Hike in Paklenica National Park, Starigrad (Paklenica)

Nature and outdoor lovers rejoice! Rise early and make your way east to Paklenica National Park, the most accessible hiking area in the southern Velebit mountains. Made up of dramatic karst formations, the park is most known for two limestone gorges, Velika Paklenica and Mala Paklenica (literally meaning Big Paklenica and Small Paklenica), which run down toward the sea and offer plenty of hiking and rock-climbing options for the active traveler.  

A great place to start is in Starigrad, where you can lace up your hiking boots and set out to trek through black-pine and beech forests under the 1,312 feet (400 m) craggy limestone cliffs of Velika Paklenica. A prime rock-climbing destination in Europe, you can complete a 12-mile (19 km) loop and stop for a traditionally prepared lunch in the one-house village of Ramići before making your way back to Starigrad.

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