Jeweled Salamanders and Paraiba Tourmaline Lakes

Saturday, July 9th, Plitvica Lakes

We wake early and walk across the street to a nearby restaurant for breakfast. We are the only patrons and we order cappuccinos and three breakfast plates of cold ham, cheese and bread. Last night we read the guide book to plan our day at the lakes. Although we can take a bus into the park and avoid parking challenges we decide to drive into the park. We have heard that at high season there can be as many as 15,000 visitors each day and Art drops me at the entrance to buy tickets while he and John find parking. The price for a single day entry is approximately $25 per adult and $15 for students and children. The Kuna to dollar exchange rate is currently in our favor. There are two and three day passes also available and along with our tickets we are handed maps that chart out the various hiking routes depending on one’s available time and fitness level. Art and I get senior discounts and with maps in hand we catch the shuttle bus to the start of our chosen route which will take us throughout the park and most of the day to hike.

The ticket kiosk at Plitvica Lakes 

Trail Options

It is a glorious and beautiful day and the three of us walk a raised meandering boardwalk above shallow crystal clear pools alive with darting fish. Water shimmers in the sunlight and larger fish take shelter under submerged logs along shadowed banks. Initially the boardwalk winds through lush meadows fringed by Alpine forests but we soon arrive at the beginning of the chain of larger lakes, all the surreal color of Paraiba tourmaline.

Meadow Boardwalk

Plitvica Lake Boardwalk

Plitvica Lake Fish

In mid July, the day is hot but we are surrounded by water, rushing streams and cascading waterfalls. At each turn along the path a vista more beautiful that the last awaits us.

There are traffic jams of tourists along the boardwalk and we let clusters pass or we speed ahead to find moments of solitude along the trail.

Stream feeding into the lake

Crowds of tourists along the boardwalks

Stream feeding into the lake

We come to a group of photographers with their lenses focused a few feet up the hillside and I push in to watch a shiny yellow and black spotted salamander nudging it’s way slowly through the fallen leaves.

Spotted Salamander

The boardwalk turns into a wider pathway and the switchbacks take us steadily uphill where we have expansive vistas of the turquoise lakes below.

Switchback trail

Marty and Art, Vista at Plitvica Lake

The trail continues to climb and then descend and once again we are walking a boardwalk along the perimeter of the lake. Feathery waterfalls cascade into the lake below, the foliage diverting the water into many falling rivulets. I can only imagine how powerful the falls must be during the rainy season. We break the rules and step a few feet off the pathway to catch our breath and rest on a fallen log with a lakeside view.

Waterfalls feed the Plitvica Lake chain

Cascading streams

Feathery Waterfalls

Included in the ticket price is a ferry ride from one side of the lake to the other where one can choose from a number of trails and continue to hike other sections of the park. The ferry docks at a communal park area with picnic benches and restroom facilities and when we find a shaded table, we unpack our picnic and refuel.

Picnic area

Ferry across the lake

The chain of Plitvica Lakes are at varied elevations and after lunch our trail climbs high up to a series of caves and grottos in the cliff side. Art and I climb most of the way but when a steep rock hewn stairway ascends another 100 feet, we wait below while John sprints to the top.

Art below the cliff grotto

Grotto

Trailside Flower

John and Marty, Plitvica Lake Waterfall

After about 6 hours of hiking we have reached the end of our route. We have all enjoyed the day; both the exercise and the intoxicating beauty of jeweled lakes the color of tourmalines.

Plitvica Lake Vista

Vista of one of the Plitvica Lake Boardwalks

By the time we catch the shuttle back to the parking lot it is late afternoon. I pay for the parking while Art and John retrieve our car and we drive back to our guest house. The owner offers us schnapps and we sit on the terrace and drink her strong home distilled liquor and visit awkwardly. Communication is painful since her English is minimal and our Croatian nonexistent but John, with energy to spare, manages to get directions to a swimming spot along the nearby river. As tired as I am I set out walking along the road with him until I realize the swimming spot is further than I imagined.  I return to our simple room, check e-mail and rest until John returns. We eat another fine dinner at the same restaurant as last night and fall into our beds exhausted.