Dubrovnik

Mljet is one of bigger islands of the Southern Dalmatian coast. Although most of the population of the island live in the port town of Sobra located on the eastern part of the island, the port town of Polače is the entrance point to Mljet National Park. The originally Roman side of Mljet exchanged hands a number of times throughout history along with the Balkans and has been ruled by the Ottomans, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and so on, until it became a part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenians. Polače lies on the northern side of the island in a sheltered bay. The area isan important tourist attraction in the summer months, when a ferry is available from Dubrovnik to Polače. The area offers great fishing and sandy beaches perfect for swimming and all sorts of water sports.

Declared a natural reserve by the Croatian Parliament in 2006, the Lastovo archipelago is the eleventh natural reserve Croatia. Consisting of 44 islands, islets, shakes and reefs, the largest of them being Sučac and Lastovo, the group of islands covers 143 square kilometers of ocean and 53 square kilometers of land. Four major stone lighthouses illuminate its boundaries: Sučac, Glavat, Tajan and Struga. The breathtakingly beautiful natural reserve is filled with incredible landscapes, dense forests, rockycliffs, caves and a variety of indigenous plant and animal species. The Lastovo Archipelago is also rich in history and culture, and is home to a great number of historical churches, chapels and stone buildings with unique chimneys, as well as the Lastovo Carnival.

Like Hvar, Korčula lies on the foundations of a Hellenic colony. It is the historical and touristic hub of the Dubrovnik region as well as the birthplace of the famous explorer, Marco Polo. Korčula is renowned for itsfish bone shaped streets and its architecture which is a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance styles, the most famous of which is the Cathedral of St. Mark, home to the works of a number of great Italian artists. Korčula is also famous for its wonderful Mediterranean cuisine, which boasts great seafood as well as local flavors like Cukarin, Alongside the blessings of the ocean (mussels, angle, crabs), delightful forsakes, for example, Cukarin, Rožata and Klašun that are perfectly complimented by local wines such as Pošip, Plavac, and Rukatac. Close to the town of Korčula, there is the islet of Badija with its stone shorelines and a lovely Franciscan abbey, as well as a group of 20 uninhabited but easily accessible islets covered with thick shrubbery.

The name Mljet comes from the Greek “melite nesos” meaning “island of honey,” perfectly describing the beauty of the island. It is believed that the island is the legendary island of Ogygia –the lovely island where Calypso the nymph held Odysseus captive in Homer’s epic “The Odyssey” The Mljet was National Park lies on the western side of the island. The park was created in 1960 due to its dense flora with some thick forests on the southern side, the two salt water lakes with abundant sea life, especially crustaceans and indigenous planktons that have been the subject of a number of scientific studies.

Being the largest peninsula in Dalmatia, Pelješac carries the marks of numerous cultures that called it home throughout history. The historical towns of Ston and Mali Ston (meaning “little Ston”) are connected by the ancient Ston Walls, which were built to protect the peninsula from attacks from the mainland. Ston is famous for its oyster beds and an ancient salt quarry that is still operational today. The sunny climate and the rich soil of Pelješac has made it an abundant agricultural heaven throughout history, and the area has a great tradition of winemaking, olive and olive oil production and the cultivation of fruits and vegetables. In any restaurant in Pelješac you will dependably observe dried figs and best quality olive oil on the table as well as the famous oysters from local oyster beds matched with great local wines such as Postup and Dingač. The bay of Kobaš, with a sandy shoreline and its own marina, is deservedly celebrated among the sailing community.