One day boat excurios - Three charming islands - Levrnaka (Kornati/ Lojena beach), Mana (Kornati/ cliff jumping) and Ugljan

SIGHTS, NATURAL WONDERS & ATTRACTIONS 

The Kornati archipelago, as a separate and special island group located between the islands of Šibenik and Zadar, covers an area of about 320 km2 and includes about 150 land units, permanently or often located above the sea. The archipelago makes up 12% of all the islands of the Croatian Adriatic – 1264 islands, of which 67 are inhabited. It has long attracted the attention of sailors, divers, mountaineers and other nature lovers.

The average area of the Kornati island is only 0.55 km2, but it should be taken into account that Kornat (32.5 km2) and Žut (14.8 km2) occupy about 70% of the mainland. If we add Piškera, Levrnak, Lavsa and Sita, we get 88% of the total land area of the Kornati archipelago (69,452,963 m2). Only nine islands are larger than one square kilometer, and 76 of them are less than one hectare.

Kornati National Park covers most of the Kornati waters. Due to the exceptional landscape beauty, interesting geomorphology, extremely indented coastline, as well as the rich communities of the underwater ecosystem, the islands were declared a national park in 1980. Nowhere in the world is there such a fascinating, branched, stone labyrinth of islets as the one within the Kornati National Park. This archipelago is known as the most indented archipelago in the entire Mediterranean.

The appearance of Kornati was influenced by many factors. The islands have been developing for many years, and their beauty is that they are actually still being formed. They are shaped by the bora wind, the sun and the sparse vegetation. Throughout history, the human hand has certainly had an additional influence.

The most impressive part of the Kornati landscape are the steeps that rise on the sides of the islands facing the open sea, like those on the island of Mana. However, the National Park does not only covers islands, but also the sea waters, which are extremely valuable and rich. Flora and fauna include 300 different species of algae, hundreds of species of corals, mollusks, polychaetas, crustaceans, fish, dolphins, turtles and other organisms. Extremely important is the seagrass Posidonia, a Mediterranean endemic plant that grows only in the clear sea. This plant is often called the "lungs of the sea", and many organisms grow and develop with it, which it provides a habitat for.

Levrnaka Island - is a beautiful, uninhabited island in the Kornati archipelago. Its area is 1.84 km² and the length of the coastline is 10,206 km. On the southwest side of the island is Lojena beach. It is a picturesque bay with white pebble shore and sandy sea bottom.  The water here is turquoise blue and almost reminiscent of the Caribbean. A short hike to the island’s 110-meter-high elevation is also recommended. From up here you can enjoy a magnificent view.

Mana island - is certainly one of the most unusual islands you will ever see. It has the longest (1350m) vertical cliffs in the Kornati islands. The view from the 65m high rocks is spectacular. For the 1959 film, a traditional Greek village set was created on a hill. The remains of the stone buildings fit perfectly into the local landscape and are one of the most frequently photographed motifs on Kornati.

Ugljan Island - The island of Ugljan covers 71km2 and is separated from the coast by the Zadar Canal (2-5 km wide). From Zadar to the island practically every hour there are ferries and passenger ships - it is the busiest ferry line in the entire Adriatic, there is no other island in Croatia with a better connection to the mainland.

Ugljan is called the green gardens of Zadar because many residents of the city have their summer houses, gardens, fields and olive groves here. Olives have been grown in this place at least since the times of the Illyrians and the process of pressing oil is specific (olives are soaked in seawater). In Roman times, there was a large port here, from which oil was transported to various corners of the empire.

In addition to plantations, the island is covered with pine forests and thickets of Mediterranean maquis.

Among the lush vegetation, there are old Croatian churches, monasteries, island stone buildings and holiday villas from ancient times.

The northern parts of the island are inhabited, here are the main, traditional fishing towns, while the southern coast is practically untouched and wild, offering plenty of picturesque bays and hidden beaches with crystal clear water and beautiful views.

Ugljan and the neighbouring islands create ideal conditions for cycling, you can discover here many semi-wild roads in uninhabited areas, where only nature, wonderful views and the blue colour of the sea and cloudless sky await cyclists.

Ugljan is connected to the neighbouring island of Pašman by a bridge under which our ship passes on the way to the Kornati.

Kukljica – a small (7km2), traditional fishing village at the isthmus between the two islands of Ugljan and Pašman.

The centre of Kukljica is located around a large bay, in which there is a fishing port, a yacht marina and part of the beaches of the tourist resort Zelena Punta. Along the coast runs a walking promenade planted with palm trees, flowers and agaves, where there are numerous restaurants and cafes.

Kukljica is a fantastic place for shorter walks on comfortable paved roads and pedestrian paths by the sea (called riva), and for long trips on gravel roads and paths among forests, olive groves and Mediterranean maquis.

The main beach stretches along the peninsula of Zelena Punta, and the two smaller Pod Debra and Gnojšće are at the edges of the central part of the village.

Outside the building area (approx. 1km), on the southern uninhabited coast, there is the most famous and most beautiful local beach - Velika Sabuša (ideal for children) and two wild bays Mala Sabuša and Jelenica. Kukljica also has one sandy beach, on the northern coast – Kostanj.

During the stopover, you will be able to take a swim at Zelena Punta coast. This beach is open to the public, with concrete platforms and partly a pebble beach, the water is shallow at the shore, but quickly gets deep, and the sea bottom is pebble and rocky. In one place, the concrete platform is sprinkled with sand - it is a place prepared for the smallest children. Here there is a slide to the sea. The whole cape is covered with forest, so anyone who has enough sun can relax in the shade. The platforms by the sea are partially shaded. On the beach, there is a beach bar, children's playground, mini-golf, tennis tables, trampoline, and obstacle course on the water. You can rent sun loungers and water equipment such as kayaks, and pedal boats.

Who does not want to swim in the sea can go sightseeing. It is enough to go deeper into the narrow streets to see old stone houses with traditional Dalmatian architecture, the parish church dedicated to the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle built-in 1666 (on the site of an earlier temple from 1385) or the adjacent old cemetery where the dead were originally buried under a stone floor in the courtyard.

An interesting fact is, preserved to this day (for over 500 years!), the tradition of celebrating the largest local holiday - Our Lady of the Snows, on August 5. It begins with a solemn Holy Mass in the church in the bay of Ždrelaščica (we pass it on the way to the Kornati), to which the faithful arrive by ships (anyone can board), scooters, bicycles or on foot. After the mass, the statue of the Virgin Mary with the child arrives in a great sea procession to Kukljica and is transferred to the church of St. Paul, where it remains for a whole month.

In recent years, the village has become the main gastronomic centre for guests resting on the islands of Ugljan, Pašman and on yachts moored nearby. There are 6 restaurants, 5 cafes, a pastry shop and a beach bar (drinks). You can choose from a full range of dishes from delicious soups, pasta, and pizza from the oven (Terazza and Ciao Ciao restaurant) through handmade ćevapćicie (Ciao Ciao) to traditional meat, fish and seafood dishes in konoba Udica and konoba Stari Mlin.

For sweets lovers, the obligatory address is the Hajduk pastry shop (ice cream, iced coffee, waffles, cakes, Balkan baklava) and a pancakes stand.

An hour's stop in Kukljica is not enough to take advantage of everything that the village offers, but you can always come back here for another holiday...