PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
The island's surroundings

Discover the magical surroundings of one of the islands in the densest cluster of islands in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean. The unbelievable natural diversity, small towns and coves with lovely sand and pebble beaches form a breathtaking picture which will stay in your heart forever.Murter sea

 

The Murter sea is the biggest sea area between the Šibenik and Zadar archipelagos. It covers 210 square kilometres, and it is up to 94 meters deep. On the northeast side of the Murter sea is the Murter island, from the northwest, southwest and south it is surrounded by the Kornati archipelago, and on its east side are the famous Šibenik islands Žirje, Kakan i Kaprije. The Murter Sea may not be large, but it is known to be unpredictable. It boasts strong winds, sudden wind speed changes, as well as strong currents, so sailors need to be cautious when navigating its waters.

Vrana Lake

Lake Vrana Nature Park represents a unique wetland area of the Croatian coast. Its vast reed beds and narrow belt of floodplain grasslands that spread throughout the ornithological reserve are most valuable in terms of biodiversity and present very important bird habitats. A total of 234 species of birds have been recorded and 102 species nest within the park boundaries, so the area is of international importance as a resting and feeding ground for migratory birds. According to some estimates, each day during the autumn migration 200,000 migratory birds inhabit the park area, while occasionally this figure increases up to 400,000!

The lake can only be sailed by boats rented from the Nature Reserve, which offers recreational fishing as well as photo safari for nature enthusiasts interested in observing and photographing flora and fauna. The Vrana Lake is a favourite among cyclists as well, since over 50km of cycling trails surround the lake, differing in intensity and the scenery they pass through.

Modrave

The narrow isthmus between the Adriatic Sea and Vransko jezero. It stretches from Prosika to Draga. Modrave are about 8500 meters long, and 750 to 3100 meters wide. It is the only area in Croatia that borders both the sea and a lake, and has two so different, natural environments at such close distance. Modrave used to be cultivated with vineyards, now only olives are grown there. Since 1880 the owners of Modrave have been the inhabitants of Betina and Murter – it took them over 150 years to win their rights to own land on that unusual and fertile area. When Murterians came to Modrave, construction began on one of the largest olive groves in the Mediterranean, renowned for its high quality olive oil. The oil from Modrave became a symbol for investments in olive growing with the aim of achieving prosperity on Murter.