Yachting in Croatia: 5 top cruising destinations in the Mediterranean

I've researched five great destinations offering relaxing and culture-filled holidays to inspire some yachting in Croatia.

Yachting in Croatia is an excellent way to spend time off because it offers many beautiful towns, anchorages, and hidden gems to explore. Many of the team here have chartered along Croatia’s coastline, discovering what’s worth visiting.

So that you don’t miss out and go home feeling disappointed in your holiday, here are some gorgeous Croatian destinations with some extra information from those who’ve tried and tested them.

Get some inspiration for yachting in Croatia below.

Dubrovnik

For those who love to immerse themselves in history on holiday, the southern city of Dubrovnik is a UNESCO world heritage site known as the ‘pearl of the Adriatic’. This is an ideal place to start your trip when yachting in Croatia.

Dubrovnik was famously the backdrop of Game of Thrones, so there are plenty of photo opportunities for the show’s fans.

As it’s a city, there’s a base here where you could charter a yacht and ample opportunities to stock up your cupboards for a voyage. The Marina Frapa Dubrovnik is in a sheltered channel and provides easy access to restaurants, shops, and even hiking areas.

You can also visit the old town via the sea, which has the landmark 19th-century pier Porporela with the St. Juan Festung fortress that looms above the water.

Test Editor Toby Hodges said, ‘The islands strewn between here and Split offer some of the most enchanting, manageable cruising.’ Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?!

Korčula

Northwest of Dubrovnik, the island of Korčula has a postcard old town that Toby and Theo thoroughly enjoyed exploring. If you prefer a quieter spot, there are shimmering, secluded beaches with stunning sea views.

Toby said, ‘Korčula is stunning. Narrow, marble-hewn streets cast cool, deep shadows, lined with ancient orthodox churches, high-beamed houses and shops, and steep-stepped side alleys running down to the azure Adriatic, a welcome breeze running along them.’

Theo found that the town was ideal for having dinner in a sheltered spot. ‘ The town is encircled by crenelated towers and high walls adorned with pine trees, providing shady spots for restaurant tables.’

For enjoying privacy in a natural environment, sheltered anchorages include Orlanduša beach, Pavja Luka, and Plaža Izmeta. Theo recommended, ‘the anchorage near the monastery on Badija is well sheltered, with the mainland hills behind.’

He also called Trstenik, an unexpected delight, hidden until the last moment by the steep hill under which the picturesque little village nestles, sheltered from the south by a large stone pier.’

Polače on Mljet Island

For nature lovers, Mljet Island has a large national park with stunning salt lakes, which you can access via wooded trails. Polače is a village with a port at the head of a stunning inlet in the Mljet marine park.

This place is ideal for families during their yachting adventure in Croatia. It offers a spot to stop off and restock your yacht. You can also simply enjoy someone else cooking you an authentic Croatian meal while soaking in stunning views.

Toby found that ‘Polače has plenty of restaurants, a dinghy dock, and useful small shops. Bike and e-bike rental stores abound as tourists typically cycle from here to the salt lakes (too hot for us, thanks).’ If you moor at one of the many restaurant quays and dine there, you can avoid the €120 park fee, which is a money-saving benefit of sailing in Croatia.

To whet your appetite for the area, Theo said, ‘With the children asleep and phones used as baby monitors we sat 20 yards away in the konoba (restaurant) Stella Maris, feasting on the local speciality of lamb peka (tender and juicy meat, potato and vegetables slow cooked under a metal dome heaped with coals) and seafood, washing it down with delicious Popic wine. With the boat in full sight, we concluded this wasn’t irresponsible parenting, and it felt luxuriously like an evening off.’

Pomena on Mljet Island

On Mljet Island, to the west of Polače, Pomena is a sheltered village with charming restaurants lining the small harbour. The nearby Hvala Srednja is a luscious hiking area rich in trees that frame the clear water.

Here, Toby said that he and his family ‘stumbled upon the most stunning small shoal by an islet, a patch of white sand large enough to precisely drop the pick into with just enough scope during a calm daytime. It was the most inviting water I’ve seen, our tiny slice of paradise.’

This lovely village would make a welcome spot when hopping around the Mljet Island coast.

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Lastovo

Lastovo is another island on the Dalmatian coastline. Uvala Lučic is a little village offering a sheltered anchorage near the main town, also named Lastovo. Here, there is a traditional castle to explore, perched on a high spot with a viewpoint of this part of the island, ideal for soaking in the sunset if you feel like taking a hike.

According to Theo, this island is ‘a biodiversity treasure with some of the richest botanical areas in the Med,’ and was named as a nature park in 2006.

Yachting in Croatia: A roundup

When sailing in Croatia, there are plenty of gorgeous spots to choose from and stop off at. The Dalmation Coast’s many islands offer great opportunities for those looking to get away from it all.

From restaurant hopping on Mljet Island to exploring the UNESCO world heritage site in Dubrovnik, there’s plenty to do for families, couples, and friends yachting in Croatia.

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