Sailing in Croatia
Don’t miss the spectacular Dalmatian Coast
Sail into Croatia’s classic marinas, historic harbours or deserted coves.
Ask any group of sailors to name their favourite destination in the Mediterranean and it’s likely that Sailing in Croatia will top the list fairly convincingly. Reasons for this pole position not only include the incredible blue vistas, crystal clear waters and scenic coastline of more than a thousand islands that create a spectacular visual seascape, but it’s also down to cost. Croatia offers great value for money and has a largely uncrowded, uncluttered and unspoiled coastline compared with the development witnessed by many other European destinations. ‘Quaint’, ‘charming’, ‘safe’ and ‘stunning’ are all words used frequently to describe Croatia’s coastline.
Once a backwater, it now offers more than 50 classic marinas, the majority of which have been constructed within the past 20 -30 years and then fully updated in the last decade. Many of Croatia’s marinas carry Blue Flag status due to their determination to protect their key attraction – a pristine environment. And whilst you can head to a fully-serviced marina with all mod cons, you can just as easily moor in one of more than 500 harbours, offering age-old ambience. Some of the most popular historic harbours with the sailing community include Cavtat, Korcula Town, Hvar and Stari Grad, Trogir, Sibenik, Sali, Istra and Vrsar, to name just a few!And for those wanting to get away from it all and embark on an original adventure, you can find any number of safe secluded coves and bays to anchor in, where tranquility is guaranteed. You’ll easily find a section of the coastline and a stretch of beach to call your own.
Croatia is well known for having favourable sailing winds and safe waters, making sailing here a practical option for many. Experienced sailors often head out from Pula, in Croatia’s north, to explore the picturesque islands and Roman remains of Kvarner Bay, Cres, Losinj, Rab and Krk. Another popular route circumnavigates the stunningly beautiful Kornati archipelago, now protected as a National Park of more than 100 islands.
Boat charter is plentiful along the Adriatic coast, with key centres at the accessible, picturesque and well-serviced ports of Biograd, Split & Rogoznica, Baska Voda (Split), Dubrovnik and Kotor. Sailing boats, motor yachts and catamarans can all be chartered with a skipper and crew, or independently with proof of qualifications.
And if you’re not keen to charter a yacht of your own, you’ll find plenty of cruising options in some spectacular vessels including island-hopping by schooner, around the islands of Brac, Hvar, Vis, Bisevo, Korcula and Mljet, or scenic cruising the unusually clear green waters around Kotor, visiting Medieval towns, the Boka Kotorska fjord and venturing to the Montenegro coast. Croatia’s network of islands are also well connected by ferries if you prefer to step from land-to-land and not test out those sea legs.