Saplunara Mljet

Saplunara is a long sandy beach on the south-eastern tip of the island of Mljet, well away from the national park that covers the western third of the island, and it is one of the few genuinely sandy beaches in this part of the Adriatic. The beach sits in a pine-backed bay, with shallow, warm water over pale sand.

Because it lies outside the national park, Saplunara is quieter and less developed than the lakes and bays of the western end. The pine forest runs down to the back of the sand, there are a couple of small restaurants and accommodation in the handful of houses, and the walking is along the coast through the trees.

Mljet as a whole is the greenest of the larger Dalmatian islands, mostly forested, and the national park with its two saltwater lakes is the headline sight. Saplunara is the escape for those who want the sand and the pine shade without the park’s summer crowds.

For photographers, the pale sand against the pine and the clear shallow water are the shots, best in the morning. Reach Saplunara by road from the Sobra ferry port, and use it as the quieter counterpart to a national-park visit.

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