Kornati National Park and Telašćica Nature Park

The Kornati archipelago lies off the coast of Croatia. I visited it on a full-day boat tour from Zadar (I actually believe that visiting the archipelago is the only reason for staying overnight in Zadar. This city is not worth more than a short stop to tick the Venetian work of defense and listen to the very cool maritime organ.).

In the nomination file, Croatia put emphasis on the unique geology and high biodiversity of the archipelago to justify inscription. It contains many impressive karst features such as caves and cliffs. These result from the high tectonic activity of the area. The highest and most impressive cliffs are located in the Telašćica Nature Park. Most of the Kornati islands are small round and bare islands. According to the nomination file, the parks contain high numbers of floral and marine species. Dolphins, birds and bats are also mentioned. One of the most interesting features is the Mir Lake, a salted lake (saltier than the sea!) located atop of Telašćica's cliffs, resulting from a sunken karst depression. The sea bottom landscape is also emphasized as being unique in the nomination.

It's easy to book tours in the islands on the docks of Zadar. Everyone seem to offer slightly the same thing. I think it's also possible to visit from Šibenik, but I don't think Telašćica is included in these as it is much farther away. I booked a full-day tour for 350 Kunas. My tour started by a shot of …