Croatia by Yacht: Three Adriatic Journeys, Expertly Designed

Sailing North

Croatia via the Adriatic

Journeying through quite so many marinas, bays and coves as you’ll find here, it’s easy to believe Croatia’s Adriatic coast was custom-made for sailing. Medieval cities rise directly from the water, emerald islands scatter across the horizon, and hidden beaches are almost as ubiquitous as local konobas, cooking freshly landed octopus under a peka bell. You’ll begin beneath Dubrovnik’s magnificent city walls before sailing north towards Korčula, one of the Adriatic’s best-preserved medieval towns. Later, Hvar’s glitzy marina delivers waterfront restaurants and lively beach clubs, while Vis, closed to foreign visitors until 1989, still feels distinctly untouched, with picturesque bays and fishing boats bobbing in remarkably clear water.

The Suggested Route: Dubrovnik — Mljet — Korčula — Hvar — Vis — Brač — Split

This seven-day sailing holiday begins in the south and sails northwards, combining some of Croatia’s most coveted destinations into a seamless Adriatic adventure. Paddle beneath Dubrovnik’s medieval fortifications by kayak before sailing to Mljet National Park, where ancient forests surround saltwater lakes, and on to Saplunara, one of Croatia’s rare sandy beaches. Continue to Korčula’s vineyards for a private tasting of Grk, a rare grape grown almost exclusively around Lumbarda, or spend the day exploring the quiet coves and sheltered anchorages of the Pakleni Islands. Further north, Vis, whose decades of military isolation helped preserve a more authentic side of island life, is a fascinating stop en route to Brač and Split.

This itinerary is ideal for travellers seeking a classic Croatian sailing experience: balancing Croatia’s renowned islands with experiences that reveal the character behind them. There’s more than enough room to customise your Croatia itinerary around your interests, whether that means spending longer among Dalmatia’s islands or continuing into a wider European sailing adventure by lake, river and sea.

Coastal Chapters

The Adriatic’s Cultural Heart

Sailing Croatia’s coastline reveals a weather-sculpted shore of attractive beaches, indented bays, and glittering marinas. It is celebrated for its islands and turquoise waters, but some of its most memorable experiences are found ashore, within palaces, family vineyards and centuries-old harbours. Along the Dalmatian coast, Roman emperors, Venetian merchants, and generations of seafarers have left their mark, creating a destination vivid with history and full of stories. The emperor Diocletian, who retired to Split, never intended his palace to become a city, yet nearly 1,700 years later, people live, shop and dine within its Roman walls, while medieval towns watch over modern harbours, bookended by beaches and waters as clear as crystal.

The Suggested Route: Split — Brač — Hvar — Vis — Pakleni Islands — Korčula — Dubrovnik

This 11-day journey begins in Split’s warren-like Diocletian’s Palace amongst restaurants, boutique hotels and hidden Roman aqueducts dating back to the 4th century. We’ll journey by boat to see the sublime Krka National Park and its cascading waterfalls, and sail by yacht through Brač, Hvar, Vis, the scatter of pine-fringed Pakleni Islands, Korčula, and the Elaphiti archipelago. Highlights include romantic sunset picnics among Hvar’s olive groves, exploring the military history on Vis (or spending the afternoon swimming from a secluded beach, if you prefer), tasting rare Grk wine varietals on Korčula, and anchoring in scenic bays for wild swimming.

The Croatia itinerary ends in Dubrovnik with wine tastings hosted by renowned sommelier Ana Bitanga, guided explorations of the Old Town and city walls, and an ATV adventure to Croatia’s rural southernmost point. Throughout, we’ll combine luxury hotels like the exquisite Hotel Ambasador Split, sailing days, local gastronomic experiences — freshly caught seafood, and salads spiked with pumpkin seed oil — and immersive encounters with chefs and local winemakers, arranged according to your tastes.

Secrets of the North

Istria and the Art of Slow Travel

For too many travellers, Croatia begins and ends with Dubrovnik and Split. But this is an itinerary custom-made to reveal a strikingly different side of Croatia and perfect for returning travellers. Here, pine-clad islands give way to Venetian hill towns and one of Europe’s most celebrated culinary regions. Rovinj’s Venetian heritage remains unmistakable, from its campanile to the narrow lanes climbing towards St Euphemia’s Church, while further inland, the undulating landscapes of Istria unfold through vineyards growing Malvasia, olive groves yielding award-winning oils, and medieval villages, where some of the world’s finest truffles are unearthed beneath ancient oaks.

The Suggested Route: Lošinj — Cres — Rovinj — Grožnjan — Motovun — Pula

You’ll begin in Lošinj, which has attracted wellness travellers since the nineteenth century, staying in the Boutique Hotel Alhambra, where Belle Époque grandeur meets one of Croatia’s finest dining experiences at the Michelin-starred Alfred Keller Restaurant. From there, you’ll board a private yacht to cruise the Lošinj and Cres archipelagos, disembarking to hike to panoramic viewpoints and visit the Museum of Apoxyomenos in Mali Lošinj, purpose-built around a single ancient Greek bronze statue recovered from the Adriatic after almost two millennia beneath the sea.

Afterwards, we visit the luminous Blue Cave, where sunlight refracts through the water to illuminate the cave in vivid blue, before a scenic sail to Rovinj, whose tightly packed pastel houses rise directly from the harbour as they have since Venetian times. Inland, Istria reveals a wilder side of the country. You’ll stop at Motovun’s oak forests to go truffle hunting for prized white truffles with local hunters and their dogs, Grožnjan, a medieval hill town now filled with artists’ studios and galleries, and Pula, whose incredibly well-preserved Roman amphitheatre still dominates the city skyline nearly two thousand years after it was built.