Summer is at its peak, rivers made of thousands of cars flow on the highway to Dalmatia, the sun warms, occasionally burns. People go on vacation, but there are a lot of them, a lot of them, so the holidays are sometimes stressful, mostly at the beginning, until we settle down. When we catch the rhythm of enjoying the sea, walks and various forms of fun and entertainment, relaxation begins. But even then, due to the multitude of tourists, our senses are burdened with many faces, passing, eye contacts and brief encounters.
Even within a vacation there can be a stress, so there can even be vacation within vacation. Among other things, for the sake of such a vacation, we have protected some places on this planet from ourselves.
Island of Mljet
In the beautiful country of Croatia, some of the places represent the peaks of natural, aesthetic, biological and environmental value, so they are protected by the status of a national park. Each is special in its own way. In the area of southern Dalmatia, such a paradise is the island of Mljet, most of which is protected as national park. Like other national parks, it is usually visited as part of one-day excursion, when we get on a boat out of the hustle and bustle of tourist centres, calm begins, swaying on the waves that take us away from reality and closer to the sphere between dream and reality.
Excursions to Mljet can be realized from the entire belt from the Makarska Riviera to Dubrovnik. During the voyage we often meet dolphins, proof that we are entering a part of the Adriatic where man is only one of the species, and not the most interesting one. After docking in village Pomena, we are greeted by numerous fish that swim around the boats without fear. We walk through the forest, one of the most important elements of Mljet’s biodiversity, and come to the Big and Small Lake. In fact, these are bays that are connected to the open sea, and to each other by a two-three-meter narrow channel, through which water, depending on the tides, flows in one direction, and then in the opposite one.
Avaliable activities
Letting this “sea river” carry us while swimming in the “lakes” of Mljet is one of the experiences that will be remembered for the rest of our lives. Inside the lake is the island of St. Mary, with the monastery of the same name. The island can be reached by boat. Here we can find refreshment in the restaurant Melita which offers Mediterranean specialties in a unique ambience. In the park fishing is not allowed, but swimming is, as well as the use of recreational facilities such as bicycles and canoes that can be rented. We especially recommend the latter, rowing in pairs on the “lakes” surrounded by forest in the centre of the island is also an experience that is hard to forget. What remains in our memory is the mystique of this island. As most visitors visit the island only during one relatively short trip, they do not associate it with the banalities of everyday life, they do not buy potatoes or household items on it for example. All this, along with the rich variety of vegetation, leaves extra space for imagination, so the exotic is one of the main elements of the identity of this magical place.
An unusual animal species of the island – the mongoose – also contributes to the exotic. Man has settled this cute little animal on the island to control the once very large population of snakes. But after the snakes were all extinct, the mongooses switched to the hens of the native population. So, the mongoose after being the solution to the problem, became the problem.
Although for most it is one-day destination, Mljet can be a place of stay for several days, even a whole summer vacation. The only hotel on the island is the Odisej Hotel in Pomena. The total capacity however is far too small to create any crowd and anything else but peace and relaxation. In that peace, therefore, spend at least part of your vacation, your vacation from vacation. It will be the part that will take you far enough from everyday life, or even everyday tourism, so you can remember that there are other worlds besides yours, and that – diving into another world, is the purpose of every journey.
