Kornati Archipelago, Croatia

In the middle part of the Croatian Adriatic is the largest archipelago in the Mediterranean - the Kornati archipelago. It consists of a group of large, small and miniature islands, spread over a sea area of ​​320 sq. km. The clear, intense blue waters of the Kornati are home to about 20% of all corals still surviving in the Mediterranean, which are threatened by sudden changes in seawater temperatures at these depths. For this reason, the Kornati archipelago has been turned into a National Park. 89 islands and their surrounding waters cover an area of ​​220 square kilometers. area. One-day excursions are offered in the park, but it is worth spending the night. The attraction is the offered holiday type "Robinson Crusoe" - a week in a hut without electricity and water.
At first glance, the islands look too harsh and inhospitable because of the imposing vertical cliffs perched on their shores. It was these rocks, called "crowns", that gave the archipelago its name and became a symbol of Kornati. The landscape of the Kornati archipelago is so impressive that when George Bernard Shaw visited this part of the Adriatic in 1929, his great touch made him hyperbolize to describe what he saw. He says, "On the last day of Creation, God wanted to crown His creation, and so He created the Kornati Islands from tears, stars, and breath." From the Kornati archipelago you should not miss to visit the "longest crown" - the island of Mana, the "highest crown" - the island of Klobucar, as well as the natural phenomenon of shop hiding near Kravjacitsa.
In addition to impressive landscapes, nature has taken care to endow Kornati with an extremely rich underwater world. In addition, history has also taken care of the appearance of the islands, endowing them with many historical and architectural values ​​that testify to the human presence since the Neolithic era - stone walls, small churches, stone houses, salt pans.
Undoubtedly one of the main landmarks of the Kornati archipelago is the Church of Our Lady of Tarka, dating from the XVI century. It is located on the jagged rocky coast of the sparsely populated island of Kornat, 18 nautical miles from the northern coast of Dalmatia in Croatia. Despite its remoteness, tourists definitely note to visit it at the beginning of the season. One tradition - the writing in the book next to the door and kneeling in front of the altar and the ancient wooden statue of St. Anthony, suggests to the visitor that he will be protected from storms and other dangers.
It is said that when you reach Kornati, you have left civilization behind. None of the 140 or so pale karst islands and islets have permanent residents or villages. Outside the reach of telephone networks, these pure ultramarine waters offer relaxation from the outside world.