|
Lokrum Croatia – A Geological Wonder!
By Larry Larsen
You can see one of Croatia's wonders from Dubrovnik's Mount Srd overlook. It lies just two miles offshore from the ancient city.
The beautiful and unique Island of Lokrum lies in crystal clear waters of
 the Adriatic Sea and fortunately, it is easily accessible by water shuttle from the Dubrovnik's Old City Harbor.
Lokrum is a 10-minute power boat ride or maybe 30 minutes by kayak. Cruising to the island
on a sailboat would take somewhere in between the previous two crafts and depends on
the wind. The attraction of the UNESCO reserve is nature at its most impressive. There are great beaches and picnic areas, as well as an ancient monastery that has not yet been
fully restored. A short walk through beautiful woodland scenery to the western side of the island reveals unique rocky shores with steep cliffs, a scenic arch to imprint into anyone's
memory and other interesting geographical outcroppings.
On our trip to the island, we found it to be a photographer's dream. We watched a few
groups of kayakers enjoying the somewhat protected waters, glass bottom boats cruising along the adjacent reefs and fourth grade school children playing on the wooded grounds
during one of their class field trips. Older teenage kid
 s
 were having fun jumping from a 25-foot high boulder at the island's only lake, Mrtvo More, or "Dead Sea". The elevated jumping point for the young
"cliff divers" was a strong attraction to the quiet forest-protected swimming hole.
The walking paths on Lokrum Island lead you to a
Botanical Garden and a couple of cleared park areas for children and older visitors alike. A restaurant and small shopping area is also available for those visitors who don't bring their own. Scattered about the shaded
walks and open spaces in the forest are seemingly hundreds of beautiful peacocks. You can hear them calling each other and
most want to be photo subjects when not being chased by small children. The island is special and very memorable, so it is a "must-see" when in Dubrovnik!
For more information on Dubrovnik and Croatia, visit www.experience.dubrovnik.hr and the Croatia National Tourist Board at http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Homepage.
|
