Opportunities Open Whenever You’re Ready -Kayak Touring the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia

The paddle north along the mainland was under clear skies, with no wind and thus perfectly calm seas. We paddled close to the limestone coastline to watch the sea life under crystal clear water. Sponges or corals were visible, as were some cherry red anemones and squid. There are very few coves where we can land, as the limestone is everywhere and comes straight down to the sea. But above, on the hillsides, everything is totally green, with pines and oaks and cypress and who knows what other trees. Where there are no trees, there is dense underbrush.

On our third night in Polače (the č is pronounced as “ch” in church) a small village on the NW tip of Mljet island, population about 100, a great thunderstorm came in with terrific rain and great lightning and thunder. We watched it from our balcony until we were too tired to stand. The skies seemed pretty clear on our fourth morning in Polače, but the cumulus clouds were rising all around and we knew there would be more rain. We packed our little kayak and headed out the village harbor and down the west coast for what would be an 8 hour paddle of 20 nautical miles, not counting the many ins and outs of the little bays along the way. Soon the skies blackened and, in fact, we could no longer see the nearby shoreline A thunder and lightening show began and, of course, the rain started. Quickly our environment became truly exciting, alive with sound and bouncy water and steep, following seas. Our bow dove under the waves (the kayak is not as sea worthy as the Feathercraft we have used on so many of our trips) which regularly hit me in the face and chest (the joy of having the bow position!). The highest winds lasted only about 20 minutes, but hard rain continued for two hours. Doug likened it to being under a fire hose focused directly downward on us. The drops were giant and hit the water with such force that they bounced up 2-3 inches before hitting the water again on the way back down. This created a haze on the water which left the sea looking fuzzy. Too, it flattened out all the wind ripples on the surface of the swells and waves making the big lumps seem glassy smooth, even though the sea’s texture was stormy rough. Rain became lighter for a while and the seas calmed down, but soon another set of giant black clouds arrived and we were hit again with a light, sound and water show. After three hours of strong paddling, the sea mellowed and the show stopped, and the day turned sunny and warm. It is funny, the description of Croatian weather in our Lonely Planet guidebook indicates 2 to 3 inches of rain in June. We figure we got 3 inches in each of the 3 storms that day! Yes, we would have sought a landing site early in the day, but steep cliffs prevented any chance of getting off the water.

After 8 hours of continuous paddling, we reached one of the only sandy beaches on our trip, in a little cove at the bottom of Mljet island. We set up our tent, an action which we knew was probably illegal, (laws exist because of “fire danger”, but we were very tired), and were soon visited by a fisherman and his nine-year-old son who informed us that we could not camp there. But, of course, we could stay at his home and he would prepare us dinner, for a price. When we agreed with smiles and enthusiasm, he waived the part about not camping and he left his son to guide us to his home up on a hill, after we completed setting camp. In their garden yard the mother prepared a fantastic dinner. The man caught fresh fish and had home-made rachia/rakia and wine, of course. The mother had made the bread, olives and goat cheese, and picked for us a zucchini from her garden. Perhaps the only part of the entire dinner that they did not grow, catch, raise or make were the pickles on the cheese plate and the flour for crepes at the end.