Starigrad
Starigrad-Paklenica is the southeastern center of Croatia’s 150 km long coastline under the Velebit mountain range. At this point of the narrow foothill coast the sediments of Velika Paklenica Creek here created a larger area – and this allowed the creation of a larger settlement, too. This happened as early as the times of ancient Rome, the town was known as Argyruntum in the Roman era.
Why Starigrad-Paklenica is a Must See loaction on Your Croatia Cruise Vacation
The park covers an area of just 4,000 hectares in Central Dalmatia of untouched wilderness with an astounding diversity of flora and fauna. The park contains some of the country’s most stunning scenery, with vast woodland areas, rivers, waterfalls and the two deep canyons of Velika and Mala Paklenica, rising 400 m. in some places.
Paklenica is a natural phenomena of the Dalmatian karst region, full of stupendous caves and caverns festooned with amazing shapes of stalactites and stalagmites. Activities: Mountaineering and trekking tours, hiking and walking, potholing, mountain-biking and rafting.
Velika (Big) Paklenica Canyon is situated right above Starigrad and along with Mala (Small) Velika Canyon (slightly east of Starigrad) these natural treasures secured the creation of the Paklenica National Park.
The national park is the main tourist attraction of the area – and Starigrad’s tourist offer is based on guests visiting the park, let them simple visitors or mountaineers or climbers.
Being a seaside town, Starigrad, of course, has a choice of beaches, too. The most developed one is the Blue Flag awarded Hotel Alan Beach.
Starting from here towards east one would find a long untouched gravel beach, while below the streets and houses of the town one can enjoy a mixture of beaches covered either with concrete (on terraces) or gravel.
Starigrad’s highest capacity accommodation option (in terms of beds) is Hotel Alan, which is followed by a number of smaller hotels.
The bulk of beds, just like anywhere else on the Dalmatian coast, is offered at private apartments. Camp Paklenica is located right next to Hotel Alan and besides that larger campsite Starigrad has two more camps in the town.
Velebit, a natural park and the beauty of the Croatian mountains, is located above two pearls – Paklenica, a national park on the mainland, and Starigrad, a beautiful and quiet seaside town, the center of the Paklenica Riviera.
Guests who long for diversity will enjoy here – Starigrad and the sea, Paklenica, Velebit and kilometers of pebble beaches. Starigrad is located on the Adriatic main road and the Paklenica National Park can be reached by smaller boats. The nearest airports: Zadar 30 km. Split 170 km.
