Stretching from the western foot of the Dinaric Range into the sea near Šibenik, the 73km Krka River and its wonderful waterfalls define the landscape of Krka National Park. The waterfalls are a karstic phenomenon: over millennia river water has created a canyon up to 200m deep through limestone hills, bringing calcium carbonate with it. Mosses and algae retain the calcium carbonate and encrust it in their roots. The material is called tufa and is formed by billions of plants growing on top of one another. These growths create barriers in the river that produce spectacular waterfalls.
There are five main entrances to the park. As most people visit from Šibenik, the two most popular starting points are Skradin and Lozovac at the southern end. The other three entrances are at Roški Slap, Krka Monastery and Burnum, which can all be reached by car.
Skradin is a pretty little riverside town with a combination of brightly painted and bare stone houses on its main street and a ruined fortress towering above. Apart from the opportunity to see the town itself, the advantage to starting in Skradin is that the park admission includes a boat ride through the canyon to Skradinski Buk. The disadvantage is that there can be queues for the boats in summer.