Mljet National Park
Enchanting salt water lakes
Covering large swathes of northwestern Mljet, the Mljet National Park centres on the so-called Great Lake, a dazzlingly clear stretch of water fed by seawater. In the middle of the lake and accessed via regular taxi boats, the twelfth-century Benedictine Monastery features a colourfully furnished church.
With paths around the lake edged by hills carpeted in holm oak and Aleppo pine, it’s an exhilarating place for walking and cycling. Although not native to Europe, mongoose were imported into the area in the nineteenth century and can frequently be seen scampering around in the undergrowth.