Biograd na Moru

September 5, 2018

We spent more time than usual last night staring at the map and discussing the route to Biograd na Moru (which translates as White City by the Sea). Three options were considered - biking along the coast the whole way (40 miles); taking an island hopping ferry to Vodice, and biking along the coast from there (30 miles); and biking in the interior by way of Skradin (50 miles).

The concern with the obvious route, along the coast, was crossing the narrow, high and long Sibenik Bridge across the mouth of the Krka River. We researched it as much as we could, didn’t find much, but concluded it sounded too scary for our tastes. The ferry route looked safe enough, but didn’t leave until mid morning and seemed too short anyway. So we biked to Skradin.

Great choice! The ride is fine for the whole way, except for a few short busyish stretches. Not too hilly, not too hot - we even got a very brief shower - but best of all was that it brought us to the western entrance to Krka National Park, one of Croatia’s big tourism sites.

Looking down on Skradin. On the right is the channel of the Krka River leading to the national park.

It’s a four kilometer bike ride or walk from the entrance gate to the park to the falls. It’s a pleasant, comfortable ride the whole way.

A few people bike to the falls; a few more walk; but most take a boat from Skradin.

I’m not sure now why we didn’t plan this out from the start. I think I just didn’t realize how easy it would be to access the park by bike. In fact, it’s probably the best way to visit Skradinski Buk, the lowest and most visited of the seven waterfalls in the park. There’s about a two mile dirt/gravel road from the highway to the beginning of the falls that make the park famous. It’s a car-free area, so you get in by bicycle (they’re for rent by the entrance gate), by walking, or by doing what nearly everyone does - boarding one of the many boats that ferry hoards of visitors up the cliff lined mouth of the Krka River.

The lowest falls, Skradinski Buk, is a great attraction. There is a two or three mile walking route that takes you on a loop through them, most of the way on a boardwalk through lush woods and across ponds, shallows and cascades. Get there early - it was quiet when we arrived at 9:30 but was turning into a mob scene by noon.

Skradinski Buk, the lowest of the seven waterfalls in Krka National Park

A remnant of the hydroelectric power plant, one of the fire AC plants in the world - the one at Niagra beat it out by just a few weeks, if I remember correctly from the display.

Figs! No need to bring your lunch - there are a few dozen stands and restaurants near the falls offering variety of choices.

Schools of fish were a common sight in the shallows by the walking path.

The ride from Skradin to Biograd was straight-forward, without many reasons to stop and not too much to say about it - just a pleasant, rolling ride through the countryside, biking into a modest headwind past pine forests, olive groves, and vineyards on a very quiet road. For most of the distance we bike northwest, paralleling the coast but about ten miles inland, cut off by a low ridge that looks like an ancient sand dune gone to forest. At Benkovac, the only community of any size along the way, we turn southwest toward the coast, picking up a bit of traffic.

We arrived at Biograd about four o’clock, and for a nice change didn’t have any staircases to overcome on the way to our room. I’ll talk tomorrow about our stay in Biograd, a small town that is half tourist resort and half fishing port. I’m out of time now though - it’s time to catch the ferry to Pasman Island.

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Bike stats today: 54 miles, 4,000’; for the tour, 284 miles, 20,800’

Today's ride: 54 miles (87 km)
Total: 284 miles (457 km)

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