The northern end of the island is National Park and was the area we spent all our time in. They charge for anchoring in the park area or if you tie to a restaurant you get off the fee. The other alternative is to get tickets for the National Park and then you get a nights anchoring free as well. 600kn for one night or the park tickets were 125kn each – we had 5 of us.

Polace

National Park and Salt Lakes

Mljet has two large saltwater lakes in the park. They are warmer than the sea and more buoyant. You can walk around the paths or cycle then catch a boat to a little island which was a monastery. It is a very beautiful and peaceful area. We met another bunch of kiwis there and really enjoyed the lake. Loved the little chapel and the donkey house

Santa Maria Island and Monastery

After viewing the Monastery we were all on for a swim. The water was beautiful.

Soline

On walking further around the lake you can get to where it empties to the sea and a little fishing village where we had lunch. Very cute.

Further down the path you get to the fence which was put in to stop all the rubbish washing into the park from the sea. It is a double fence full of rubbish on the middle and on the seaward side. You can see they have opened the gates in the middle as the channel seems to have shifted. Interestingly there is about a one knot current through the channel, probably due to the difference in temperature and salinity of the water outside and outside the park.

Pomona

Went to this town to pick up the next lot of guests – Jan & Jeremy.

Then off for a look at Odysseus cave. The anchoring required a stern line to the cliff as quite deep and steep . Hew was getting his exercise.

All of us swam into the cave except Hew. 

Up anchoring was interesting when the anchor stuck and the bow roller broke!!! for a few minutes we thought we might have a major problem but eventually the anchor came free and Hew & pals decided on replacing with the spare roller in the bracket as an interim measure.

Following the cave we headed off to the next island – Lastovo.