The Kornati National Park is located between the Šibenik Riviera and Zadar Riviera. The outstanding natural beauty of this archipelago is the reason for the majority of this area being protected as a natural park in 1980.
Kornati is a true paradise for sailing enthusiasts and divers.
The Irish writer Georg Bernard Shaw poetically described the island chain: "On the last day of the Creation God desired to crown his work, and thus created the Kornati Islands out of tears, stars and breath."
Kornati certainly deserve such a description thanks to their timeless beauty. This beauty can only be seen by a seagoing vessel which is why nautical tourism thrives and dominates in this area. If we sail to Kornati from the high seas, we first gaze upon the high rocky cliffs dropping down into the deep sea. The most magnificent of these reach 60 to 80 metres high. Avid sailors are thrilled by the sea channels between the islands where we can drop anchor and enjoy swimming in the crystal clear waters.
Kornati are famed as a diver's paradise. This part of Kornati is additionally protected because of the riches found in its undersea world. Even if you are not a diver, you will be able to enjoy these underwater riches using an ordinary diving mask and snorkel.
The Piškera marina is located on the KornatIsland, which is the largest in Kornati. There are also several smaller settlements on the island with restaurants as well as own moorings and anchor buoys. It is a place where we can enjoy the magnificent unspoilt nature and excellent seafood cuisine.
When we disembark at one of the Kornati islands, we can go on hikes around the island and reach the top where amazing vistas open up of the entire archipelago. There are miles of dry stone (drystack) walls on the islands. These are stone walls that were built by hand and without binding material using stone from the island in order to mark boundaries between estates. If we were to measure the length of all of these walls that drop down vertically from the top of the island, we would come to a length of up to as much as 70 kilometres of walls on a single island.
Sheep and goats graze on the islands which further adds to the romantic feel of your experience.
The Kornati National Park is mostly inhabited in the wintertime these days. In the period from April to October, we mostly find many small stone-built settlements with moorings and restaurants serving sailing guests.
The most interesting traces of island life as it used to be can be seen on Kornat Island where the Tureta Byzantine fort from the 6th century is located. The old Christian Church of Our Lady of Tarca from the 16th century is located at the base of the island. One of the more interesting events on the island is the procession of boats, which start from Murter Island and proceeds towards the Church of Our Lady of Tarca on the first Sunday in July.