Day trip to Mljet from Dubrovnik
Mljet is Croatia's greenest island — 72% forested and home to 2 saltwater lakes with a monastery on an island in the middle of one of them.
Saltwater lakes of Mljet national park
The ferry logistics
Fast catamarans (Krilo or G&V Line) leave Gruž port at 9am for Pomena or Sobra, taking 1 hour 45 minutes, $22 one way. Book the return in advance — usually 4:15pm from Pomena. The slower Jadrolinija car ferry takes 2 hours 20 minutes but costs $10 and lets you sit on deck. Bring a picnic; the one shop in Pomena is limited and closes at 3pm.
What to do in the national park
Park entry is $27 in July-August, $15 in shoulder season, and includes the boat to St Mary's island in the middle of Veliko Jezero. Rent a bike at Pomena ($8/day) and ride the 8 miles around the two lakes — flat, shaded, and one of the loveliest cycles in the Adriatic. Swim at any of the numbered points; the water in the lakes is warmer and clearer than the open sea. The 12th-century Benedictine monastery on St Mary's is 20 minutes on foot from the boat dock.
Beyond the park
If you skip the lakes for a beach day, Saplunara on the far southeast of the island has one of the only true sand beaches in the region — but it's a 40-minute drive from Pomena so you need a rental scooter ($30). Odysseus Cave, reachable by kayak from Pomena in 1 hour, is a swim-through sea cave with a shaft of sunlight at midday. Neither works easily if you’re on a day trip; consider staying overnight.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask before they set off on this one.
Yes for the national park and lakes. For the sand beach at Saplunara you really need a second day.
In July and August, yes — the 9am catamaran sells out by evening. Off-season you can walk on.
$27 in high season, $15 in shoulder, free in winter. Includes the boat to St Mary's monastery.
The national park is fully bike- and walkable from Pomena. For the rest of the island you need a scooter or car.
Hotels in Dubrovnik
More guides to Dubrovnik
All guides
Itineraries · 7 min read
48 hours in Dubrovnik
Two days is tight for a UNESCO-listed walled city, so this itinerary front-loads the walls at dawn and saves 1 slow evening for Lokrum.
Itineraries · 9 min read
One week in Dubrovnik
Seven days lets you go beyond the postcard walls into 3 islands, a peninsula of oyster farms, and 2 quieter beach bases that most weekend visitors miss.
Itineraries · 7 min read
Dubrovnik in 3 days on a budget
Yes, Dubrovnik is expensive — but $90 a day is doable if you sleep in Gruž, buy the 3-day Pass, and eat where dockworkers eat.
Same hotels, same prices you would find anywhere, plus one verified tonne of carbon removal funded with every booking.