Anchoring in Vrulje means visiting the Kornati metropolis, if we can call it that. At any rate, it is the only real settlement in the archipelago. There are four rows of houses divided by three narrow streets, squashed into the east arm of the bay, and from spring to late autumn, they bustle with life. You will find all sorts and conditions of men – beekeepers, poets, builders, national park staff, fishermen, the women in charge and the children spending their summer holidays here. I love Friday afternoons, when the locals are hard at work in the fields, and the little boats from Vruljare on Murter begin to arrive, piled high with everything you might need for a weekend or longer visit to this island. Their owners start unloading bundles, boxes, bags and pieces of furniture. There are several places to eat in Vrulje. There is Ante’s, owned by one of the longest-serving providers of fare for hungry souls, and there are his rivals, Ive Lovrić Sontela, and the Robinson Tavern. One of the two receptions for the Kornati National Park is located in Vrulje, as is a shop, and there is a supply boat which does the rounds. It feels like civilisation, but it is as though two parallel worlds are happening at the same time. There are the Kornati people, still living in the past, fishing and tending their fields, and then there are the invaders, people like you and me, arriving in our boats or putting up our holiday cottages, hungry for a taste of that Kornati atmosphere, little realising that our very arrival, exuberance and delight at the landscape and scenery is changing them for ever. Well, it can’t be helped. Perhaps some traces will remain. At the moment, let’s just concentrate on anchoring nearby. Vrulje is one of the larger Kornati bays, and its east arm, which opens out at the end into two forks, extends deep inland. The village, with its many havens, is in this picturesque part. Anchor beneath Vruljski Point, which protects the bay to the south, in the sandy bed, partially covered in sea grass, or moor to one of the fifteen buoys placed here. If all the buoys are taken, and there is still space to anchor, you can do so without fear, as you will be protected from all winds, and perhaps only the maestral will disturb you, as it makes the sea choppy right down to the base of the bay. There can also be squalls, mostly in August. Then you should take extra care. You can also anchor in the northwest section of the harbour, known as Mala Vrulja, where you will enjoy more solitude, as there are only two houses. There is better shelter from the maestral, but less from the jugo, added to which the depth in this part of the bay is only 2.5 metres. If the weather is stable, Vrulje is a great place to stay. You can swim from your boat, sit in one of the three taverns, or go for a walk. Climb up to the look-out point on Vrulje Hill, south of the bay, and take some photographs of the wonderful views, like these, which I took a few years ago. Visit Tarac, the largest Kornati field, in the middle of stony ground. One year I ventured as far as the opposite coast, and that was an adventure in itself.