Dozens of reports about Croatia have been published on various international websites since the beginning of summer. Love for the Adriatic coast just keeps coming: TripAdvisor, Vogue, The Guardian, New York Times… When you put all of them together, you’ll notice a pattern – all the advice mostly points people to Dubrovnik, Split or other similar gems in Dalmatia.
That’s all fine and well-deserved, but it’d be nice to see an article from a different angle every now and then. Enter National Geographic Australia and their recent piece titled ‘Why Croatia is the Next Top Kayaking Destination’ – finally something fresh! Written by Marko Malik, the article talks about sea kayaking and paddleboarding being the “newest way to soak in Croatia’s stunning coastal beauty”.
Humourously comparing himself to famous surfer Laird Hamilton, Malik takes us through the submarine caves built on Dalmatian coast during the Cold War. Peaceful and quiet, away from any winds that might cause trouble, the tunnels provide a perfect destination for paddleboarding enthusiasts. Malik and his friend Marko Mrše arrived to the inlet in kayaks, towing their paddleboards behind while they made their way around the stunning Zadar archipelago.
Malik also shared his experience of staying on the charming island of Molat, whose name comes from the Greek word mellitus, standing for ‘tastes like honey’. It’s one of the lesser-known destinations in Croatia, still mostly unaffected by tourist crowds. It’s also sheltered from three prevalent winds in these parts – bura, jugo and maestral – offering optimal conditions for paddleboarding and surfing.
“Today’s water is mirror smooth—no bura, maestrale, or yugo winds. We paddle around an ancient Roman stone quarry, snorkel around stone stack, and paddle to the island of Ist, where we hike to a Catholic church high on a ridge. It offers our highest vantage yet, and we spot islands dotting the water as far as we can see. We trace our previous days’ routes—the bays, coves, cannon platforms, and shipwrecks we explored—and realise we’ve only begun to scratch the surface”, concluded Malik.
Read the original article here.
