Saplunara

Saplunara sits at the opposite end of Mljet from the national park, at the island's south-eastern tip, and its two bays hold genuine sand - the name comes from the Latin for sand - backed by dense Aleppo pine that comes right down to the shore. The bays are protected, which is part of why the development around them is still a handful of houses and small family places rather than hotels. It is a long drive from the ferry ports along a single island road, and that distance, more than any restriction, is what keeps the numbers down even in August.

Highlights

• Two sandy bays - unusual on Mljet and on this coast.
• Pine woods to the shore - the shade behind the sand.
• Protected bays - kept free of hotel building.
• Very little development - a few houses and family places.

When to go

June to September. Half a day.

What to expect

It is a long drive from the ferry at the other end of the island. Services are minimal - a few small restaurants and rooms. There are no shops worth the name nearby. Mosquitoes are heavy in the evening near the pines.

Nearby

Mljet national park is at the western end; Sobra is the ferry port.