Plitvice and Velebit · Moderate · There and back

Manita Peć Cave from Velika Paklenica

Up the Velika Paklenica canyon and a zigzag path to Manita peć, the national park's show cave high above the gorge.

Distance
8.0 km (5.0 mi)
Ascent
452 m
Time
About 3 h 30 min
High point
578 m
Grade
Moderate

Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.

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Manita Peć Cave from Velika Paklenica
optimatyi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

From the car park at the end of the road in Velika Paklenica, walk up the floor of the canyon beside the stream, between limestone walls well known to climbers. After a while a signed path leaves the canyon and zigzags up the slope through pine and scrub to the entrance of Manita peć at about 570 m, with views back down the gorge. Guides take visitors through its chambers in small groups. Return the same way.

It is 8 km there and back with 452 m of ascent; allow about 3½ hours, plus about half an hour for the cave tour. The grade is Moderate: a good canyon path, then a steep, stony climb with many bends.

A park ticket is needed. The cave has its own ticket, paid in cash at the entrance, and opens only at set times: in October on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 13:00, and daily from July to September. Arrive at least half an hour before closing. Inside it stays at about 9°C all year. The climb is hot in summer: start early and carry water.

The road into Velika Paklenica starts at Starigrad; the pay car park is at its end, inside the park.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.

Good to know

  • The path climbs from the floor of the Velika Paklenica canyon to a show cave at 570 m
  • Manita peć has been visited since 1937; its chambers are seen on short guided tours
  • The cave stays at about 9°C all year, so take a layer
  • Paklenica National Park was declared in 1949; its beech forests are on the UNESCO World Heritage list

Getting there

Start: Starigrad, Velika Paklenica car park · Pay and display. 44.30236, 15.47073

Directions to the start

Places to stay nearby

Rooms in and around Starigrad: Booking.com → Expedia →

Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.

Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.