Odysseus Cave, National Park, and Fishing Villages – holidays on Mljet

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• Arrival
• Accomodation
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Arrival: A ferry to Mljet

The car is the fastest method to travel from Bavaria, Germany, to Mljet, Croatia. During your road trip you drive through Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina until you arrive at the port in Ston, Croatia. We want to point out that for transit in Bosnia and Herzegovina, European citizens have to present their passports at the border. It is important that your passport has at least three months validity remaining before you will be allowed to enter Bosnia and Herzegovina. German tourists do not require a travel visa to pass the borders (Source: Federal Foreign Office. Bosnia and Herzegovina, date: May 2021). Due to document verifications and random checks, there may be longer waiting times at all borders.

Attention: You have to expect some waiting times

In general, we recommend to schedule a small time buffer due to possible border controls. On our trip to Mljet we were stopped for a routine inspection at the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. After a few minutes we were able to continue without any problems, but had lost some time. We definitely noticed this time loss on the rest of our trip to the ferry to Mljet. Fortunately, we still arrived at the port on time.

Toll roads

On your journey to Croatia you have to pay fees for using specific sections of the route. Since tolls may change, all information is without guarantee:

• Austria: To travel on Austria’s motorways, you need a vignette. Such a vignette can be purchased at motorway service stations and gas stations in Austria or next to Austria’s borders. Its validity ranges from ten days to two months to one year. Especially the 10-days vignette, that costs around 10 euro, is very useful for short stays or for transit.
• Tunnels and mountain passes: Depending on the chosen route, you have to pay fees for using mountain passes and tunnels. The Karawanken Tunnel, that connects Austria and Slovenia, cost us around 8 euro for each direction.
• Slovenia: Also in Slovenia vignettes are mandatory for using motorways. A 7-days vignette costs around 15 euro. If you take the 1-month vignette, you have to pay 30 euro per car.

You can easily buy tickets in the office of the small port where the ferry casts off. We paid 172 kuna (around 23 euro in July 2020) for two adults and a car that had a length of less than five meters (all information without guarantee). You can find current information regarding the ferry on Jadrolinija’s official website. The ferry arrives at a small port near the village of Sobra, Mljet. Some parking spots, a petrol station, and an ATM are located here.

Unlike many other Croatian islands, Mljet does not have a car ban. However, due to its high mountains in the middle of the island and many steep coasts, several areas are not accessible by car. Therefore, visitors have often to park their cars at one of the parking spots at the top of the mountain and take the stairs, to reach a specific fishing village or bay.

Hotel, camping, or vacation home: Which accommodation on Mljet Island is the right one?

Of course, it is hard to say, which accommodation on Mljet is the best one – it is a matter of personal preference. But, no worries, the island offers several different types of accommodations: vacation homes, hotels, but also campsites. You will definitely get your money’s worth! However, we want to mention that those people, who plan to rent a vacation home, or arrive by sailboat or yacht, have the largest variety of different accommodations on Mljet. During our journey we only saw a few hotels and campsites on the island of Mljet.

Watch out nature lovers: camping on Mljet

Whether tent, camper van, or caravan: The nature of Croatia’s spectacular island also excites camping enthusiasts. But, watch out! Wild camping is prohibited on Mljet. If you want to go camping and avoid fines, you have to stay at a campsite. Unfortunately, we saw only one campsite during our holidays on the island of Mljet. It is located next to the village of Babino Polje. But we have heard that two more campsites are located on Mljet. Unfortunately, we did not see them and, therefore, we have no further information regarding those campsites.

Our opinion regarding camping on Mljet:

Due to the very small and curvy roads, in our opinion, Mljet is rather unsuitable for large camper vans and caravans. However, those people, who go tent camping or have a relatively small camper van, will have no problems. Moreover, due to the limited number of campsites, we recommend you to inform yourself about free capacities before the start of your camping trip.

Hotels on Mljet

We noticed that in the small fishing villages are no hotels. These places are definitely dominated by vacation homes that are rented by the several locals living on the island of Mljet. Also in the other areas of the island we did not see many hotels.

To be honest, we saw only one hotel in the small village of Pomena during our journey on Mljet. Numerous souvenir shops, ice cream parlors, snack stores, and restaurants are located next to this hotel – this village looks like a typical tourist place. But, nevertheless, the village of Pomena has a very special flair. While standing at the waterfront, where several beautiful and tasty Konobas are located, we were able to see Peljesac Peninsula and Korcula with a magnificent sunset in the background.

Konoba or Restaurant: Food and Drink on Mljet

Those who have only traveled in northern Croatia so far – as we had done before our trip to Mljet – will be surprised by the menus on Mljet. First of all: We could not find a restaurant that offers Ćevapčići.

The cuisine of Mljet is specialized on fish and seafood – very typical for the South Dalmatian Islands. In most cases, the sea animals had been caught only a few hours before the restaurant grilled them and served them to us. Consequently, our dishes were always very fresh and delicious. But note that sometimes it is important to order a specific dish some hours in advance – especially large quantities of fish – so the fishermen of the restaurant have enough time to fish. Lobster, oysters as well as monkfish, octopus, and mussels can be found on Mljet’s restaurant menus. As side dish, you often get vegetables or chard.

Of course, the Konobas and restaurants of Mljet do not only serve fish and seafood – several varieties of meat are also an important part of the menus. In most cases, the chefs grill the meat. As side dish, you get chard, potatoes, or vegetables.

Moreover, many restaurants serve delicacies, colored with Squid Ink, such as black risotto or homemade black pasta. We did not eat the risotto, but black spaghetti with parmesan foam and shrimps – definitely one of our favorites.

Typically, you enjoy all these different meals in combination with Croatian pivo (beer), vino (wine), or Travarica (herbal rakija). None of the restaurants, we visited during our Mljet journey, listed Slivovitz (Croatian plum brandy) on their menus.

Location:

Usually, Konobas and restaurants are located in the fishing villages of Mljet. In most cases, they are build close to the waterfront, so you have a spectacular view on the sea while enjoying your food or drink.

The National Park, Beaches, and other Sights on and next to Mljet

The island of Mljet impresses travelers with its magnificent, unique nature. Did you know that about 25% of Mljet (about 5400 hectares) are covered by a national park? But more on that later. Romantic harbor promenades, cliff-lined caves, and a sandy beach invite you to linger. You can also take a ferry from Mljet to the famous city of Dubrovnik.

We really enjoyed swimming around with our stand-up-paddle in the bay. In the fishing villages, SUPs, kayaks, and small boats can often be rented from the locals.

On the island of Mljet you can find only a few sandy beaches. One of the most famous ones is Saplunara, a sandy beach in the south of Mljet. The fine-grained sand and the gently sloping seabed make this beach a hotspot for families with small children. But do not worry, the beach is very big, so all visitors of Saplunara have enough space to enjoy the sun.

The beach of Saplunara is free for visitors. Sun loungers and parasols can be rented. Furthermore, there is also a beach bar directly behind the beach. It offers cold drinks as well as some snacks.

Odysseus Cave: A legendary destination

One of the sights that every visitor of Mljet should visit, is the Odysseus Cave. The cave is located behind high cliffs in the southwestern part of Mljet Island’s coast. You can easily walk the way to the cave by foot, but different agencies also offer boat trips to the Odysseus Cave.

Myth of the Odysseus Cave

Legend says, Odysseus shipwrecked off near the island of Mljet. He had swum a few days in the sea until he sought refuge in a cave, we know as the Odysseus Cave today. The nymph Calypso had held him captive for many years before the gods let him go again.

In summer, the best time to visit the Odysseus Cave is at lunchtime. At this time, the sunlight hits the water in front of the cave in a way, that makes it unnatural blue – a magnificent natural spectacle. Our recommendation: Do not forget your snorkels as well as diving goggles, to enjoy a beautiful underwater view from inside the cave!

Next to the Odysseus Cave is a very rustic bar on the cliffs. Thirsty visitors can get a cold drink and rest in one of the hammocks in front of the sea.

Hint: Do not forget to protect yourself against the sun! You have to walk in the sun and also at the Odysseus Cave you cannot find any shady places. Therefore, use sun blocker and put on a hat.

National Park: Hiking, cycling, and more in the nature of Mljet

Dense forests, two turquoise saltwater lakes, and various exciting animals: More than a quarter of the island of Mljet is part of the National Park. Therefore, Mljet is also called the “Green Island”. It offers a unique flora and fauna for several living beings.

At a glance:

• Opening hours: from May until end of November from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., in winter only by appointment.
• Fees for entrance: depending on the season between 70 and 125 kn for adults; a detailed price list can be found on the official website of the National Park.
• Entrance: via one of the three official entrances at Polače, Pomena, or Vrbovica.

Activities in the National Park

Two saltwater lakes, the Small and Large Mljet Lake, in Croatian called Veliko Jezero and Malo Jezero, are located in the national park. You can walk or cycle along the two banks by using the little bridge. In the middle of the large lake lies the picturesque Island of St. Mary. It’s church, that is part of a Benedictine monastery, has the same name as the island. Visitors can reach that little island by using the small ferry. However, many people also explore St. Mary on their own by using a kayak or canoe.

Hiking trails with different levels of difficulty can be also found at the National Park of Mljet and various signposted viewpoints can be reached by visitors. You should not walk off the official, signposted paths for security reasons. In the small and large bays of the both Mljet lakes, you get the great opportunity to jump into the water and cool down.

Mljet, we’ll be back!

We hope that our article has given you some helpful insights on our trip to Mljet. At best, you liked it so much that you want to book a journey to Mljet now. And who knows – maybe one day we will even meet each other on this beautiful island. At least one thing is for sure: it’s not the last time we visited Mljet!