Kornati Islands

Kornati Islands

The indented Croatian coast abounds with islands and islets and is ideal for sailing and exploring hidden bays. The main advantages of such bays are crystal clear turquoise sea, beautiful sandy beaches, and peace and quiet. Sometimes they are so untouched and picturesque that they resemble another planet or a movie scene. The Kornati Islands offer precisely such bays. The archipelago was named after the largest island, Kornat. The Kornati are special in appearance but also in the number of islets that make up the largest island group in the Mediterranean. Located south of Zadar and west of the city of Šibenik, the archipelago consists of eighty-nine islands, islets and rocks in the sea.

Meager vegetation, stone walls and the great purity and transparency of the sea are the characteristics of the Kornati Islands. This beauty became protected in 1980. when the Kornati acquired the status of a National Park. The once lush vegetation of the dense forests of holm oak was cut down during the time of the Illyrians due to the need for pastures and arable land. The exploitation of vegetation and grazing areas resulted in the islands becoming stone wastelands.

A trip to the Kornati is an ideal all-day activity if you are on vacation in Croatia in one of the villas in Šibenik or villas in Zadar. Most of the tours in addition to sightseeing in the Park include breakfast, lunch and breaks for swimming in several different bays. With a panoramic view of the island from the boat, the stone walls will immediately catch your eye. These walls were built to fence off properties so that grazing sheep do not go onto other people's property. All the walls were created exclusively by human hands without any machines, which makes them very valuable because they bear witness to the hardworking people of the harsh karst land. Today, sheep can still be seen grazing on the island. There are many olive groves in the Park that are still cultivated. Owners of properties in the Kornati are mostly residents of Murter.

Kornati crowns can also be best experienced by sightseeing from a boat. The crowns are actually cliffs facing the open sea, and were created due to cracking and erosion of the Earth's crust. Over the years, the processes of corrosion, erosion and abrasion have additionally carved out large surfaces that in some places, descend vertically over 90 m into the depths of the sea. The highest "crown" in the Kornati National Park is located on the island of Klobučar (82 m above sea level), and the longest on the island of Mana (1350 m).

After arrival in the Park, you can follow one of the two educational trails Trtuša or Vela Pinitula. You can learn about Kornati's geology, marine biology, geography, culture and tradition. Walking and hiking are certainly one of the islands' main activities, considering its appearance. There are no marked official paths or hiking trails, and since the properties are exclusively private, it is allowed to move only on already well-trodden roads and paths. You can take a walk to see the fortress of Tureta from Byzantine times and the nearby church of St. Mary. There are several viewpoints on the islands, and the greatest reward of the walk will be reaching the Metlina viewpoint on the island of Kornat. It is also the highest peak in the Kornati National Park.

When you want to rest or swim, visit the beautiful sandy beach of Lojena. It is located on the islet of Levrnaka. There are no restaurants on the beach itself, and there is very little natural shade. Since the entire Kornati archipelago is an ideal nautical destination, all gastronomic offers on the Kornati Islands are located in some of the popular and suitable for sailors bays. Restaurants no longer offer only a classic fish menu, such as fish prepared on the grill, but also tuna and cuttlefish carpaccio. If you are a fan of diving, then the Kornati will be the ideal location for you. The rich underwater world results from the extreme purity and transparency of the sea, due to which light enters into the sea deeper than in other places. Various fish, crabs, algae and corals will delight you. Corals are most numerous along cliffs and crowns that enter deep into the sea.

If you are on vacation in Šibenik or on vacation in Zadar, be sure to set aside one day to visit the Kornati. If you are still looking for villas in Croatia, take a look at HomeRent offer of luxury villas or holiday homes.