There are numerous reasons why you should consider booking your holiday vacation in small coastal towns on the Croatian coast. We recommend staying in Pakoštane. Why? Read on.
Small coastal towns in Croatia are a great choice for your vacation spot. First of all, smaller town means smaller crowds. Well, most of the time, that is if the town isn’t already too popular and hyped up (such as Rovinj in Istria or Hvar Town on Hvar island). Secondly, the prices of accommodation, meals and drinks at restaurants etc. are usually cheaper. Although, note that smaller towns on the islands tend to be a bit pricier. Thirdly, small towns are a great way to really get to know the local culture and community. After all, it’s the people that make the place unique. However, you’ve probably decided to visit Croatia after seeing all the stunning photos of Croatia’s beautiful scenery. Which brings us to the third and very important reason why small towns are so great. It’s all about location, location, location. Let’s say you want to visit Plitvice National Park, you’ve also heard a lot of beautiful things about Šibenik and read somewhere that Zadar has been voted top European destination in 2016, maybe you’d like to set sail to one of the nearby islands such as Dugi Otok, or another national park – the Kornati and nearby Nature Park Telašćica, and you hope to find and discover some less known hidden gems as well. A great base for exploring all these destinations would be a small town in the midst of it all called Pakoštane. Read on and find out why you should consider visiting this charming town.
1. Great base for exploring
As we have already said, Pakoštane is a great destination to enjoy your summer holidays and explore the stunning nearby sights because of its close vicinity to numerous national and nature parks and nearby cities of Zadar and Šibenik. What’s more, Pakoštane is a small tourist resort with a unique location on the Adriatic coast; the town is located on a narrow strip of land between two bodies of water – the Adriatic sea and Vransko Lake. Which brings us to the second reason.
2. Vransko Lake
Vransko Lake is a nature park and a must-see attraction when visiting Pakoštane. It is the largest freshwater lake in Croatia and has been declared a nature park in 1999 due to its rare natural habitat, fresh water springs and rich biodiversity. Covering the area of 57 square kilometres, which stretches parallel with the coast, between Pirovac and Pakoštane, the park is a paradise for both anglers and birdwatchers, with an abundance of fish and more than 256 recorded bird species.
3. Nature-lovers’ paradise
Vransko Lake is not the only nature park nearby. There are also Telašćica Nature Park and Velebit Nature Park and three national parks; the Kornati islands, Krka with its magnificent waterfalls and Paklenica, which makes Pakoštane an ideal location for nature enthusiasts.
Nature Park Telašćica
National Park Krka
National Park Paklenica
4. Abundance of small islands
Situated directly opposite the small coastal town of Pakoštane are three small islands: the islet of St. Justin with a small church adorning it, the islet of Veliki Školj which bears a large cross, and pine-forested Babluljaš islet. The local inhabitants call them Faith, Hope and Love, the three daughters of the Christian spirit. Other islands that are nearby and great for exploring are Pašman, Murter, Vrgada and its surrounding 13 small islands and islets, Žut island, the Kornati islands and many more, making the Pakoštane waters great destination for sailors.
National Park Kornati
5. Beaches
Pakoštane and the nearby area has plenty of beautiful beaches to be proud of. There is Pilatuša Beach, where you can feel sand, gravel and stone all at one place, and rest in the shade of a dense pine forest, Bužakovina Beach, which is located within Pine Beach Resort and great for families with small children, sunny Punta Beach, located near the town centre and several (beach) bars and cafes, Janice Beach, very long beach located in the centre, with concrete and pebble coastline and sandy bottom, and many other nearby beaches such as Porat Beach in Drage, a beautiful natural cove with lots of shade, ideal for families with children, and Dolaška Draga, a place with beautiful pebbly beach with stone plateaus, crystal clear sea, pine forest, small harbour nearby and with an amazing view of the neighbouring islands and islets.
Bužakovina Beach
Pilatuša Beach
Janice Beach
6. Knightly Days in Vrana
Great time to visit Pakoštane is in late August when the historic spectacle named Knightly Days in Vrana takes place. This event will transport you to medieval times with plentiful of re-enactments of scenes from past times, medieval camp, knight tournaments and plays, bringing together all knights and horsemen from all over Croatia and abroad as well as falcon trainers, commoners, jugglers and others dressed in picturesque folk costumes and uniforms. And not to forget, a rich offer of culinary delicacies made based on old medieval recipes – a true medieval feast for your eyes, ears and taste buds. The Knightly Days are held during the last weekend of August in Maškovića Han, the most western Turkish fortress.
So, what more reason do you need to visit this magnificent place?
For more information, visit the official website of Tourist Board Pakoštane.
All photos by Tourist Board Pakoštane
