Croatia · Dalmatia

Sladinac

Directions

Jezero Sladinac

Sladinac is one of the six joined Baćina lakes near Ploče, at the mouth of the Neretva valley, and the one with the deepest history: on its shore lie the remains of the Roman settlement of Praetoria. Narrow channels link it with the other lakes, so it lies on the route of the boat trips across the group.

History

Archaeologists have found the remains of Praetoria by Sladinac, along with an early Christian basilica of the 6th century and a group of stećci, the medieval tombstones of the region. Locals call the Baćina lakes the pearls of Queen Teuta, after the Illyrian queen who, legend says, loved them.

Nature

The lakes lie in a karst cryptodepression, fed by springs and underground channels and fringed with reeds, willows and water lilies, wetland communities that are rare on the eastern Adriatic coast. They belong to the Natura 2000 network and hold many kinds of fish, several of them rare endemics.

Visit

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

The Baćina lakes lie a few kilometres from Ploče, just off the main road between Makarska and Dubrovnik; the viewpoint car park on the main road fills quickly in high summer, while the lakeside is usually quieter. A walking and cycling path links the six joined lakes, with benches, springs and information boards about the dragonflies, amphibians, reptiles and birds that live here.

A ride in a lađa, the traditional Neretva boat, takes you across all six lakes, and kayaks and paddleboards reach the quiet coves and small beaches. The main bathing spots are near the Mindel spring; in summer the lakes are a few degrees warmer than the sea, so the swimming season starts early and lasts long.