The deep turquoise and indigo waters of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia beckoned our crew, used to sailing in the BVIs, to try a new adventure. Sailing season in Croatia is from April through September, and we wanted to avoid “high season”, so we chose September and charted a 42-foot Beneteau sailboat from Angelina Yacht Charters. Fortunately, we have two experienced captains in our crew, with the correct credentials, and so we were able to sail without having to employ an additional captain.
We began our Croatian sailing trip with several days in Zagreb and Split with visits to Plitvice National and Klis Fortress. As our launch day approached, we could hardly wait to get to Trogir, where our charter company and boat were located. The Marina is a large one with several charter companies occupying the space as well and, as always, it was fun to arrive and see all the boats and activity. While we waited for check in time, I could not resist a walk through the area to check out my surroundings. The city itself is across the river from the marina but a 10-15-minute stroll and I was transported to a quaint, medieval town complete with cobblestones streets, limestone buildings, a seafront promenade and an old castle. The town is small, and you can easily see everything in a half day. I climbed to the top of the castle and the views are outstanding. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants along the seaside promenade and we enjoyed visiting one later that day for a wonderful dinner.
We found a local open-air market and a local grocery store just on the edge of the town and were able to provision our boat between these two stops. The grocery store was small so you may not be able to find everything you have on your list, but we did fine and we were able to supplement and replenish our supplies at port each night. And honestly, the food was inexpensive and good at the restaurants so why bother to do too much cooking?
While you are waiting to board, or once you return and need to get a little exercise on land, there were bike rentals available at the marina as well as a bar, laundry, store and showers/restrooms. We found that all the marinas we stopped at were adequately equipped with facilities and most had the option of paying someone to do some laundry for you – which is certainly a nice option on a sailing trip!
The boat docking is different here than in the Caribbean – they call it Mediterranean Mooring. You back the boat into the slip and use “slime lines” to secure the boat to the dock. So, you have boats on each side of you and a gangplank that you can attach from your boat to the dock. I think the greatest advantage of this docking system is that you, as an individual, are free to go on and off the boat as much as you like. You are not using a dingy and waiting for your whole crew to depart and/or return from the boat. This also made a nice option of using the restrooms and showers at each marina instead of using your own head on the boat.
Where you sail from in Croatia will determine the islands that within your scope. We sailed from Trogir, just north of Split, which is considered the Central Dalmatian. From our location, we planned stops at Brac Island, Vrboska, Hvar Island, and Solta Islands.
The prominent winds during this time of year in the region are the Bura winds, which are strong, northernly winds and the Scirocco winds, which are humid east-southeast winds. And so, our sailing on several days was challenging with rough seas and the shifty winds but our crew was excited to test themselves! Well -some more than others! For me, I was out of my comfort zone completely, but I survived and certainly gained much experience!
The views are incredible out on the Adriatic Sea – looking back to the rugged coastline and mountainous islands. The sea itself was so clear and deep!
What I love most about sailing for the week is island hopping and stopping at a different place each night and Croatia did not disappoint. Here is a list of the places we stopped on this trip:
Milna – located on the island of Brac with a population of 883 people! It is like stepping back in time to a Mediterranean fishing village. Our sail from Trogir was windy and exciting and our time on the island was peaceful and relaxing!
Vrboska – a tiny, white-washed, cobbled street fishing village on the island of Hvar. We sailed past the famous Zlatni Rat beach (the Golden Horn) on the island of Brac on our way there. The beach has a distinct form that jets out into the sea, and its form changes depending on the wind. It is one of Croatia’s most famous beaches, so I was indeed happy to see it, even if it was from the deck of my own boat off the coast. It was a long sail to the city of Vrboska and back to Hvar City. It just seemed “out of the way” and if I were going to retrace my steps another time, I would recommend not sailing down to Vrboska and then back up to Hvar City. I would probably just eliminate Vrboska and add in Vis instead. That said, we met several interesting people on the island and enjoyed a wine tasting of local wines. The people of Hvar began planting vines in 384 BC, so they have a long history of wine making and plenty of varieties.
Hvar City - – One of the most popular islands among tourists and my favorite! I loved everything about this city! My favorite activity was the hike to fortress for sunset. Sunset from high above the town at the Hvar fort, overlooking the red roofs, white-washed walls and sparkling waters, with views of the Pakleni Islands in the distance is a view you will long remember! It was just incredible!
The fortress, built in the 13th century, can be reached by car or by foot. I recommend the walk - it’s a nice walk up many steps and through a pine forest and you can pay to enter or enjoy the sunset from the surrounding hilltop. The views all along the path were worth it!
Hvar City has tons of restaurants and shops and seaside promenade. A great place to enjoy some great food and people! The city has a lot of options for tours and activities as well. We opted for a day tour to the Blue Caves – which turned out to be a trip highlight!
We enjoyed the Blue Caves day tour from Hvar by motorboat (10:30 am – 6:00 pm). We hit the Blue Lagoon (plus snorkeling), Blue caves (incredible!), Green Caves, Stinva Bay (with snorkeling), Palmizana and Vis Island.
We also saw the A. Hamilton boat here in the harbor. It is the largest private sailboat in the world. We are told it sleeps 14 guests and have a staff of 42. It is owned by a Russian billionaire and massive with three masts!
Palmizana – A beautiful harbor with an ACI marina and a fabulous restaurant on the hillside where we enjoyed lunch under the olive trees on the island of Hvar. If you dock here, you can just take the water taxis back and forth to Hvar City.
Maslinica - on the island of Solta was our final stop. Home to 208 inhabitants, there is a luxury hotel which was formerly a castle and brand-new marina. Solta means Island of Olives and here they grow, hand harvest and cold press olive oil. We found good food, a charming atmosphere and a slow pace to savor the moment. From the fabulous restaurant on the hillside, the tiki bar on the tip of the island and the mesmerizing sunset, life at this pace is meant to just be.
You do need to radio or call ahead to reserve a spot at each marina ahead of your arrival. Once you are close by, you again contact the marina by radio, and they will direct you and help you into the spot they have reserved for you. Another advantage of the Mediterranean mooring is that you get to meet your neighbors! There is nothing like the instant kindship of fellow sailors meeting after a long day at sea!
Overview - We all agreed that we thoroughly enjoyed our sailing adventure as well as our time spent in Zagreb, Split and especially Dubrovnik. It is certainly a different world here and I am grateful that we had the opportunity to experience it. Happy Sailing! Sretna Plovidba!
