Airport and transport – draw-bridge connects island to the mainland; Šibenik (around 32 km); airports in Zadar (around 67 km) and Split (around 90 km); regular ferry and catamaran lines (connection with many islands and mainland).
History – the island has been populated for nearly two millennia; an Illyric–Roman settlement Colentum has been found (remains, now largely submerged under the sea, lie at the foot of the hill Gradina); highest prosperity during the rule of Roman emperors Nero and Vespasian (1st century; whose money was found); since 1740 the island is called Murter; connection to a mainland by a bascule bridge since 1832; in 1866 in Murter was founded first Public library in Dalmatia; grammar school and post office were founded in 1877; the beginnings of tourism date back to the 1930’s, when Czech Villa was built.
Interesting to see: church of Our Lady of Gradina (17th century); church of St. Michael (reconstructed in 18th century; features a Baroque altar); church of St. Rock (18th century).
Info – population 5 192; coastline 42.6 km; the island has lots of rocky beaches, as well as several sandy ones; highest point is Raduč, 125 m; in village Betina (thanks to its location and well kept architecture, is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in the Adriatic) there are nearly 100 small family shipyards (use hand tools to build strong and lasting traditional wooden boats); Many Christian texts written in Glagolitic instead of the traditional Latin style have been found and are preserved (here and in the Vatican).
Where to go out: numerous restaurants and taverns; concerts of classical and popular music and the local church singing
Inevitable to see: Kornati Cup (held in April; traditional sailing regatta); “The Latin Sail” (end of September; traditional regatta in wooden sailing boats in the afternoon, folk-party in the evening).
Inevitable to taste: fish and meat dishes (prepared in the indigenous way); olive oil (islanders known as excellent producers).
Good to know: inhabitants from Murter own most of the land of the Kornati Islands; mostly unknown is that the island had a military base built in World War Two on top of the hill, with tunnels bored deep inside it (some locals believe the place is haunted).
For sailors:
Betina: sheltered from jugo and E wind. Berth: from the inner side of the breakwater to its middle (3-3.5 m deep; afterwards is water polo field); another mole (parallel with the breakwater; depths 2-2.5 m; warning-shallow: from the middle toward the heel). Warning: during the strong jugo waves slope over the breakwater.
(Betina) Marina Betina: Berth: from the middle of the breakwater toward the heel or along one of the moles. Warning: along E coast of the cape Gradina is craggy bottom (mark of shallowness should be bypassed); during bora it is not recommendable to sail in or out of the marina.
Hramina: exposed to NW wind; sheltered from all other winds. Approach: (during the day; depend of the draught of the vessel) passages between many islets in NW direction (from the bay Hramina); (during the night) direction toward the lighthouse on the islet Artica Vela (last in the string of the islets; stretches from the bay in NW direction), then toward the white light on the shallow Kušija, then toward isolated danger mark (300 m distance from the W coast of the islet Arta Mala), then E from the white light on the islet Tegina, and further toward the port lights. Berth: (vessels with the draught lesser than 2 m) along moles between marina and the main pier (red light on the head); in NE part of the bay in marina Hramina. Shallows: in passages between the islets Tegina, Vinik Veli, Vinik Mali and on W coast (of the bay Hramina; the highest depths are around 1 m). Warning: depths in the passages between the islets are various; (for approach in the bay) required direction is E from the white light (on the islet Tegina) and further toward the port lights.
(Hramina) Marina Hramina: (approach – see Hramina); sheltered from all winds. Berth: along inner moles or S breakwater (of marina). Warning: impossible to berth along N breakwater (with the port light); petrol station is 50 m under the S breakwater (of marina).
Jezera: exposed to E and jugo; sense of strong bora (in front of the entrance in the bay); sheltered from all winds (inside the ACI marina). Enter in the harbor is possible from the both side of the islet Školjić (depth is 7 m in N passage and 15 m in S passage). Berth: in marina or in quarter mooring from the inner side of the second jetty. Shallow: between Murter and islet Hrbošnjak. Warning: in approach from SE there is an islet Hrbošnjak (it should be sail around from the E side; because between it and the Murter is shallow).
ACI marina Jezera (on the S part of the bay Jezera; from the E side protected by the breakwater): sheltered from all winds. Approach (see Jezera); orientation while approaching in marina is the lighthouse (red light; on the head of the breakwater).
Kosirina: exposed to jugo; sheltered from all other winds. Mooring: on the middle of the bay (depth around 8 m; pebbly and sandy bottom; anchor holds well). Warning: in front of the entrance in the bay there is an islet Tužbina; reef is around 350 m SE (from the islet Tužbina).
Slanica: exposed to all winds (except to bora); sheltered from bora. Mooring: in the outer part of the bay. Shallows: bay is very shallow; sandy beach (in the bottom of the bay; about 150 m from the shore); (shallow with reefs) all along the coast of the bay. Warning: cliffs Mišine (around 0.6 NM SW from the bay; on the tallest one is a lighthouse with a red light); shallows and reefs along the coast of the bay; on the middle of the bay depths are only around 5 m; (during the touristic season) bay is full with bathers.
Sveti Nikola: exposed to jugo; sheltered from all winds (except from jugo). Shallows: (more or less) along few smaller moles in the bay; along the mole with the lighthouse (1.5 m) and along the waterfront in front of the building of the warehouse. Warning: cliff Kamičić (around 1 NM SW of the bay; W from islets Vodenjak and Kukuljari).
Tisno: exposed to bora and jugo. Approach: see the Murter channel. Berth: (vessels with the smaller draught; up to 2 m) from the inner side of the breakwater (SE from the bridge; red light on the head of the breakwater) or along the wharf. Mooring: N from the islet Ljutac (depth around 22 m). Warning: sea current is very strong (during the SE and NW winds reaches the speed of up to 4 knots); depth under the bridge is 2.4 m; height to the arch of the bridge is 2 m (drawbridge, during the touristic season, opens every day from 9.00 till 9.30 and from 17.00 till 17.30 hours).
Vršak (small port on the NW side of the islet Školjić; connected to the coast of the island Murter): exposed to W and NW wind; sheltered from bora and jugo. Berth: (in the port) small pier in the shape of the letter L (from its outer side, turned to the NW, depth is around 4 m). Shallows: (in the port; small pier in the shape of the letter L) toward the heel (depth falls up to 1.5 m) and in the inner part of the port (around 2 m); along the inner side of the pier (from accreted rocks; below 1 m). Warning: there are many cliffs named Mišine (approach from S direction; marked with red light); during the touristic season place for berth is almost impossible to find (here dock tourist boats for Kornati).
Vučigrađe: exposed to jugo; sheltered from the winds of the IV quadrant. Mooring: on the middle of the bay (depths around 8 m). Shallows: (area of shallows) on the enter of the bay, in front of the cape on the W side; (mole; on the W side of the bay) by the head (around 1 m) and along the mole (depths are even lower); in the bottom of the bay (behind the mole).
Murter Channel (passage between the island Murter and the coast; on the middle of the channel bridge connects island Murter with the coast; depth under the bridge is 2.4 m; height until the arch of the bridge is 2 m; drawbridge is, during the tourist season, open every day from 9.00 till 9.30 and from 17.00 till 17.30): Exposed: bora blows strongly (from different directions; but it doesn’t cause big waves); jugo blows little bit lesser. Sheltered from all other winds (in ACI marina Jezera). Mooring: N from the islet Ljutac (depth around 22 m). Shallows: NW part (by the bridge) is much more shallow than the SE part (only on the middle of the channel depths are from 8 to 11 m); along shores are shallow; all along many islets (mostly clearly visible) in SE part of the channel; (in S approach to the channel) from the SW is a shallow Mijoka; in passage between islet Hrbošnjak and the coast of the island Murter (only 3 m); on the middle of the passage between the islets Ljutac and Školjić (shallow is 5 m long). Warning: strong sea current can be felt in the passage (during the SE and NW winds; reach up the speed of up to 4 knots); reef Bačvica (SE from islet Dražemanski Veliki); in the passage between the islets Ljutac and Borovnik depth is 4 m.
