During your stay in Villa Grandfather’s Courtyard, in Stankovci, you are on a perfect place to visit many nearby national parks. Make sure not to miss visiting Kornati National Park. The easiest way to reach Kornati Islands if by booking a boat excursion from Murter island.
Kornati National Park is situated at the Adriatic sea, in the northern part of Dalmatia. It belongs to Šibenin-Knin county and it is a bit south from Zadar and west from Šibenik. When speaking in nautical miles, it is ~15 nm from Zadar and Šibenik, and ~7 nm from Murter.
The Kornati Islands are a tranquil and minimalist archipelago, composed of more than 140 uninhabited islands covering an area of 114 square miles (300 sq. km). Most are part of the Kornati National Park. The scarcely habited lunar landscapes come to life with visitors arriving on yachts during the summer months. The terrain of the islands are awash with caves, cracks, cliffs, and grottoes.
According to the legend, God created Kornati on the last day of the creation of the world from some white rocks that were left in his hand and decided that nothing should be changed. Come and convince yourself of the exceptional grandeur of this natural miracle.
Completely car free, (there are no roads) and with no ferries bringing travelers to the islands, the only way to explore this natural wonder is by boat – which is precisely why the Kornati are your perfect secluded destination for sailing and yachting!
The placement of many long, thin islands, adjacent to each other creates a natural protection from the open sea, resulting in seemingly endless still water bays to drop anchor.
The islands whose shores are open to the sea, and amazing winds of the Bura, offer a dramatic contrast to the calm of the inner islands, with sheer cliffs and exposed terrain producing a stunning and wild beauty. The Karstic terrain of the islands, many which are barren of trees from the force of the Bura winds, presents a stark white contrast to the azure of the Adriatic.
Whether you choose hidden coves with white pebbles, small bays, islets or reefs, the gentle salt sea of the Adriatic will wash you in a sanctuary of pleasure.
Kornati National Park is called a “nautical paradise” thanks to its incomparable and unique beauty. Nacionalni park Kornati is an archipelago of 89 gorgeous islands, islets, and reefs in the northern part of Dalmatia, near Dugi Otok, Pašman, Murter, Zadar, and Šibenik.
The park has a true summer “olive climate”, warm with hot and dry summers, and some rain in the autumn. Fields, paths, and charming stone walls make Kornati National Park a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. There are no residents on the Kornati islands, making it a wild destination for exploring.
There are so many interesting things to see in Kornati and among them are:
Kornati pastures
- Kornati land owners burned pastures every few years to grow better grass for the sheep and goats raised on the land. Over the years, this led to poor, yet uncommon and otherworldly landscapes where few trees have risen. The islands of Kornati have an extraterrestrial look to them.
Eagle Owl
- The sova ušara (eagle owl) is a rare and endangered European species. It is a very attractive bird that lives in the Kornati islands. This endangered breeding bird is very rare in Europe, but they are still numerous on the Croatian coast and islands.
Kornati underseas
- For the ones who are interested in the underwater world, it is important to know that Kornati has 353 species of algae, 3 species of underwater flower plants, and 850 animal species. An endemic underwater flower plant, called Posidonia, lives in Kornati’s sea and is referred to as “the lungs of the sea” because it releases oxygen into the water. Kornati is a prime spot for snorkeling and scuba diving.
