Zadar City Harbour
Biograd na Moru Marina
Šibenik, Marina Mandalina
Skradin
Ston Bay, Pelješac
Listen to the Sea Organ and watch the Sun Salutation in Zadar
Visit the UNESCO-listed Cathedral of St James in Šibenik
Taste Dingač wine and farmed oysters on the Pelješac peninsula
Walk the Walls of Ston, among Europe’s longest surviving fortification systems
Cruise the Pelješac Channel toward Korčula
Zadar’s Roman Forum and the Church of St Donatus
Šibenik’s Cathedral of St James
The Walls of Ston and Pelješac’s oyster farms
Skradin, gateway to the Krka waterfalls
Biograd na Moru’s harbourfront old town
The sailing season runs roughly April to October, with the most settled weather and warmest sea from June to September. July and August bring the fullest marinas, the busiest old towns and the highest charter rates, so many guests prefer late May, June or September, when the light is just as good and Dubrovnik’s Old Town is far easier to enjoy without the crowds.
It depends on the route: Split Airport suits itineraries starting in the central islands, Dubrovnik Airport suits those beginning or ending in the south, and Zadar Airport is the better gateway for charters that start further north around Kornati or Biograd na Moru. All three have direct summer flights from most major European cities, and one-way Split-to-Dubrovnik routes are among the most popular on this coast.
The coast offers hundreds of options, from Zadar’s harbour and the marina at Biograd na Moru in the north to Šibenik and the river town of Skradin, gateway to the Krka waterfalls, further south. Ston Bay, on the Pelješac peninsula, combines a sheltered anchorage with some of Croatia’s best oysters and wine, all within a day’s sail of the islands around Split and Dubrovnik.
Most guests take seven to ten days to cover the coast properly, typically sailing one way between Split and Dubrovnik rather than returning to the same marina. That’s enough time to combine a handful of islands, such as Hvar, Korčula or Vis, with at least two nights in the historic harbour towns, without rushing between anchorages.
Less than you’d expect. Since 2019, Dubrovnik has capped cruise ship arrivals at two vessels and 5,000 passengers a day specifically to ease congestion in the Old Town, and yacht guests staying overnight in the harbour can walk the City Walls early in the morning or after the day-trippers leave, when the marble streets are close to empty.
