three little markets. So it is good to be informed before you visit. If you require the use of specific things make sure to take them with you when you leave either Split or Dubrovnik.
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog about Mljet. The following are pictures from our trip!
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