Mljet Island & Zaton Bay: Paddler's Paradise

Trip Details

Trip Length: 8 days/7 nights: 4 nights Mljet Island/ 3 nights Zaton Bay/ Days 1 & 8 are transit days/tour starts at 3 PM Day 1 & finishes early Day 8
Arrival/Departure Point: Dubrovnik
Accommodations: Mljet Island and Zaton Bay guest house rooms with private bathrooms, towels & linens, and A/C. Guesthouses are chosen for their character, friendly owners, and home-cooked meals. Mljet Island accommodations are remote/ Zaton Bay accommodations have easy access to shops and restaurants
Tour Inclusions: 7 nights accommodation, kayak, snorkeling, & SUP gear, instruction, guiding, airport & ferry transfers, all meals except day 6 dinner & day 7 lunch (dependent on choice of activity)
Tour Price*: € 1760 - Includes 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 6 dinners

Single Supplement: additional € 260

2025 Departure Dates: May 13 / Jun 23 / Sep 16 / Oct 1

*prices are in Euros

Mljet Island & Zaton Bay

Mljet is the most southern of Croatia’s larger Dalmatian Islands. Dubbed “the most seductive of all the Adriatic Islands” by Lonely Planet and “Dalmatia’s most idyllic destination” by Time Out, Mljet is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise- unspoiled nature at its best. The long, thin island, 37 km long yet only 3.2 km wide, is the Adriatic’s greenest, with 80% of its landmass covered in pine forest. Mljet’s 1100 inhabitants are scattered among 16 small settlements connected by a single road that runs the length of the island.

Mljet has captivated its visitors since early times. The island is mentioned in 4^th century BC Greek writing. Mljet’s hillsides are dotted with fortresses and tombs from the Illyrian period as well as Roman ruins. Legend has it that Odysseus stayed for 7 years after being shipwrecked, love struck by the island’s beauty. In 1960 one third of the island was designated a national park, which put it on the tourist map. But unlike Dubrovnik, Mljet is far from overrun by tourists. Tourists who visit Mljet typically head inland to the National Park. We kayak the park’s outer seaside boundaries, coves, and uninhabited islands, then devote a day to visit less-visited parts of the island.

Zaton Bay is a perfect destination to transition slowly back to civilization. The 2 km deep bay has 3 small villages, a lively restaurant scene, 2 small markets, and a lovely waterfront walking promenade that encircles the entire bay. Devote one day to kayak to near-by Koločep Island, an island without roads or cars, to swim, snorkel, and hike the island’s quiet trails through olive, citrus, apple and pomegranate groves. Final day: choose your activity: kayak north to visit Trsteno’s  historic and well preserved 15^th century arboretum, villa and botanical gardens; SUP to lunch in protected Zaton Bay; sight-see in Dubrovnik; or hike to a cove to swing from a rope and drop into the sea.

 The deep bay enjoys calm seas and protection from Dalmatia’s characteristic coastal winds, a great place to hone kayak skills or stand up paddle board. The 3 three small villages in the bay, Mali (small) Zaton, Veliki (big) Zaton, and Stikovica, have roughly ten restaurants, some of the region’s best local seafood, all within easy walking distance and with views of the sea.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Transit day
Arrive Dubrovnik by 2:30 pm/car transfer to Prapratno for 5 pm ferry to Mljet Island/20 minute scenic drive on Mljet to seaside village of Kozarica/ check into guesthouse/home cooked dinner on private terrace overlooking the sea
Day 2: 8 km
Equipment issues & instruction in Kozarica harbor/ paddle Kozarica to Polace, a favored mooring for yachts and sailboats/ stop to swim on one of several small islands/ wander Polace’s waterfront/ car transfer to Kozarica for a homecooked dinner
Day 3: 12 km
Car transfer to Polace/ paddle the northeast tip of Mljet with views of Korcula and Lastavo Islands, to Pomena, the national park headquarters. Afternoon options include bike rental or hiking in the park/ car transfer to Kozarica
Day 4: 16 km
Paddle the northeast tip of the island along towering limestone cliffs/ discover the narrow break in the cliff walls connecting the inland lakes to the open sea/ paddle past the iconic island home of a 12^th century Benedictine Monastery/ car transfer to Kozarica for final dinner
Day 5: Transition Day: Mljet to Zaton
Explore Mljet’s natural wonders outside the national park/ hike to swim in Odysseus Cave/ drive the length of the island to the sand beaches of Saplanara/ 4 pm ferry to mainland/ check into Zaton Bay guesthouse/ dinner at seaside Zaton Bay restaurant
Day 6: 15 km
Walk to AKT’s Zaton Bay kayak base/ paddle into caves on Kolocep Island/ swim & snorkel in Blue Cave (weather dependent)/ hike Kolocep’s trails/ seaside lunch on the island/ return paddle to Zaton Bay/ independent dinner at one of Zaton’s 10 seaside restaurants
Day 7: Choose your activity
Kayak to Trsteno’s historic arboretum/ SUP across the bay for lunch in Stikovica/ bus to Old Town to sight-see/ farewell dinner at Zaton Bay restaurant.
Day 8: Transit day
Car transfer to the airport for departure flights*

*you can make a departure flight at any time