Despite my complete lack of sailing ability, I landed the opportunity to go on a week-long sailing trip in the Dalmatian Islands in Croatia on a private ‘bareboat’ yacht charter trip. A ‘bareboat’ charter isn’t as risque as it sounds – it just means that the yacht is hired without a skipper or crew, meaning you and your group of friends are responsible for sailing the yacht.
The group I travelled with arranged two gorgeous yachts and the itinerary was chosen each day by the sailors in our own group (we were lucky to have very experienced sailors in the gang!). We went in mid-May, which was early in the season for sailing in the Dalmatian Islands. Below are some of my memories from the trip.
Trogir
When we arrived in Croatia, it was raining, and I was luggage-less.
The small plane from Austria had ‘forgotten’ my luggage, which came off as a thinly-veiled excuse for that it didn’t have enough capacity on board and that my luggage had been the chosen sacrifice before departure.
However, despite the newfound knowledge I was going to be stuck in the same clothes for at least the next 24 hours, the beauty of the little town of Trogir, where we stopped in to wait for the yacht pick-up, quickly lifted my spirits.
The town of Trogir, approximately 30 minutes west of Split, is a living, breathing, UNESCO World Heritage Site and was the launching point for our tour of the islands. The town was originally founded in the 3rd Century BC by Ancient Greeks and most of the main buildings in town are still more than 500 years old.
These buildings display great examples of Venetian architecture, as the town was ruled by the Republic of Venice for almost 400 years. There are restaurants and bars to feed and quench travellers who are waiting to set sail.
It was such a sweet surprise to spend a few hours wandering through this area, having known nothing of it before arriving.
Solta
After a couple hours waiting in Trogir, we met our group and set sail.
Our first island stop of the trip was Solta. We arrived in the early evening and had a group meal along a long table at a local restaurant on the waterfront, which was a great way to all get to know each other better.
We quickly learnt (to the humour of some at the table and to the disappointment of others) that a ‘tomato salad’ in the Dalmatian islands just means a plate of sliced tomato, and the same applied for cucumber, onion etc. The meat and seafood dishes, however, were much more happily received and were simple and tasty.
It was sleepy and quiet on Solta when we visited. When I bought some local liquor from the corner store in the morning, the owner shared some of his breakfast with me – a delicious spinach and cheese burek. I’m not sure if this friendliness to tourists would happen on the busier islands.
With stone-walled, orange-tile-rooved houses and spring flowers coming into bloom, every corner provided a post-card opportunity and I enjoyed a short stroll around the waterfront and up into the higher parts of the village we stayed at. However, it was a very small port and there was only so far you could explore, so it was probably for the best we were only here for a quick overnight stop.
Later that morning, we sailed back to a bay on mainland Croatia for me to reunite with my luggage…but it never showed up.
I was contacted by airport staff who said they could no longer get it to me that day, but would make sure it got onto a ferry to meet me the next day in Hvar. Boo. I was stuck in my same pair of pants for another day.
We had a nice barbecue on the back of the boats and some of our group swam or waterskied in the bay. Then we headed off towards a spot closer to Hvar to anchor for the evening.
Hvar
Oh Hvar! This port town on the island of the same name is a glistening jewel of the Adriatic and a must-see on any sailing trip through the region.
We stopped in Hvar on the third day so I could pick up my luggage (finally!), and to stretch our legs and explore St. Stephen’s Square. I have never been so relieved to see my big blue plastic suitcase. We then made our way on to Vis.
Later in the trip, we had a more extended stop back in Hvar and spent a whole day there. Hvar is rich with history. Ancient Greeks colonised Hvar as early as 384 BC, and prior to this, there was evidence of inhabitation on the island for thousands of years.
During the reign of the Venetian Empire, it was an important naval base and at various times it has also been under the control of the Roman Republic, the Kingdom of Croatia, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Byzantine Empire, the Hapsburgs and the King of Bosnia!
On our visit, we walked up through town to the lookout by the fortress over Hvar, which provided stunning views. Originally the site of a Byzantine fortress, it was rebuilt in the time of Venetian rule. The fortress is a formidable and imposing structure, that looms over the city from the hill tops.
The walk itself up the hillside was nice too, winding up cobbled alleyways and then slowly climbing a series of switchbacks through gardens. If you don’t fancy walking, there is the option to get a taxi or bus to the fortress.
Hvar was a great place to get gelati and just stroll around. We also had dinner in a restaurant in the town centre.
There are lots of good restaurants in Hvar with great food so it’s a good place to stop for a meal on-shore if you are sailing in the region. Hvar has a great buzz about it and apparently when the tourist season heats up in the summer, it has a lively nightlife that goes right through until morning.
A lot of large group tour style boats passed through the port while we were in the area. For people that don’t have the opportunity to sail Croatia independently, these tours look to provide great value and a fun option, particularly for solo travellers and the younger crowd.
Vis
The visually appealing town of Vis on the island of Vis was sunny and calm when we visited (there’s a lot of ‘vis’ in that sentence!).
Vis is comparatively quiet compared to other Croatian Islands throughout the year, partially as it’s the furthest inhabited island from the mainland, but also due to its unique history. Prior to 1989, Vis was banned to foreign tourists due to its status as a Yugoslavian military base and tourism has only developed slowly since this time.
When we got to Vis on the afternoon of our third day, my friend and I jumped off the boat and went for a walk around town to explore. I bought a cute white sun-hat (featured below) and we lazily wandered the alleyways and shorefront.
Would you take a look at Vis!
That evening, our sailors (one of whom was a bit of an expert on the Dalmatian Islands) organised a special dinner for our group at Roki’s, a restaurant and winery based inland in Vis.
A shuttle bus picked us up for the dinner and took us up into the hills to the venue. The dinner booking included a chance to see the cellar and try the wines made on the property, followed by the local specialty, Peka, for dinner. Peka is slow cooked meat and vegetables that are cooked in a bell like dome surrounded by coals. I really enjoyed this experience and if you have the budget for it, I would recommend it.
Following our overnight stop in Vis, we set sail towards Komiza, another township on Vis. On the way, we stopped in a gorgeous bay for breakfast and visited a spooky submarine cave that is a relic from the Cold War. Some of the fitter people in our group decided to run from the bay and meet us in Komiza, rather than take the journey by boat. While I enjoyed sailing around the island, I’m sure the overland journey would have been a fun experience as well.
Komiza
Komiza, on the Island of Vis might have been my favourite spot in the Croatian islands.
The houses were like something from a picture book, the water was azure and there was space to walk off and explore the local church up on the hill and the wider town.
I really enjoy moments to myself on a group holiday, so it was nice to have some independence amongst the close-quarters living on board the yacht. We also had a great, affordable and beautiful dinner experience here of yummy pizzas and huge beers at a restaurant on an outside table on the foreshore.
Picture Perfect Komiza!
Stiniva Beach
As well as Vis and Komiza, Vis island is also home to lots of gorgeous bays and beaches that are best accessed from the water, including Stiniva Beach.
Stiniva Beach is inside a cove surrounded by high cliffs. Only boats that are small enough can pass through the tiny gap between the cliff faces to get to the shore, so most sailors have to anchor their boats beyond the cliffs and then access the shore via speedboat or a swim. We were lucky enough to have a swim there when we sailed around the island.
It felt so magical being in this place. Diving off the yacht and swimming past the high cliffs into the secluded cove felt euphoric. This spot was jaw dropping and when we went, there were only a couple of other tourists there. It was actually only when writing this blog after the trip finished that I needed to remember the name of the beach and found out it was awarded Europe’s best beach in 2016!
I also realised it gets jam packed in summer (people online claim that photos of visitors there alone is ‘false advertising’ as its so crowded), so I’m super grateful our sailors took us there and we had it basically to ourselves!
Laganini Beach Club
Following Vis, we headed back to Hvar and also stopped in for lunch one day at Laganini Beach Club on the island of Ciovo to celebrate one of our group member’s birthdays.
The location, decor and service at Laganini was nice, but in my opinion it was pricey for lunch. It was also very seafood heavy (and I have some seafood allergies which limited my menu options) and not really my vibe.
That said, it has rave reviews on Tripadvisor and seems to be very popular with some travellers and when we stopped there we had beautiful weather.
Bol
Our last stop in the Croatian Islands was the town of Bol on the island of Brac.
We moored here on our final evening in the islands and had drinks at a bar on the foreshore, followed by dinner up a cobbled street in the town. The town had a lovely and welcoming atmosphere. It was busier than Vis and Komiza, but quieter than Hvar.
The Port in Bol
The following morning, we sailed the boats over to the famous Zlatni Rat – also know as Golden Horn beach, close to Bol, for some photos, some drinks and a swim.
This spot is very instagrammable to say the least (see below – #blessed) and it was a great final stop before we set sail back to the mainland!
I’ve summarised some general tips for those considering going on a yacht trip of the Croatian islands in a seperate blog post here for those interested.
