Kornati

Kornati National Park

"On the last day of creation, God wanted to crown his work and created Kornati from tears, stars and breath". A better description of this magnificent stone fleet floating in the middle of the Adriatic is hard to imagine, but Kornati is a spectacular place where nature was very imaginative.

Kornati or the Kornati Islands are the most distinct exact group in the Adriatic, numbering 150 islands and islets, and within the boundaries of the Kornati National Park there are 89 islands, islets and rocks that are rightly called the most beautiful sea labyrinth.

Island of Žut

Žut is one of the islands of the Kornati archipelago. Hiljača, Sarušćica, Bizikovica, Golubovac, Žešnja, Podražanj, Strunac and others line up along its steep and very indented coast, providing a Robinson atmosphere and possible shelter for small fishing boats and small sailboats.

There are no permanent settlements on this island covered with olives, figs and vines, but during the year various fishermen and shepherds, olive growers and fig pickers from the island of Murter occasionally stay here. Since Kornati is a nautical paradise, this place is ideal for everyone who comes on vacation with their own or rented boat, because the sea around Žut, as well as the entire Kornati archipelago, is the best place for water sports.

Telaščica Nature Park

Telašćica Nature Park is located on the southeastern part of Dugi otok, and with the surrounding water area and 13 islands, islets and rocks, it forms a wonderful harmony of nature. The park is also a refuge for the island's donkeys, of which there are 14 today, and which roam freely in the Mir bay area.

The park is characterized by three phenomena:

Telašćica Bay, one of the safest, most beautiful and largest natural harbors on the Adriatic, with 6 islands and rocks, 25 coves and 69 km of indented coastline, is an attractive anchorage for many sailors.
Dugootočki's steep "rock" rises up to 200 m above the sea, and descends vertically to the sea up to 90 m. Numerous birds nest here, such as the peregrine falcon or Eleonora's falcon.
Salt lake "Mir" with healing mud is the habitat of an endemic species of eel called "caiman".

Island of Mana

If you have ever explored the magical Kornati archipelago, you surely remember the island of Manu in particular. This uninhabited islet is just over 4 kilometers long, and is best known for its impressive film location where the German blockbuster 'As the Sea Rages' was shot in 1959, starring the brilliant Maria Schell!

Those who do not know the story of Mana will be amazed at the unusual buildings on top of the uninhabited hill. Although they look like the remains of an abandoned village, these ruins are really part of a movie set. They were built in the 50s of the last century to simulate the scenography of a fishing village somewhere in Greece, and although the residents of Kornati at the time were quite dissatisfied with the film crew that left their mark on this islet, these ruins together with impressive cliffs and incredible vistas today make Mana one of the most special Croatian islands.

Kornati crowns

The longest "crown" above sea level is on the island of Mana (1350 m), and the highest on the island of Klobučar (82 m). Of course, the "crowns" also extend under the sea. The deepest "crown" is located on the island of Piškera (over 90 m).

The crowns begin with the island of Pular in the southeast, stretch on land and in the sea through the islands of Kasela, Kolobučar, Lavsa, Veliki and Mali Škanj, Velika and Mali Panitula, Piškera, Veliki and Mali Rašip, Mana, Borovnik, Balun, Mrtvač, Veliki and Mali Obručan and they end on the southwest side of Dugi otok at Cape Lopata. The length of all crowns on the Kornati part of the archipelago is about seven kilometers, while the length of the Kornati coastline is about 307 km. There are many shoals, headlands and coves on such a long coastline. Special attention is drawn to garmas - steeply cut coves eroded by the action of the sea.

Lojena beach

Lojena beach is the only real natural sandy beach in Kornati. This beautiful beach is located in a bay cut deep into the land on the southwest coast of the island of Levrnak.

Lojena is covered with white pebbles in the middle of the bay, along the coast it is rocky and the seabed is covered with silvery sand. On the entire island of Levrnaka, there are only two small restaurants for sailors on the opposite coast of the island.

Brežuljak nad Lojen is a viewpoint with a fantastic view of the beach and the other Kornati islands nearby and is worth a visit. The path to the hill is easily accessible, so with a light walk you are at the top in no time.

Magazine shale

Magazin's shale is located on the eastern side of the island of Kornati, it is an inclined slab measuring 130m x 70m that was formed in the recent geological past by a landslide of the upper limestone layer. There are several legends about it, one of which says that the Great Plate was created at the time when the arena in Pula was being built. The builders decided to cover the arena and found a suitable board in Kornat. However, the board slipped irreversibly into the sea during extraction. Another story mentions that it was brought by fairies so they could dance on it during rough seas. Dancing, they offer their love to mortals, and whoever rejects them turns into a stone flower and sinks into the sea like an underwater rock.

Fortress Tureta

The Tureta fortress is the most significant fortress from the Byzantine era on the Kornati islands. It is located on the island of Kornat and probably dates from the 6th century when it was presumably built for military purposes (to protect the coast and control navigation in that part of the Adriatic).

It was built on the hill above Tarac, apparently in the 6th century. st., the fortress of Tureta, whose military crew ensured safe navigation through the Kornati Canal. Tureta is the only fortress from that time on the Adriatic that has not been destroyed, apparently because it was located in a place without settlements, so the population did not reach for its stone.

The island of Sestrica Vela lighthouse

The Tajer lighthouse on the island of Sestrica Vela is 15 nautical miles south of Zadar, a mile from Dugi otok and Kornati, on the edge of the Kornati National Park and the Telašćica Nature Park.

The well-maintained pier on Sestricia vela is located on the north side of the island, in the windward direction. The stone embankment was built by Austria-Hungary. From the pier to the lighthouse is a ten-minute walk through a century-old conifer forest. The lighthouse building is surrounded by spacious stone terraces that offer an attractive view all the way to the heights of the Dinaric Mountains. To the west are the cliffs of Telašćice, and the southern horizon is a desolate open sea.

Church of Maria of Tarac

In one of the most beautiful national parks of Croatia, Kornati, on the island of Kornat, there is a church dedicated to Our Lady of the Pilgrimage, which the people call Gospa od Tarca, located in Tarca bay. This modest one-nave sacral building, dedicated to Mary's birth, was built in the 17th century, on the main nave of the early Christian basilica from the 6th century, and it is believed that it was built partly from the remains of the old basilica. Due to its dimensions (20x13m), it is believed that the old early Christian basilica could not have served only the local believers because no traces were found that so many people lived in that settlement that would be served by such a large church. Therefore, there is a belief that it was a refuge for sailors who waited for more favorable winds for sailing the Adriatic in the sheltered bays of Šipnat, Levrnaka or Telašćica.

Church of the Holy Cross

The construction of the church on Grba hill, Murterini - the owners of Žut, began at the beginning of the 20th century as a sign of gratitude for the successful repayment of the property purchased back in 1888.

Construction work was interrupted at the beginning of World War I, in 1914. Thanks to the will and efforts of Žutar - the owner of the property and numerous donors, the construction of the church continued in 2010, and it saw its completion in September 2011.

CHURCH OF MARY'S NATIVITY

In the time of Venetian Republic on the island Piškera was built a single – nave curch with Gothic elements. It was sanctified in 1560. The curch was resored and is used even today. Every last Saturday in July curch services are held.

ACI Marina Piškera

Position: It is located between the islands of Pišker and Panitula vela, on the northern coast of the island of Panitula vela. The marina provides good protection from storms, but slightly less from winds from the south.

Moorings: 150 berths in the sea

Facilities: Reception, currency exchange, restaurant, telephone, sanitary facilities (toilet, showers), supermarket, water connection, electricity connection

ACI Marina Žut

Position: It is located on the northeastern coast of the island of the same name, in Podrazanj bay. For strong storms, the mooring on the eastern side of the marina jetty is recommended, while for strong southerly winds, the moorings on the western side of the jetty are much more comfortable.

Moorings: 120 berths in the sea