The island Mljet is located in the south of the Adriatic sea, in Dubrovnik – Neretva county and it's the eighth largest island in Croatia. It lies south from the Pelješac peninsula, from which it's divided by the Mljet channel. Mljet is also famous by it's lakes, caves, sandy bays and well kept woods od evergreen oak and aleppo pine. Over 70% of the island is covered by forests. In 1960., the northwestern part of the island was declared as a national park, and in 1997. the sea area was included. The national park Mljet is the oldest national park in the Adriatic , and it was given this status because of it's exceptional cultural and historical heritage. The lakes within the National Park, Small and Big Lake, are special geographic phenomenons, which has been directly connected to the sea with two chanels. In the heart of the Big Lake there is a small forested island of Saint Mary with a church and a Benedictine monastery that dates from the 12th century. There are also attractions outside the national park, such as The Ulysses cave (the Pit) in the central southern part of Mljet. The Pit has a collapsed ceiling by which it got its name, because when looked at from the air it looks like a big hole in the ground. Through the limestone layers a passage was created that looks like a tunnel, so you can enter the cave swimming or in a smaller boat.As another attraction, the beach Saplunara should be mentioned, which is a protected reserve because of its natural rarities - extraordinary jagged coastline, pine trees and sandy beaches.
