Pirates of Dalmatia

Thursday, June 2, 2005
Croatia

 Komin is easier to get to now than in the old days, when it was a secret
stronghold for Dalmatian pirates; the ferry from Sucuraj lands there now.
The people you meet onshore may well be descended from those earlier,
colorful inhabitants.

Dear International Living Reader,

Komin is a peaceful place now, but it is said that the entire population of the village is descended from a single family of pirates.

Komin is near the town of Ploce on Croatia's Dalmatian Coastline, located on one bank of the River Neretva, whose source is the 7,000-foot Prenj Plateau in the wild uplands of Bosnia Herzegovina. The Neretva Delta is now a Nature Reserve due to its unique species of reed and variety of birdlife.

The story goes that the 15th-century forefathers of Komin were a ruthless band of pirates who regularly stole out to sea from the sheltering reeds of the Delta to prey on Venetian merchant ships trading with the then Dubrovnik Republic.

The Pirates chose their hiding place and escape route well. The Neretva Delta, a dense maze of reed beds, provided ample shelter and cover for their escape. Their secret village was established far enough upriver to avoid capture, as their small boats could navigate the narrow and shallow waters without fear of pursuit. No bridges connected Komin to the mainland, and the village was (and remains) hidden from the open sea by the mountainous Pelje?ac Peninsula, which today gives access to the island of Korcula.

Times have changed. This area is now famous for tangerine-growing rather than piracy, and you can get to Komin by car via a bridge downriver from the village.

The present-day road connecting Komin to the rest of the world is stunning, with beautiful views out over islands and bays, but its 120 miles take three to four hours to drive. A newer, faster highway is being built on the other side of the mountains, and soon this area, now accessible by the scenic route only, will be connected to the highway by a tunnel to be built near Drvenik, roughly halfway down this stretch of coastline.

The tunnel will certainly improve access to this area. It will also make it much easier to get to the very undeveloped southern part of beautiful Hvar Island; this is where the 40-minute ferry ride from Sucuraj ('Soochoorai') comes ashore.

Jocelyn Carnegie
For International Living

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Further reading
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* "Croatia has more coast than anywhere else in New Europe…" Find out our pick for the best beach in Croatia in the June issue of IL in print, available online here for paid print subscribers.

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