NP Kornati
"On the last day of creation, God wanted to crown his work and created the Kornati from tears, stars and spirit", Irish writer George Bernard wrote about the Kornati. In northern Dalmatia, where the most indented part of the Adriatic coast, is a labyrinth with 89 islands, islets and reefs. The islands in the Kornati National Park are divided into two series - Kornati and Piškerski of 216.78 km², and they were named after the largest Kornati. The Kornati Archipelago became a National Park in 1980.
You will see that the Kornati are bare, and the reason for this is the millennial use of these areas for pastures because the Kornati grew dense forests of holm oak and pine. The Kornati is private property and has only about 300 houses owned by residents of Murter. At the end of the 19th century, these Dalmatian peasants bought the islands and fenced the estates with dry stone walls. Dry stone walls are monuments to great human diligence, skill and patience. They often stretch from coast to coast. The reason is that sheep would not move to someone else’s property that still grazes freely on the islands and are part of a chain that preserves biodiversity
The island series is characterized by crowns that are the result of cracking and disintegration of the earth's crust and the processes of corrosion, erosion and abrasion.
The highest crown is 82 meters high on the island of Klobučar, and the longest is 1350 meters long on the island of Mana (where it is one of the most beautiful lookouts).
The highest peak of the Kornati is Metlina, 237 m, then Klobučar (80 m), Mani (65 m), Rašip Veliki (64 m), Obručan (50 m) and Piškeri (45 m).
The Kornati seabed is extremely clean and transparent because the light penetrates deeply, which is the result of a rich underwater world, and dolphins are often seen.
There is only one lighthouse on the Kornati, the Sisters of Tire, and in Mala Proversa there is a shoal dug for navigation in Roman times.
Today there are 20 bays where you can anchor and spend the night in untouched and magnificent nature. In these bays, there are taverns and restaurants where you can enjoy: fish, lobster and lobster, squid, cuttlefish and octopus, shellfish and the unique Kornati lamb. All dishes are prepared in an old-fashioned way, under the oven and on the grill, with spices that grow on the Kornati at your fingertips.
