Croatia – Sailing the Dalmation Islands Part 2

The Boat and The Crew

Otok Lastovo

We moored at Zaklopaticea, one of the most picturesque bays in Lastovo. It is a little bay on the northern part of Lastovo coastline. The bay is lined with villas and houses and has a small selection of restaurants, konobas and cafes. Indeed, it is one of Lastovo’s best-kept secrets and a favourite safe-haven for sailors. We bought fresh fish and Lobster from a local fisherman and barbecued it onshore.

Pomena, Otok Mljet

Pomena is a small harbour village located at the west end of Mljet Island and has about 50 permanent inhabitants. Being the main entry point to the Mljet National Park, the town is a popular tourist destination. Nowadays there is a hotel, a couple of restaurants and cafes, grocery and souvenir shops. As well as being a picturesque harbour it is a safe anchorage for boats. Hence we chose to stay at Pomena for a couple of nights.

On the first night, Ilija organised a feast of roast goat delivered to the boat. It was the most tender and tasty goat I have ever eaten in Croatia, or anywhere for that matter. The next day we visited the national park. We walked around segments of the two saltwater lakes marvelling at the two deep bays which are vividly blue/green. Eventually, we caught a boat out to visit the old church, monastery and the Roman ruins. Constructed in the 12th century, the Benedictine monastery and Church of Saint Mary sits on the tiny Isle of Saint Mary.

Dubrovnik

Inclement weather was due to arrive in two days; therefore, we only stayed one night in Dubrovnik. However, we had arrived early in the day, and we had plenty of time to explore Old Town that afternoon. As long as we left early the next morning, we could make it to our next stop before the bad weather arrived.

We jumped into a couple of ‘Grab’ cars and headed to see the ancient old town of Dubrovnik. Anastasia started playing the theme song to Game of Throne in the car, and it was thus forth stuck in my head as I wandered the streets of this medieval city. I am a Game of Thrones fan. However, the fact that Old Town Dubrovnik is the filming location of King’s Landing had little to do with our visit, or indeed with the fascination and excitement, I felt.

Being from the relatively newly settled countries of Australia/New Zealand, I am absolutely stunned by being able to walk in the steps of the many that had walked before me; particularly when you think that 1000’s of years have passed. We walked the wall, and the views were spectacular – the city below, a maze of old buildings, and the wall itself… spellbinding.

Ston

Ston was not initially, one of our planned stops. Unfortunately, or perhaps, fortunately, we were slowed down by an unscheduled stop to remove a sheet of plastic that had become wrapped around one of the propellors. Therefore, we were not going to be able to reach our original destination before the bad weather hit. Consequently, a decision was made to head towards Ston, a gorgeous, tranquil little harbour. We were able to berth at a small wharf near a restaurant that, we discovered, had delicious pork goulash on the menu.

The next day the weather was windy and wet, and we organised through the restaurant, a car and driver to take some of us to Mostar. However, before we ventured across the border to Bosnia, we went into the town of Ston, where we saw the salt lakes and the Ston Wall. Ston wall is the second longest wall in the world, behind only the Great China Wall. It was built to protect the salt mines. It is hard to believe that salt was so valuable, however, if you think about what salt allowed people 1000’s of years ago to achieve, it is really not so far-fetched. Remember, salt allowed people to preserve food. Which, before refrigeration, made salt more significant than dangling gold from your wrist!

Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Tourists flock to Mostar’s old town to see Stari Most (literally ‘Old Bridge’). Also known as Mostar Bridge, Stari Most is a rebuilt 16th-century Ottoman bridge. The Old Bridge, destroyed by Croat paramilitary forces on 9 November 1993, was rebuilt using traditional materials and building techniques and reopened on 23 July 2004.

We wandered through the cobblestone lanes of Old Town, admiring the beautiful copperware and trinkets for sale. Upon reaching Stari Most, we watched one of the famous ‘bridge divers’ brave the icy waters for the entertainment of the gathered tourists. After which, we proceeded to cross the very steep, slippery bridge. On the other side of the bridge, we browsed through more gift shops and stopped to enjoy a plate of cevapi for lunch.

Korčula, Otok Korčula

Korčula is a historic fortified town on the east coast of the island of Korčula. The earliest signs of life on this island date back to the Mesolithic era (middle stone age) and it is believed that the Illyrians arrived in approximately 1000 BCE.

Old Town Korčula sits on a small peninsula encircled by lofty walls. An interesting fact about Korčula is that building outside the walls was forbidden until the 18th century. Therefore, it is inside the walls, you will find many historical sites, including the Cathedral of St Mark and the alleged birth house of Marco Polo.

We paid the small fee to climb to the bell tower of St Mark’s Cathedral. The view from the tower is excellent. You really get an idea of the layout of the town.

Stari Grad, Otok Hvar

This was one of my favourite stops. Stari Grad which means “Old Town’ is aptly named, as it is one of the oldest towns in Europe and the oldest town in Croatia. Like Korcula, Stari Grad has evidence of human occupation dating back to the Mesolithic era. Stari Grad’s social evidence throughout millennia includes Illyrian, Greek and Roman. When we first arrived, Anka, Luka and I set off to explore Old Town. As we wandered the convoluted lanes, we stumbled across the Pharos Archaeological Site. This site has clear evidence of ancient buildings, including a church with Baptistery.

Split

We arrived back in Trogir the night before we were to depart the boat because some of our crew were leaving early in the morning. Therefore, we spent the last night in Trogir. We hadn’t had a chance to stop in Split, so Dwayne, Anka and I drove there to take a look. We wandered along the main road and the promenade, before visiting the Doiceclian Palace. This was very interesting. The palace is over 1700 years old, and once again, wandering the narrow lanes, steeped in history, walking where once others have walked hundreds of years ago, was exhilarating.

We had dinner in an obscure place down a narrow lane. Dwayne met a famous Croatian photographer, and I found, what is now, one of my most favourite statues – Gregory of Nin.

So that was our two weeks exploring Croatia’s Dalmation Coast. Dwayne, Ilija, Lipa and I, went on to explore Plitvice Lakes, Rastoke, and Zagreb. If you want my opinion, Croatia should be on your bucket list. It is stunning. The scenery ranges from dramatic to quaint, and its history is extensive and interesting.

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