The complete guide for sailing in Croatia

Croatia – a land of thousand islands (1246 to be exact) entices you to visit its exquisite bays, coves, and beaches. Its crystal clear sea and beautiful weather are among the top nautical destinations for all experienced sailors and boat charter enthusiasts.

In this article, we will give you all the information you need to know about this beautiful country before you rent a boat and sail on a new adventure.

If you decide to bareboat charter, at least one person should have a valid nautical license and a VHF license.

When is the best time to sail in Croatia?

The most popular time for yacht charter is the peak of summer - July, and August. The weather is hot and sunny, the sea is warm and the party season is on. But if you prefer a quieter vacation, you should consider a bareboating charter in May, June, and September, and even April and October. The weather conditions are also excellent for sailing, and it is not so crowded.

With 22 modern ACI marinas in Croatia and many smaller ones, there are more than enough berth spaces for your boat.

What to see?

With its rich cultural and historical heritage, Croatia has a lot to offer. You can see the Roman and Greek empire's influence along the entire coast, from Istria to Dubrovnik.

Istria - a peninsula on the north of the Croatian coast, offers you everything you need for a perfect sailing vacation. Delicious wine and food, picturesque little towns and villages where you can see all kinds of ancient Roman remains such as the Amphitheatre and Augustus Temple in Pula.

Split - second largest city in Croatia. It is located in the middle of Dalmatia, which is perfect for your sailing adventures. It has a big marina and enough berth space so you can spend a couple of days there exploring this beautiful city and its ancient Diokletians palace and enjoying the nightlife.

Dubrovnik - the gem of the south which will stun you with its beauty.  Its magnificent walls and narrow streets are getting on top of the most beautiful destination's list every year. Also, Dubrovnik "played" Kings Landing in Game of Thrones, so you can see all the familiar scenes from the series right from your boat deck.

Also, let's not forget islands. Some of the most famous and beautiful islands are Hvar, Korcula, Losinj, Cres, Dugi otok, Vis, Brac, so be sure not to miss them on your charter.

There are also lots of beautiful beaches, and these are just some of them:

• Zlatni Rat, the island of Brac
• Stiniva, the island of Vis
• Sakarun, the island of Dugi otok
• Saplunara, the island of Mljet
• Zaton, Zadar
• Lovrecina, the island of Brač
• Zrce, the island of Pag
• Grebsce, the island of Hvar
• Zuljana, Peljesac

What to do?

Now that you chartered a boat, alongside sailing, maybe you want some more activities. You don't need to worry; there are lots of things to do.

Scuba diving, swimming, snorkeling, SUPing, kayaking, caving, rock climbing are just some of the suggestions.

Viganj at the Peljesac peninsula is one of the windiest places and most popular places for windsurfing and kitesurfing.

You could explore national parks or nature parks. There are several national parks which you can visit with your sailboat or yacht. You can sail from the Brijuni islands through the Kornati archipelago to the island of Mljet to see where nymph Calypso captured Oddseyus. There is also a Nature park called Telascica where you can sail next to the steepest white Adriatic cliffs and Lastovo archipelago Nature park. Even greek god Zeus considered them one of the most beautiful islands in the world.

Or maybe you want to take a tour. As previously mentioned, Game of Thrones was filmed in Dubrovnik, Split, Lokrum, Klis, Zrnovnica, so if you are a fan, there is a lot to see. There are also lots of other historical tours, so you have a lot to choose from.

If you like to fish, you will need a license. It is not expensive (about $10 per day), and it is not worth paying a fine if you don't have it. You can get it online at the website of the Ministry of Agriculture.

There is a lot of fish in the sea, and most likely, you will encounter sea brass, sea bream, mackerel, monkfish, dentex, and even tuna if you get a bit further from the coast.

Wine and dine

Only the best from the Mediterranean! Local cuisine is the perfect mix of Italian, Greek, French, and Central European gastronomy. It would be best if you tried lobster and pogača in Vis, sheep cheese from Pag, oysters from Ston, all kinds of truffle specialties in Istria. Prosciutto and other fish specialties from Dalmatia.

Sunshine and great climate combined with 2500 years of knowledge and tradition resulted in some fantastic wines like Dingac from Peljesac, Plavac from Hvar, Postup and Grk from Korcula, Malavazija from Istria. Combined with local cuisine, these wines will be a pure delight for your taste buds.

Nightlife

With many international music festivals like Ultra Europe in Split, Hideout festival in Novalja, Sea star festival in Umag, there are many choices. But it's not only festivals, but there are also many night clubs, and the most popular ones are in Novalja and Hvar.

If all this made you daydream about your next vacation, please contact us, and we will gladly help you rent a crewed yacht or bareboat, whatever you need to make your dream vacation come true.