10-The Hyllis peninsula
If you are looking for extraordinary Dalmatian destinations about whose stories you have to dig a little deeper, then the Marina peninsula is the right choice for you! The earliest stories about Marina’s origins, a charming town after which this area is named, spring from wells and are hidden in ceramic dishes! You may have guessed it already; we are talking about the inevitable ancient Illyrians and Romans. However, the history of a slightly later period, from the 15th century, when the Turkish invaders decided to ravage these stunning areas of branched coves on the enchanting shores of the Adriatic, is a little louder. The streets of Marina still echo the story of about thirty fearless women who, putting on men’s uniforms and reaching for weapons, stood up to defend their land. The conflict ended with a big bang – the explosion of the tower, which also destroyed part of the enemy. The tower itself was not blown up, although the most impressive one certainly was!
Marina
27.3km
3h
Technical characteristics
The most demanding part of this 27.8 km long trail with a 515 m difference in altitude, begins at the very start with a road climb where the gradient rises to 20%, but with a very high-quality asphalt surface and a short length of just 1 km. After the first climb, the trail slowly descends along the road towards Vinišće, around which it makes a circle, and then climbs on an asphalt road to Dubrave, where the fine macadam section begins. The ascent to Sevid is asphalted with very gentle gradients, as well as several flat sections, with a total length of 4.3 km. The descent towards Dvornica has gentle gradients and an asphalt surface and is not dangerous to ride. Another short demanding section is located at the exit from Dvornica, where the climb is 800 m long with an average gradient of 6.8%. From Dvornica to Podorljak, you ride on narrow roads without traffic. Near Podorljak, the trail joins the main road, which leads back to the finish line in Marina along a slight downhill. This trail can be managed on trekking, gravel or MTB bikes. With special attention on the macadam sections, it can also be ridden on a road bike with slightly wider tires.