Kornati National Park

The great Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw experienced the wild, rugged natural beauty of the Kornati Islands embraced within Croatia’s northern Dalmatian archipelago and came away so impressed he penned a famous line that’s often quoted: “On the last day of creation, God desired to crown his work, and thus created the Kornati Islands out of tears, stars and breath.” It’s a romantic expression from a writer with a way with words, but the description and the sentiment behind it are nevertheless accurate. The 147 islands, islets, and rocks that comprise Kornati National Park (established in 1980) are situated in some of the clearest water in the world, jewels of the Adriatic Sea. They are so close together in places the effect is maze-like, in spite of the fact that the park covers more than 100 square miles. As you experience sailing in the Kornati Islands -- the stark beauty of the sheer cliffs, barren landscape, and secluded coves – it’s difficult to imagine that civilization is nearby.

Yachting in the Kornati Islands is exceptional. There are no towns and only marinas at Piskera and Murter islands. There is also a good marina at Zut Island, outside the park to the north. Mostly, though, sailing in the Kornati Islands is about experiencing and appreciating Nature in an almost desert-like setting. In spite of an average of 115 rainfall days per year, the limestone composition of the islands and the sparse red soil encourage little in the way of vegetation. The northeast side of Kornati Island, the largest in the group, is the exception with vineyards, olive and fig groves, and citrus orchards. Holm oak also grows on the island. Elsewhere in the park, you’ll see scrub and grasses. That is part of the appeal, the incredible land- and seascape that unfolds as you sail in an unspoiled wilderness of stone and sea.

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