Mljet National Park is well on its way to becoming the first true “green” island in the world.
Mljet National Park was founded on November 11, 1960, and is actually the oldest marine protected area in the Mediterranean. In November 2016, the park celebrated their 56th birthday.
The park itself is over 5400 hectares, including a marine area of 500 meters which spans almost a third of the island. In addition, there are two deep seawater-filled bays known as the "Small Lake" and "Great Lake" that are considered the most famous locations in the area.
While the park is rich with life, it is also rich with cultural heritage and the Benedictine monastery on the island of St. Mary in the southern part of the “Great Lake” is perhaps the most popular destination to visit at the park.
So how is Mljet on its way to becoming the first green island in the world?
For starters, Mljet National Park will welcome their first electric ships this year for the transport of passengers which will use only electric power. The park has ordered three of them, reports HRTurizam on March 21, 2017.
In the next two years, Mljet will get two more electric ships in an effort to fully eliminate the old ships that run on fossil fuels. To ensure this goes forward, the Croatian Government gave their consent on September 14, 2016, for the conclusion of contracts for three tourist ships, worth 9.9 million kuna for the park.
Last year, Mljet National Park also introduced two electric tourist trains and electric vehicles, all under the vision of developing Mljet National Park as the “first green island in the world".
We know we’re impressed, and will continue to watch this green journey unfold! But in the meantime, here’s a video of Mljet National Park - beautiful is an understatement.
