Mljet National Park

Mljet National Park

Wednesday 1st September... Linda - So many indecisions about the weather, it's almost driving me mad trying to decide what to do for the best. We were so looking forward to going to Mljet National Park, just a couple of hours trip from Korcula, but there's some wind around for a couple of days and I was unsure whether to make the move or stay around Korcula. Having been up in the night (once again) weather and options checking, I decided we should go for it. So at 8am off we went. Again the sea got lumpy but much more bearable than the other day. Then by 10.30am we had arrived at Polace in the Mljet National Park, Mljet is one of the jewels in Croatia's crown, and we've been saving it for our final blast before heading towards the border.

First glimpses

Much calmer behind the sheltered islands

Big beast at anchor.... must belong a popstar

When we arrived it was thankfully quite empty and we hoped someone would wave us to go onto a restaurant quay (but they didn't), so we phoned one that had been recommended by our catamaran friends and onto the restaurant quay we went. It makes so much sense, because if you anchor here the charge is 600 kuna per night (£70)...yikes. On a restaurant quay they don't charge you for mooring as long as you eat in their restaurant, which we did. At least we get something for the money. 

View from our mooring

Roman Palace ruins

We're near the ferry, but it only came in and out

once today (just as we were trying to berth of course)

Some of the restaurants

For a change, we went on a hike. First hoping to get to the lakes, but we hadn't bought a ticket pass yet, so abandoned that idea and walked down around the coast in our bay.

To the lakes and other attractions

The Roman Palace ruins

Beside the sea

Starting our hike

Our restaurant, Stella Maris

Here we are

Mini Brum??

Short walkies along the nice restaurants

Lovely setting

Lovely flowers

Lovely lights

Thumbs up from me and the chef

Road walkies

Bay views

Thesee in the foreground

Wild boar roadsign!

More ruins up here

Up there

Here

Ruins sign

Investigating a big hole

There's me in the middle

Looking down to the bay again

Strange fig tree with no leaves

A fantastic and quite large butterfly here

Back in the village, this is the ticket office for the National Park

Took this photo whilst sitting in the bar

More walking along the shore

The very end of the bay. Notice the red 

and white hiking marker sign on the tree.

Not so blue here, but still pretty

That's better

So tonight we went into our restaurant for dinner. Lovely and almost romantic, good food, wine, and ambience. And for the cost of 350 kuna. Like I said, much better than spending 600 kuna for just dropping your anchor on the sea bed.

Thursday 2nd September... Linda - Our big day today in the National Park. We collected our electric bikes and bought our entrance tickets to the park from our local kiosk in Polace where we are moored.

It's the first time we have used electric bikes, they were perfect for going up the hills across to the lakes. The bikes had big wheels, not like our small folding bikes, and I had a bit of trouble getting off mine at first, ending up on my hands and knees, lol. But I soon mastered the technique and it was plain sailing from then on.

We reached the lake after a short while and then did a full circle of it throughout the morning. The scenery was very beautiful, and having such an early start to our day there were not many people around for a couple of hours.

Monument at the start of the lake tour

First looks across the lake to the 

Monastery Island St Mary

First hamlet we arrived at was Soline, just a few houses and cafes on the east end of the lakes. There was a scenic bridge which we crossed with our bikes.

To Soline

Heading down to the bridge

Views

Cycle paths

Views

Signs

Dean rolls the bikes up the dedicated bike ramp 

Now on the other side

Views

Bridge again

Next we arrived at Monastery Island and took some more photos. There is a sign with a flag. You wave the flag and a boat will come and pick you up and take you across to the island. We didn't try as we wanted to move on around the lake.

Monastery views

... and again

The flag

...with instructions

Next we arrived at the small bridge which separated the large lake from the small lake with a channel.

Small bridge

Small lake

Big lake

Not much to see there, so we cycled out of the park at the western end and arrived at the town of Pomena. This is where the ferries come in and out. It was really busy, in fact chaotic. We stopped for a coffee and then went back into the park. 

Pomena

We had almost circumnavigated the lake by this time and were getting peckish. It was getting on for lunchtime so we grabbed an omelette from the next cafe we arrived at. 

Selfie time

Lunch stop

Dean gets ready to move on again

Nice place to eat

Local boats held off shore with a long tree trunk

We headed back to Polace to get the bikes back before 2pm. Did some washing, and as the park tickets were still valid we got our hiking boots on and walked the 30 minute hiking trail back into the park! We hadn't intended to make an afternoon of it, but we got a bit carried away and ended up back at the lake. This time we took the larger ferry boat across to Monastery Island. I'm pleased we did that even though it wasn't all that spectacular, and the ice-cream we had was the smallest portion I've ever seen. We only stayed about an hour then ferried back to land. Dean fell asleep on the ferry, worn out.

Along the hiking trail. This is a Guvno. 

Something to do with grinding wheat.

Guvno facts

Cemetery up on the hillsides

Ferry arrival

Nearing the monastery

Looking over to the flag waving jetty

Obligatory chapel

Monastery grounds

Views

Another selfie

Stained glass windows inside the monastery

Inside

Pink flowers 

So after all of that we returned to Thesee at 5pm. A short rest then a few steps into our mooring restaurant for dinner. Tonight we both chose the Pork option. It was very very good. The food has been great at this little place. Well done Konoba Stella Maris. We will recommend you. 

Only a 2 day blog this time.

The next blog post will be called 'From Croatia to Montenegro'