Kornati National Park

The Kornati National Park is an archipelago of around 89 islands, islets and reefs in the central Adriatic, north of Šibenik and Murter. Almost all of them are uninhabited slabs of karst stone, bare and pale against the blue, and the park exists to protect that strange, sea-and-stone landscape. You can only reach it by boat.

Most visitors come on an organised boat tour from Murter, Zadar or Šibenik, or sail in on their own yacht. A typical day trip runs through the heart of the archipelago, past cliffs, ruined stone shelters and the shallow inlets where the occasional konoba serves fish, and there is a long viewpoint walk up to the cliffs that the boats stop for.

The Kornati are a destination for sailors and divers rather than beach-goers; there is little sand, the swimming is off rock, and the appeal is the emptiness and the geometry of the islands. The water is exceptionally clear.

For photographers, the wide views of pale stone islands fading into haze are the shot, best from the cliff top on Metonga or from the deck as the boat threads the channels. Take sun protection and food, as facilities on the islands are almost nil. Book the tour a day ahead in season.

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