Sailing in the Central Dalmatian Islands - Places to be Seen and to Hide

The central and southern Dalmatian Islands are Croatia's most well known and popular sailing destination. They lie to the south of Split, the main point of entry into Croatia, and spread along the coast to Dubrovnik, at the very south of the country.

The area south of Split contains numerous islands, the largest of which include Brac, Hvar, Vis, Korcula, Mljet, and Lastovo. Don’t forget the mainland though, with Rogoznica, Makarska, Split and particularly Trogir all offering fantastic shore-based sightseeing and a pub or two. Dubrovnik is well worth a visit if you have time, though do bear in mind that it is out of the way and isn’t really recommended during a one-week holiday.

The Dalmatian Islands are slightly more ‘cosmopolitan’ than their northern counterparts, offering lively ports with restaurants and bars nestled within numerous old towns. Famous for its nightlife is Hvar Town and Bol on the island of Brac. It’s not all about partying though, with other islands offering special experiences…

Bisevo for example has the famous blue grotto; a cave that is only accessible by boat. Around noon on a calm day, the sun shines through the underwater opening in the cave, reflecting up from the white bottom floor and illuminating the cave in blue and objects in the water in silver.

Or visit Korcula, the beautiful island birthplace of adventurer Marco Polo. This UNESCO World Heritage centre has the best preserved architecture of any historical town on the Croatian coast with over 85% of preserved buildings dating from before the 17th century.

Our Bases

We have three bases accessible from Split Airport, and one in the very south of Croatia in Dubrovnik. It does not make a huge difference to your itinerary what Split base you take your yacht from.

Split Kastela (15 mins from Split airport) - Kastela Marina is the largest base and provides modern facilities close to Sp[lit airport.

Split ACI (30 mins from Split airport) - ACI Split is located just a walk from the centre of Split town itself

Trogir (10 mins from Split airport) - Trogir is a beautiful UNESCO world heritage town and is the closest base to the airport.

Dubrovnik (40 mins from Dubrovnik airport) - Dubrovnik is another of our minor sailing bases in Croatia though not as popular as Split to start a sailing holiday due to the distance from top quality cruising grounds.

Weather and Winds

The climate is typically Mediterranean along the Adriatic coast, meaning warm dry summers and mild winters. With 2,600 hours of sunlight on average yearly, it is one of the sunniest coastlines in all of Europe. Expect temperatures around 30 degrees during July/August, down to 23 degrees on average in May/October.

The winds in Croatia prevail from the north west, with an average wind speed of 8-14 knots during the season. Look out for the ‘Bora’, a north easterly that can surprise people if they don’t check their forecasts regularly.

Mooring Fees

Please do be aware that unlike Greece, you will be required to pay marina and port fees. These fluctuate depending on the size of the yacht and location, but can be anywhere from £20 to £60 per night. The facilities in Croatia are however in general very good, with showers and shore power widely available.

How to get there from the UK

Split  Airport is a well served airport from the UK.  Easyjet fly from Bristol and Gatwick, BA and Croatia Airlines from Heathrow and Thomas Cook from Manchester and Gatwick, while Jet2 fly from Newcastle and Manchester.

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