Mljet Island

Mljet, the green pearl of the Croatian Adriatic islands is located only about 30 kilometers northwest of Dubrovnik. By ferry from Dubrovnik this only 100 km ² island is reachable within about an hour or for faster ride, try traveling from the nearby town of Ston. Mljet is almost entirely forested, also there are two salt water lakes, Veliko Jezero, the (Great Lake) and Malo Jezero (Small Lake). The water of both lakes is considerably warmer than the sea water- so a swim in the waters is a refreshing treat.

Odysseus Island- Mljet

According to legend, Mljet was the island on which the Greek hero Odysseus fell under the spell of the nymph Calypso and lived for seven years. The legendary Odysseus cave where he is said to have lived, is located south of Babino Polje, hidden in a cove. Visitors can enter the cave by either swimming there or walking on an approximately 2 km long path there on the north side. The cave – which is actally a grotto - is in fact a secret. Especially around noontime, the falling light conjures up a mystical atmosphere.

Mljet, the Green Island

In contrast to other, often barren Croatian islands, Mljet is covered by dense forests with tall trees. Gnarled oaks, aleppo pines and sweeping, fragrant laurel thrive well in the mild climate. You can also encounter vineyards, olive groves and lush green gardens in abundance. Next to the salt water lakes already mentioned, there are in Mljet karst lakes which have partly salt and partly fresh water. The Mljet  National Park founded in 1960 covers the western part of the island and is home to, among other things, mongoose, wild boar, hares and deer. Everywhere on the island there are hidden coves with wonderful sandy beaches to which the larger (and more famous) beaches of Pomena, Polace, Sobra, Okuklje and Ropa Saplunara are included.

Sites and Attractions

The largest settlement on the island is the town Babino Polje. Here you can visit the Rector's Palace from the 15th century and, in addition explore the many Renaissance buildings. Polace, the oldest settlement is built on the ancient ruins of a Roman palace dating back to the 5th century. The most beautiful sight is the Benedictine Monastery of St.. Mary from the 12th century which is located on the islet in the Great Lake. Today it houses a hotel. The small town of Babine Kuce has a picturesque location on the shores of the Great Lakes. The Prožurska Luka village was originally the fishing port of the Prozura village located on the Mljet channel and a ways landward. Today the village is especially interesting for tourists, also for fishing enthusiasts who come here from all over the world. Soline is situated directly at the foot of a mountain slope near the Great Lake. Other villages on Mljet are Blace, Kozarica and Maranovoci.

How to get there

The Odysseus Island of Mljet is easily accessible throughout the year through various ferry routes operated by different ship companies. The main arrival route is operated by the the Jadrolinija ferry service (route 832) between Prapratno (Peljesac) and Sobra (Mljet). The car ferry service operates five times a day and reaches their goal after 45 minutes. Another possibility to reach the island is by riding  the Jadrolinija company route number 101. This ferry connects Rijeka with Dubrovnik and stops on Tuesdays and Saturdays once a day in the port of Sobra. The approximately two hour trip to Dubrovnik is not cheap indeed, but it does do this long journey to the Pearl of the Adriatic directly and without any detours, which gives you ample enough time to marvel at the wonderfully scenic, varied regions of the coast and islands. Of course it is also possible to travel from Mljet out towards other ports. The port city of Split can be reached with a connection that takes about about eight hours of sailing and you can reach the city of Rijeka after a 20-hour night ride.

But not only Sobra is served by ferries – there are also routes from Polace that create links to interesting destinations in the area. The catamaran of the G & V ship company connects the island town once a day through route number 9807 with Ubli (Lastovo), Sobra (Mljet), Korcula, Luka (Sipan) and Dubrovnik. The farthest port- Dubrovnik- can be reached in 1 hour and 35 minutes.