Walking in Komarna
Walking in the surrounding area of Komarna?
There are a few routes you can walk without first using a car to get you to the starting position - and there are a few where you should use a car.
When I suggest you use a car it is to avoid walking on the main coastal road where there often is heavy traffic, and you may not feel comfortable walking at the roadside. Most Croatians consider it futile to walk as God has given you the car - and as such there is not much consideration for pedestrians outside the cities.
You have three routes to choose from when starting out from Komarna on foot and a fourth that may take you anywhere in the mountains above Komarna
However, first a few words of warning: Bring water - a hat to protect your head - water - good shoes - water - sun cream - water - a reasonable constitution - water
I am 75 (2019) years old, I do not exercise much and I am able to walk the paths I propose - but I am also reasonably fit, in good health, and I have not tried to walk them in the high season where the temperature gets high and the sun is strong. Take care of yourself.
Start walking from Komarna
Unfortunately the bridge construction has blocked the roads to the east. You can walk down to the beach and a bit further, but then you come up against a fence that protects the workplace and we don't expect that to come down until 2023.
Route 1 - Komarna - 2.5 km - Obvious and easy to find. Walk around the village - along the water and back on the roads.
Walk up against the main road and turn left down a small road near the top - 550m
When the road divides after 50 meters keep right and walk until you see a road on your left, 2.5 km.
If you continue straight ahead the road will take you the Kremena and eventually also to Duba. Read more about that under route 6.
Turn left and walk uphill. The road may be closed by a gate. If you don't feel like climbing over or under the gate - that's it and you must turn back the same way you came.
If the gate is open walk up 500m. The road to the right is a dead end and leads out to a place where the Yugoslav navy had anti-aircraft guns to protect the caves that are in the cliffs right under your feet.
Turn left and walk on the top of the hills back to Komarna, 3 km.
Route 4B - Round trip to
the west - 5.5 km. Same as route 4A, but the other way around and with
a possible combination with route 4C and 4D.
Walk up against the main road and turn left down a small road near the
top - 550 m. When the road divides after 50 meters keep left. Walk
370m and turn right.
Walk 1.8 km and you reach a gate. The road may be closed by the gate.
If you don't feel like climbing over or under the gate turn back 120 m
and look for an almost invisible road on you right that goes down
towards the sea. Continue the description on 4D at the star mark (*)
Route 4C - Round trip to
the west - 6 km - first going down to the sea and then up on the hill.
Walk up against the main road and turn left down a small road near the
top - 550 m.
When the road divides after 50 meters keep left. Walk 370m and turn
left.
Walk down along the water 1 km and round a bend and turn left into an
almost overgrown path.
Follow that path for 1 km and at the top turn right on a road towards
Komarna and walk 1.7 km to where you entered the wine fields. From
here there is 1 km down to the village.
Route 4D - Round trip to
the west - 5.5 km - first stay on the hill and then down to the sea.
Walk up against the main road and turn left down a small road near the
top - 550 m.
When the road divides after 50 meters keep left. Walk 370m and turn
right.
Walk 1.7 km and look for an almost invisible road on you left that
goes down towards the sea.
If you reach a gate you have missed it. Then walk back 120 m and try
again.
(*) Follow the path for 1 km. and turn left when you reach another
road. Walk along it and along the wine fields for 700 m. Turn left and
walk back towards Komarna.
Drive to get to a starting point:
Route 5 - Stolovi by car - Minimum 5 km, but actually most roads mentioned here can be navigated by car, so it depends on where you choose to park and walk. The area around Stolovi and Slivno is beautiful and has been inhabited for many thousand years.
Drive your car to the main road and turn left until you see a small road turning sharply to the right after 3.5 kilometers.
Park your car here or drive up the road to Stolovi.
Distance from the main road to Stolovi is 2 km.
From Stolovi, there is a nice walk if you turn right. When there is a
junction after 250m keep to the left. Walk about a kilometer and enjoy
the views. On the way you pass a site that is under development and
will turn into an eco-farm. Notice the small stone hills that have
been preserved. They are old bogomil graves from the Roman time more
than 1000 years ago. If you continue to walk you will reach a dead end
2 km after the T-junction where you turned right at Stolovi. It is a
nice walk and the last part is through woods, and you will eventually
end up overlooking Duboka, but unfortunately you have to walk the same
way back.
If you continue straight on from Stolovi you reach a T-junction. Turn left to walk around the hill of the church of Sv. Liberate. It is a nice walk through old forest trees. DO NOT SMOKE. The forest is rare in Dalmatia and this one has so far been spared the forest fires that so often rage during summer. If you choose not to turn left at Stolovi to walk through the forest, but you continue to go ahead you will reach a T-junction and parking place after 400 m.
At the parking place, there is a small path to the church on the top of the hill. Turn so you face the hill. You will be looking at a low stone fence in front of you. Go to the right end of the fence and you can see the path going up. It is a climb of 300m and the reward is a fantastic 360 degree view of the area.
From the parking and T-junction, the road goes down to the church of
Slivno. Distance is 850 m. Look at the map if you want to walk a
longer trip, or take the car along and drive out to Smrdan Grad.
Route 6 - Raba and Kremena - 7 km, most roads here can be used by a car - but not all - be careful. The area around Kremena used to be inhabited by 50% Serbs and there is still an orthodox church on the hill in Kremena.
Drive your car towards Opuzen and turn left towards Raba and Kremena, 4 km.
Park the car here and walk towards Kremena and Duba until there is a road turning of to the right, 1 km.
Follow the road to the right down to Duba.
In Duba turn left along the water.
Turn left on the road here and walk towards Kremena.
Follow the road and it will lead you all the way back to where you parked the car.
Sv. Spiro
To find the orthodox church drive from Raba towards Kremena. After 1 km keep to the left. Drive 420 meter to a sharp right turn and drive 150 meters to where there might be a sign saying Sv. Spiro, but don't count on it. Park your car here. There is a 700-meter walk to the church.
Take the road that is paved with concrete.
50 meters to a crossroad - continue straight ahead.
120 meters to a T-junction - turn right.
350 meters to a crossroad - follow the concrete road ahead.
150 meters along a stone wall and you see the church.
You may drive closer to the church by driving 300 meters from the sharp turn and then turn left. Drive 300 meters from there and turn left again and after another 100 meters the road to the church is on your right.
Route 7 - Raba and return to Komarna, one-way by car and walk home - 6 km, this route will take you down past a bay where there are caves used by the Yugoslav navy to hide their ships.
Get a lift towards Opuzen and get off the car at the road to Raba and Kremena, 4 km.
Walk towards Kremena, 1.8 km
Where the road turns right towards Kremena and Duba, turn left and walk down to the beach, 500m.
Continue straight ahead and walk until you reach the road down to Komarna 3.5 km.
Route 8 - Slivno. Drive along the main road towards Opuzen. After 6 km turn right at the big white cross (sharp turn) towards Slivno Ravno. Drive up to the church, 800m and park the car. From here you can walk towards Stolovi and the small Sv. Liberate Church. See description under route 5.
Walk along the church wall and keep right. This will lead you down a small road that leads to an abandoned village. You can also drive the car down to a spot 1.1 km from Slivno church and walk the last 2-300 meter and have a look at the area and the ruins of the houses. The village has been inhabited on and off for maybe 4000 years and nobody lives here now, but people still come to look after the olive trees.
If you follow the main road you arrived by you can walk to Smrdan Grad, 2km. Half-way you pass an old burial ground with Illyrian and Bogomil stones. It was used by the people who inhabited the village you can get to by the other parallel road. The road to Smrdan Grad can also be used by car and from Smrdan Grad you can continue straight on for 1 km and turn right. This will take you down to the coastal road just before the border station. From here there is about 5 km back to Komarna. If you are tough enough to walk here then cross the road and you can walk along the water back to Klek. Continue through Klek and continue through Radalj and you are only 2 km from Komarna.