Plitvice Lakes National Park (145km/90 miles southwest of Zagreb): Croatia's best-known natural wonder, the park's 16 crystal-clear turquoise lakes and their countless waterfalls, put on a great show. The lakes flow into one another and tumble over deposits of travertine, which creates waterfalls dropping a few feet or plunging as much as 64m (210 ft.). All this beauty is set in a dense forest accessed via footpaths and populated by bears and wild boar.
Kornati National Park (part of the Zadar Archipelago): Kornati's 140 islands are really the tops of mountains that were above sea level 20,000 years ago but now are mostly submerged. One side of each island consists of land that is rocky and lightly blanketed with vegetation (even a few grapevines and olive trees). The side facing the sea is a sheer rock wall known as a "crown" that plunges almost 76m (250 ft.) straight down into the water. Sixty-nine species of butterflies live here. Perhaps the most interesting area to explore is Kornati's offshore underwater landscape. Its rock formations support flourishing flora and fauna.
Paklenica National Park (between Zadar and Karlobag): Its raw beauty is best appreciated by hikers and nature lovers. Even motorists respect the imposing Velebeit peaks because the limestone cliffs soar above deep gorges and dense vegetation that hides caves bored into the rock.
Krka National Park (less than a half-hour from Sibenik): The park was formed to protect the Krka River, which runs from its source near Knin to the sea near Sibenik. The river has created a series of spectacular gorges, waterfalls, lakes, and rapids on its trip through the mountains. The most spectacular falls are the jaw-droppingly steep Skradinski Buk and Roski Slapovi. Between the two are Lake Visovac and Visovac Island, home to a Franciscan monastery.
