Sailing Holiday To Croatia - Beaches, Highlights

With 5,835 kilometres of beautiful coastline and 1066 unique and fascinating islands, rocks and reefs, a sailing holiday to Croatia is the stuff of dreams.

Just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy, in the land formerly known as Yugoslavia, Croatia has a lot to offer travel enthusiasts. This includes hundreds of beautiful beaches, some of which you need a boat to reach. With its dry, mild summers, for a sailing and water-sport holiday, Croatia is one of those secret, less-travelled destinations but most definitely worth the trip.

As you sail around the islands and up the Dalmatian Coast you can stop off to see important Roman ruins, including the palace of the Emperor Diocletian in Split, and the medieval seaport of Dubrovnik. The combination of beauty and history offers an additional thrill for history aficionados.
Pula, on the northern coast is a good place to start a sailing holiday because the weather is warm most of the year and the sailing areas only need line-of-sight navigation. Pula also has many Roman ruins. There are also several deserted beaches, small villages and marinas to explore for a few days or just to stop for the night.

Kremik is another good place to begin a sailing holiday to Croatia. You can reach the Kornati National Park from Kremik. Once home to a huge Mediterranean holm oak forest, it is now covered by a tough variety of grass and several medicinal and fragrant plants with 69 varieties of butterflies. It also has bizarre shaped rocks and unexplored caves.
Kornat is the biggest island in the park at 25.2 km long and 2.5 km wide. There are ancient human settlements that date back to the Neolithic Age as well as a small tower built in the sixth century A.D. Well worth the stop.

When you anchor for the night in a marina, expect to pay mooring fees. The amount of the fee depends on the size of the yacht and the location. Usually it is between $32 and $96 Australian dollars per night.

If travelling in a group with an active social life your holiday, then a sailing holiday flotilla is the solution for you. You would follow a lead boat to the best parts of the Croatian coastline. They also visit deserted beaches, little known towns and the open sea. Sometimes there are 14 yachts in one flotilla. A flotilla is a good choice for a social holiday. If you want to rest or have a bit more privacy, just stay on your own yacht for a while.

Most of the beaches in Croatia are pebbly and narrow, but this is the reason that the water is crystal clear and clean. The beaches are generally shallow and safe for playing children. Croatian beaches are very family friendly and offer water slides and water sports for older children.
To charter a yacht without a skipper, and sail it yourself, certain qualifications are needed, such as an International Certificate of Competency or other national competency qualification. There also needs to be a person on board to operate the radio who holds a VHF Operators certificate. If these qualifications are not possible and you still want to experience a fantastic sailing holiday in Croatia, you can always take a skippered charter.
Either way, a sailing holiday to Croatia will be adventure you and your guests will never forget.