The Channel of St. Ante in Šibenik is one of the most beautiful and fascinanting coastal entrances into the town. It's not a rare motive in the  beautiful photos from Šibenik and from the Adriatic.  The channel of St. Ante, which includes the area from the Šibenik bridge to the end of the channel and the fortress of St. Nikola, is more than 2000m long. The whole site was pronounced a protected area in 1974. Since last year it has become available to citizens and tourists. The left side of the Channel of St. Ante was fenced off by barbed wire and forbidden to the public for decades. Rarely had anyone set foot on this part of the channel but thanks to the project of the Public institution for regulation of protected natural heritage of the Šibenik-Knin County, it is finally connected to the town by a walking path. 

The pathway stretches from  Mandalina  along the channel. The walking path includes a number of attractions.
Apart from the main sightseeing point (about 1.5 km away from the entrance to the  Panikovac bay), from which you can enjoy the panorama of 360 degrees, there is an attractive church – cave of St . Anthony with an underground chapel. The most notable of all is certainly the fortress of St. Nicholas, one of the most fortified monuments on the Croatian part of the Adriatic, which will soon decorated appropriately to its importance. The fortress was used to monitor the St. Anthony channel, the only maritime port of Sibenik.

It was designed by a Venetian architect and it was completed in the mid-16th century. Although it is a mighty fortress, it has never been actually used for military purposes.

IT'S GOOD TO KNOW... 

So, the walking path connects areas that were once under military rule -  Panikovac bay and St. Nicholas fortress. The link is about 4.5km long and because of its hilly terrain a walk takes about an hour. It provides unsurpassed views  of Sibenik, the St. Anthony channel and surrounding villages. The promenade is largely surrounded by pine and oak trees. However, at noon  it is difficult to find a shadow  and in summer the best time for walking is either in the morning or at sunset. The walking pavement is covered with stone slabs, so you can walk with your sandals or summer shoes on . 

HOW TO GET THERE

Since the pathway connects the fortress of St. Nicholas and Panikovac bay, it is possible to reach it from two sides. Both ways lead across the Adriatic highway.

If you want to start from Panikovac bay, you have to get off the highway immediately after Dalmare shopping centre when you see the road sign.
After that, when you reach the roundabout, take the second turn to the right. After 100m you take again a turn to the right, which is indicated by the road sign.

From this point on you drive along the coast on the bad road. The first two kilometers of the road are renovated and narrow. You can drive  at 20-30 km/h. The last third of the road is full of holes. If you want to make sure not to damage your car, you should drive at max 15 km/h.

If you are coming from Split via Zablaće, get off the main road at crossroad to Solaris hotel resort. After 1,5km, take a turn to the right, continue straight ahead and take a turn to the left, at the T-crossroad.  From there you can follow the road along the coast of the Blato (swamp with healing mud) or turn to Zablace and follow the signs to the fortress.