Mljet Island to Orebić, Croatia

Tuesday 1st November 2022
Good morning, on another beautiful day.

We were awake early as we had a daylight savings change a couple of days ago. So I was awake at 6.30am. We were up and organised and ready to leave at 8am. Not being used to being ready so early, we went for a short walk to the point to enjoy a little more of the view of Soline before we headed off. The lake was pristine this morning, absolutely no wind and crystal clear. It was beautiful.

So we were on our way by 8.30am and enjoyed the drive along the very narrow one lane road to Pristanište. Had a short stop there to enjoy the view, then headed to Polače. The village has a number of ancient ruins dating from the 1st to the 6th centuries. However, of greatest significance is the Roman palace hence the name “Polace” from the 5th century whose walls dominate the village. This is one of the largest buildings in Dalmatia from the Roman period. We walked through the Palace walls as this is part of the main entrance to the village, then up to the church. It was a lovely view from the church ruins.

We then headed on our drive out of the National Park. We drove to the southern part of Mljet Island today stopping along the way at some gorgeous viewpoints until the sea mist rolled in and then we felt like we were above the clouds. Unfortunately the sea mist took all our coastal views today but we enjoyed it all the same. We drove to the southern most tip of Mljet Island and visited two beaches. What we could see of the view was very hazy.

After lunch we headed back north along the coast to Odysseus Cave. “The path leading to the beach that touches the turquoise sea leads through vineyards and olive groves. After about 30 mins, you reach the place that once charmed Odysseus with its beauty. The cave is accessible by land through a set of steep stairs, but jumping into the sea and swimming inside just like Odysseus is always a better choice. During the summer months, around noon, when the sun is at its strongest, the sea displays so many shades of blue that you’ll wish you could stay at least seven years like Odysseus.”

We only had two hours before our ferry back to the mainland, so it was a quick 20min walk down to the cave, unfortunately it was still a little n=misty and the sun was hidden behind mist and cloud. When we arrived at the cave we decided we would swim anyway. A quick jump in and swim through the cave to the other side. The colours were incredible and we can imagine hour magnificent ist would be with the right light playing on the rocks and water. Oh well, maybe next time. We swam back out, climbed up the rocks, got dressed and hiked back up to the car. We picked up some friends from the cave, a guy from France and his girld=frriend from Slovakia and gave them a lift back to the accommodation.

We then drove the 10mins to the port of Sobra and caught another ferry back to Prapratno (188kuna this time). We arrived at the port and headed on our drive north along many brand new roads which only opened in July this year. We enjoyed some lovely views, stopped for a beautiful sunset and arrived at our new home for the night in Orebić just before dark. We were checked in by the host who only spoke Croatian and Deutsche, but we managed. She tried to give us some wine and as always we should just take it but we never know whether we will have to drink it with them and then we would be under the table. Hehehe!

We had a lovely full day yet again. We will sleep soon, maybe!

“The story of Odysseus told by people of Mljet occurred three thousand years ago, as the ancient hero Odysseus was returning from one of his many journeys.

Somewhere near Mljet, he was caught in a big storm, causing his ship to smash against the sharp rock Ogiran.One of the most popular characters in ancient Greek mythology had to swim to the nearest patch of land to save his neck, and amid the raging sea, a hole in the ground opened up in front of him, which he swam into. It was an entrance to a cave where he found shelter from the storm. A Paradise in Croatia where Odysseus spent seven years.

This island of picturesque coves, warm sea and intoxicating scent of pine trees was the home of the nymph Calypso, who held Odysseus captive for seven long years.

Although he grieved for his beloved wife Penelope during the day, each night Calypso would bewitch him, promising him immortality if he stayed with her. He was set free only after Zeus intervened. Calypso reluctantly heeded the order from the master of Mount Olympus, and had a raft built for Odysseus with plenty of food and wine, which would enable him to return to his home in Ithaca. Once her lover left, Calypso supposedly died of grief.

This is where the legend ends, and Odysseus’ cave subsequently became the home of an unusual creature. For a number of years, it was the natural habitat of one of the rarest mammals in the world – the Mediterranean monk seal.”