Anchored off the bow and stern-tied to a tree just downstream of Skraden we enjoyed a refreshing swim in only slightly salty. nearly fresh water, being some eight miles up the river. We found the historic Roman village to be a pleasant one-street town of stone houses with a small marina tucked into one of the Krka River's small inlets. And, most importantly, it was the best base for traveling to the fantastic, spectacular and expansive Krka National Park and waterfalls.

We were at the Skraden harborfront dock early in the morning for the 20 minute ferry boat ride taking us through colorful marshes below huge granite and limestone cliffs to the park entrance at Skradinski But, a 500 meter sequence of seventeen cascades spilling over barriers of travertine limestone sediment behind which lie pools surrounded by reeds and semi-submerged forest. One of the more dramatic sequences of falls is just up from the boat landing with several tiers of waterfall tumbling into a broad shallow pool open to swimmers, which Craig, of course, had to join for a quick dip. That's also the water fall that powered a hydroelectric plant that opened the same time as Niagara Falls plant - thanks to the Croatian scientist Tesla - neat stuff to learn about.

Our concern about heaps of crowds visiting this major Croatian tourist destination on a Saturday in peak season was warranted but not until the afternoon and we'd had our fill of a delightful morning walk through the beautifully maintained park. We couldn't help taking many, many photos, so checkout the gallery for a virtual tour!