Day 3: Mljet National Park, Odysseus Cave and sailing to Korcula
Hiking in Mljet National Park
It was an early start this morning, as we met at 7am for a morning hike. Again, this was an optional activity – a few people decided to stay asleep on the boat, but 5 of us decided to meet the skipper at 7am for the hike.
It was worth leaving early, as it was already very hot and the hike was a steep uphill climb. I found the uphill climb challenging, but it was doable with some breaks. After about an hour of climbing, we reached the most amazing viewpoint.
I loved the view here, looking over the lakes of the national park and also out to sea. It was definitely worth the uphill climb. And so peaceful and beautiful.
Odysseus Cave
After getting back to the boat and a short rest, the whole group then joined the skipper on another excursion. This time we went to Odysseus Cave. This hidden gem was the highlight of the trip for many people. It’s visiting places like this that made sailing in Croatia with a skipper really worthwhile. I never would have discovered this area if I’d been travelling on my own or just taking ferries to different islands.
After a short drive (our skipper hired a minibus for the drive), we had another medium-difficulty hike. This time it was downhill, but the path was uneven and rocky, and the weather was hot, so it was hard work. But once we got down towards the cave, the views were already worth it.
We climbed down the rocks all the way to the water, then jumped into the sea. The water was so refreshingly cool after clambering over the hot rocks!
You could swim right into the cave. And the light from the sun, reflecting off the water in the cave, gave it this magical blue light. It really was a really special place.
Near the cave, there’s also a small bar run by a local man. After swimming, we could sit here with a cold drink and just admire the view. It was so beautiful. And meant the uphill climb didn’t feel quite so bad!
Sailing to Korcula
After a busy morning of hiking and swimming, I was glad to have the afternoon on the boat to relax. We set sail soon after getting back from Odysseus Cave, and had lunch on the boat. And then we all took time to relax as we sailed gently towards Korcula Island. It was a lovely afternoon of relaxing and also getting involved in the sailing. I enjoyed taking the helm for a lot of the afternoon, and although the wind was light, we made good progress sailing to our next destination.
Lumbarda and Korcula Town
Our destination for tonight was Lumbarda, a small town on Korcula island. There was a lovely beach bar here, where we all enjoyed a cocktail after arriving.
We then got a taxi to Korcula old town, which was only about 10 minutes away. Korcula town was really pretty, and reminded me a bit of Dubrovnik – but a lot less busy! I enjoyed walking around the streets and enjoying the views.
We went to a wine bar in Korcula Town, that offered wine tasting of some local Croatian wines. The portions of wine were generous, so the whole group had a great time drinking the wine and enjoying the food that came with the wine.
After the wine tasting, we all went for dinner at a pizza restaurant. We got four huge pizzas to share across the table, and had a great evening eating pizza and listening to the live music at the restaurant. Day 3 was a long and active day, but it was definitely one of my favourite days on the trip sailing in Croatia.
Day 4: Korcula Old Town and a night on anchor
Korcula Old Town
After the busy day on Day 3, our skipper said we wouldn’t be setting sail until midday the next day. So we decided to go back to Korcula Town for the morning to spend a bit more time exploring there.
It was nice to see the town in the morning, when it was a bit quieter compared to the busy night before. I enjoyed walking around and enjoying the views out to sea. The water was so clear and calm, it was just beautiful.
The town was nice as well, with nice shops and plenty of places to stop for a coffee.
We got lunch in town as well, and I had a cheese burek – a Croatian pastry filled with cheese. They’re just so good!
Sailing and anchoring
Back at the boat, we set off for an afternoon of sailing and relaxing on the boat. The views as we sailed around Korcula Island were just beautiful. I especially enjoyed sailing close to Korcula Town, so we could see the pretty town from the water. Sailing in Croatia with a skipper is perfect because the skipper can steer the boat while you can take lots of photos!
Most people on our boat had bought some beers in the town, so in the afternoon everyone sat on the boat enjoying and beer and a laugh together. We listened to music on the speaker, and just had a great time.
Our skipper told us that we’d be spending that night at anchor, not in a town. We were all excited to spend the night anchored in the sea. We got to our anchoring spot, which was just off the west coast of Korcula Island. Once the anchor was down, we all went for a refreshing swim in the sea.
And then there were more drinks, and cocktails before dinner. And a lot more laughs with the group, with some very funny, memorable quotes. I think one of my favourites was ‘I need a photo of that, delivered by that’ (referring to the saucepan full of Cuba Libra drink delivered by the skipper…). I haven’t laughed that much in a long time.
Dinner was cooked by the skipper on the boat. And it was just a really fun, lovely evening, just floating on the boat on the anchor. The sunset views were amazing as well. A perfect ending to another perfect day.
Keep reading for day 5 onwards of my amazing Croatia sailing holiday.