TODAY MLJET

SALT LAKES AND NATIONAL PARK

The next stop on this relaxing island-hopping adventure through the Dalmatian Islands with the small ship luxury cruise line, Unforgettable Croatia, was Mljet, a roughly 23-mile long island off the Peljesac Peninsula. After a swim in the blue waters of the Adriatic, we docked at Pomena, the port of call for all pleasure ships. We had our dinner on the Infinity while in port. Later we went ashore for a drink. 

There were several similar boats like our Infinity moored at the swim site and we all made for Mljet at roughly the same time. For a while there were three ships side-by-side and it looked like a race for the port. I’m not sure if it was a race, but the first one at the dock is the last to leave the next day. Not sure if chatter between the boats was about who’ll be first in the port or not, but three of the four boats were all run by our cruise line and the last was from another. It looked like our captain was edging this competitive cruise line out of the way when he took a course that came very close to an islet that forced this ship that was neck and neck with us to slow. For awhile our bow was aimed directly at the islet and a number of the top deck passengers started jokingly muttering “iceberg!”

 

Channel between two lakes in Mljet

Pomena is yards away from the Mljet National Park, but to get there by bike we had to climb a hill on a well-traveled road for about 1.4 kilometers and then descend into the park via a steep gravelly road. We rented bikes in port, but could have rented them at the entrance of the park and avoided these treacherous hills. Kayaks and canoes are available for hire as well. It’s a five-mile course around the two salt lakes, Veliko Jezera and Malo Jezera. Our entrance to the park got us a boat ride to the Monastery of St. Mary located on an islet in Veliko Jezera, the larger of the two lakes, but we opted to just ride the bikes around. You can swim anywhere you find a spot that’s suitable in either of the lakes, but a lot of people seemed to congregate in a channel between the two lakes. Some rode the surprisingly swift current for the 100 feet stretch that emptied into Malo Jezera and did it several times. We opted to try out our newly purchased water shoes, a must for the rocky beaches of Croatia, at a small “beach” for a short time, but never really swam. 

"swimmig" in Mljet National Park

The National Park was very beautiful and peaceful and is located on the northern half of the island.

  

There is evidently good diving off Mljet and in caves in the lake area. There was a dive shop in Pomena. We poked our head in, but never inquired about a trip. We really never have time on such trips unless we arranged everything before arriving.

MLJET DIVING

Monastery of St. Mary, Mljet NP

After dinner on board the Infinity a number of passengers stopped in one of the many Konobas that lined the port for some grappa, wine and beer. It began to rain and we were thankful that our ship was the first in port. The next day the Infinity set her sights on Korcula, the supposed birthplace of Marco Polo.

Thanks for reading.