Part of the archipelago, roughly two thirds of the land and the sea, is a national park today. The islands of Žut and Sita and their islets are omitted from the Act introducing the highest level of protection, although they belong to the Kornat group - geomorphologically, geographically and culturally. After the creation of the national park in 1980, many scholarly investigatons have taken place there, particularly those as refer to the natural heritage. The studies have brought to light much information about the geological, meteorological, geographic, biologic and other distinctive characteristics of the Islands. Up to the present, they have identified 537 species of invertebrates, 160 species of fishes, one tortoise and three species of mammals, one of which - the monk seal - is probably extinct.
In spite of such large numbers, all agree that the Kornat Islands have not been investigated sufficiently. This statement can be substantiated by a single fact: scholars think that the numbers of living organisms in the sea, if they were studied, could be between 2500 and 3000. In the same way, the anthropological heritage of the islands has not been investigated or described sufficiently.
Catering facilities in the park offer basic services to the visitors; the park also has a service for surveillance and monitoring visitor behaviour, information and reception centres. The visitors are allowed to go anywhere in the park except in the area around Purara island and the cliffs Mala Purara and Violić which were declared areas of special protection. Visitors of the National Park "Kornati" must always acknowledge and respect the fact that all islands of the Kornati archipelago, apart from being protected as natural heritage, are also private property.
There are eight cleared up and marked hiking trails in the area of the National Park "Kornati" and they lead to the lookouts from which it is possible to sea the Kornati archipelago in its entirety, or some of its most beautiful areas. Those trails were marked and envisaged under a common name – Hiking trail Kornati.
Purara island is the centre of the special protection area within the National Park "Kornati". People and boats are not allowed to go near the Purara island and the cliffs Klint (Mala Purara) and Violić, as well as the area around them, to ensure that the nature is isolated from any kind of human influence.
The island of Purara and the area around it is constantly monitored by scientists who study life in the sea and on the islands. A large number of various species of birds and numerous plant species live on the island of Purara, and the island is especially picturesque during the blooming of immortelle and sage, which is accompanied by clouds of butterflies.