Do you want to sail in Croatia? We did and it was awesome but at times stressful.
Sailing across Croatia’s eye-catching coastline is a wonderful experience. The country’s tourism industry has been flagged up because of Croatia’s cruising and yachting industries. With more than 1,180 islands and 3,000-mile long coastline, one can feel the grandeur of the magic the country can bring. In 2021, there are approximately 15 million tourists in Croatia with most of them wanting to take a quick look at the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas.
If you want to sail in Croatia’s southern regions, start your journey in the port of Dubrovnik. It is one of Croatia’s most visited tourist attractions, especially by yacht enthusiasts, because of its close proximity to Adriatic Sea. The city of Dubrovnik, which has a population of about 45,000, is also a cultural center because of its medieval urban walls, historic Rector Palace, and remarkable old-fashioned convents. I highly recommend that you take a couple of days when cruising in Croacia and stay in a marina and go do something different like renting a scooter to go explore inland and see Croatia from another perspective. As a general guide you should regard Split to Dubrovnik as a minimum of a one week trip and give it two weeks if you need to start and finish in the same marina if you charter a boat on your visit.
Aside from Dubrovnik, yacht charter companies are all over Croatia including the ports of Zadar, Baska Voda, Vodice, Split, Pula, Biograd, Kastela, Porec, Rovinj, and Marina so if you don’t yet have your own boat Croatia is a great spot to experience boat life.
Porec is located in Croatia’s western coast along the cape of Istrian. It is a city administered in the Istria County. Porec is an ideal harbor if you want to sail to Saint Nicholas Island. The city’s climate is mild and gentle. Unlike other regions of Croatia, its summer heat is not harsh. The hottest month is August while the coldest month is January. The temperature of Porec’s sea is 28 C, which is not too hot and not to cold. This condition is perfect for diving, snorkeling, and / or just hanging around in your yacht. The city’s main historical tourist attractions are the Euphrasian Basilica, Dieta Istriana Hall, Marafor, and the ancient streets of Cardo Maximus and Decumanus.
Sailing in Croatia is available everyday. Typically, you can sail the country’s shores 365 days a year. But, the best time to cruise the Croatian coast is from the months of April (spring season) to October (autumn season). During this period, the weather is so nice and the sea relatively calm. However, the spring season sometimes has rain showers. We experienced a very crowded Croatia in July and at times almost impossible to find a calm anchorage in August near the big cities. Nevertheless, with the country’s approximately 3,000-mile long coastline and 1,180 islands, you can sail all the way to the north portion of the countries during high season and scape a bit the crowds.
In the north, aside from its stunning coastline, Istria also has a beautiful green interior. The place was also judged as having the country’s best tourist infrastructure because of its accessibility. Many hotels, restaurants, cultural centers, and tourist attractions are in Istria. Some of the most visited cities and towns in Istria include Pula, Rovinj, and Porec.
When sailing in Croatia one has to keep an eye on the weather as the high mountains could create strong winds in some places. Also, strong winds in the summertime called BURA are common so lots of attention is needed. We were caught by one Bura that reached 53 knots at anchor.