PARK OF NATURE TELAŠČICA

Telašćica bay is situated in the central part of the eastern Adriatic coast, in the SE part of the island of Dugi otok.

Telašćica bay is situated in the central part of the eastern Adriatic coast, in the SE part of the island of Dugi otok. Thanks to its extreme beauty, richness and importance, this bay surrounded by 13 islands and islets, together with 6 islets inside the bay of Telašćica itself, was proclaimed a Nature Park in 1988. Thanks to its exceptionally valuable plant and animal life, geological and geomorphologic phenomena, valuable colonies of the sea bottom and interesting archaeological heritage this area became protected in 1980.

The area of “Telašćica” Nature Park is distinctly contrasted area with quiet and peaceful beaches and laid down coastline on one side and wild and rough cliffs on the other. It is the area of the Aleppo pine-trees and holly oak woods on one side and bare rocky grounds on the other. It is the area of cultivated fields of vineyards and olive-trees, as well as the area of degraded forms of the flora covering dry habitats.

Three basic phenomena are certainly the main characteristics of the Nature Park: the unique bay of Telašćica as one of the safest, the most beautiful and the largest havens on the Adriatic that includes 25 small bays and 69 km of the well-indented coastline, the cliffs of the island of Dugi otok or so-called «Stene», rising up to 161 m above the sea level and falling down vertically up to 90 m below the sea level, and finally the salt lake called «Mir» with its curative characteristics. The island of Katina must be mentioned as one of the most picturesque islands in the Adriatic, but the most unusual is certainly the island of Taljurić. The total surface of the Nature Park is 70, 50 km2 of which 25, 95 km2 on Dugi otok and the neighbouring islands and 44, 55 km2 on sea. Beautifully cultivated meadows and hillsides are rich with Mediterranean vegetation with more than 300 species of flora and equally rich fauna. The undersea world has more than 300 plant and 300 animal species.

The characteristics of the climate of this region are more than 2500 hours of sunshine a year; the average temperature in January is higher than 7 ° C and annual average higher than 16 °C. In winter, the sea has a temperature around 13 ° C and in summer about 23 °C. Telašćica has been inhabited since ancient times, as can be seen from Roman remains in Mala Proversa and numerous pre-Romanesque churches. The oldest document about fishing trade dates from the end of the 10th century and it shows that the fishing trade in Croatia began on these coasts. In the Nature Park it is possible to dive on a few attractive locations next to the cliffs, walk along the paths and visit interesting places and the panoramic view from the belvedere Grpašćak is something that must not be missed. This and so much more is what has attracted and still attracts visitors to the Telašćica bay, which as a Nature Park of the Republic of Croatia belongs to a high category of protected parts of nature. Near the Nature Park Telašćica, there are other three Croatian national parks: the National Park Kornati, the National Park Paklenica and the National Park Krka, as well as two nature parks, the Nature Park Vransko jezero and the Nature Park Velebit.

THE ISLANDS OF UGLJAN AND PAŠMAN

The Island of Ugljan is situated opposite to Zadar, only 3 nautical miles of the city harbor. It has always been covered with lush vegetation – evergreen pine forests, macchia, fig trees, vineyards and olive trees. The island has always been tied to the sea, sailing and fishing, and a 2000 years old tradition of olive growing has left hundreds of thousands of olive trees that produce olive oil of exceptional quality and flavor. Fans of Mediterranean landscapes can enjoy the unforgettable panorama of the most impressive one with the fortress of St. Michael from the 13th century. The remains from the Roman era, old Croatian churches, monasteries, stone island architecture and numerous villas, bear witness to early human habitation and to the prosperous days that the island experienced.

The Island of Pašman is connected to the island of Ugljan by the Ždrelac passage, and separated from the mainland by the Pašman Channel, which is in some places only 2 km wide. It is like a string of pearls, scattered dozens of small islands and the sea current changes direction every 6 hours, which makes this area one of the cleanest on the Adriatic Sea. Preserved landscape contains many species of medicinal and aromatic herbs, vineyards, fields and olive groves with numerous sand and pebble beaches which are the best choice for those who prefer to relax away from the noise and bustle of the city. On the island Pšsman the continuity of life dates from prehistoric times: the Illyrian cities, castle’s ruins, archaeological finds from Roman times, a rustic villas, mosaics, stone statue of St. Michael from the 12th century and many other historical monuments.

DUGI OTOK (LONG ISLAND)

 Dugi otok is an island of great diversity and contrast, and the largest island among the North Dalmatian islands. It justifies its name (Long Island) with a length of about 45 km and it is between 1 and 4 km wide, with the highest peak Vela Straža (338 m). The coast of the island facing the open sea is characterized by sharp contrasts: the part that is located in the Nature Park Telascica is mostly steep and dominated by beautiful cliffs, while on the southeast side of the island one can find quiet coves and the sandy beach Sakarun. The island´s beauty is an ideal place for swimming and enjoying the purity of the sea and the beauty of nature.

 As the south-eastern part of the island is protected and declared a Nature Park, so is the north-western part of the island recognized as one of the most interesting areas of the Zadar County and was declared a significant Croatian landscape.

 There are 1500 inhabitants on the island living in 12 places. The road connects all villages on the island and offers magnificent views of the surrounding islands. It is well connected to the mainland by ferries and fast boats. The island has a Harbour branch office, several post offices, clinics, a customs checkpoint, offices of Tourist Boards, many restaurants and other service facilities. In Sali, Božava and Veli Rat are arranged moorings for ships where they can supply with water and electricity. In Zaglav is a gas station for boaters. Excursion tourism is also developed and there are marked trails for trekking and cycling. All over the island, all the archaeological sites of which there are fifteen have been marked and complemented with info tables.

Source: zadar.travel