Mljet National Park

About this place

Mljet National Park covers the western part of the island of Mljet in southern Croatia, about 61 km northwest of Dubrovnik in a straight line. It was declared a national park on 11 November 1960 and covers about 53 square kilometres, along with a 500-metre belt of sea. At its heart are two saltwater lakes, Veliko Jezero, the Great Lake, and Malo Jezero, the Small Lake, linked to the sea by a narrow channel. In the middle of the Great Lake lies the small Isle of St Mary, with an old Benedictine monastery and a medieval church. Pomena, Polače and Goveđari are the park's villages. Dense pine forest wraps around the clear turquoise water, and the green hills are mirrored in the calm surface of the lakes. The stone monastery stands among the trees on its little island, and at Polače yachts moor among the stone houses. Visitors get around the lakes on foot or by hired bike and take a small boat across to St Mary's Island. Many swim in the lakes, which are warmer than the open sea. Fast ferries reach the island from Dubrovnik and Split in the summer season.