The lush, forested island of Mljet is a thin strip of land approximately 20 miles (32 km) long and 2 miles (3 km) wide that runs parallel to the mainland north of Dubrovnik.  Mljet is said to be the place where Odysseus holed up with the nymph Calypso for seven years, unable to tear himself away either from her or the beautiful island, and also lays claim to being the island of Melita, where St. Paul ran aground on his way to Italy and was bitten by a viper before setting sail again. 

Watch out for the mongooses whose ancestors were drafted in during the 19 century to get rid of the snakes and are still very much in evidence! In its day, Mljet was used by the Romans as a place of exile and later favored as a summer residence by the admirals of Dubrovnik. Okuklje is an attractive, land-locked anchorage surrounded by green, wooded slopes that gets busy in the summer months, so if you are in the mood for socializing with other sailing types it’s the place to head for.

There are a number of decent bars and restaurants and you can be assured that things don’t finish up too early in the evening. Some of the locals make a decent wine out of grapes grown in the island’s vineyards and it may be worth picking up a few bottles while you’re here. A yacht charter to Okuklje Mljet, allows you to explore the numerous secluded and scenic anchorages of the east coast of the island as you head north towards Polace and the national park, stopping to chill out and swim at whichever ones catch your eye.