I had been wanting to visit Croatia for many years. I love Mediterranean summers and Croatia was one of the European countries I still hadn’t visited yet. This year I had the opportunity to go on a 7 day sailing trip in Croatia with SailWeek (first time experience) and I immediately said YES!
I first landed in Dubrovnik and I was blown away by the beauty of this fortified city. The Old Town is full of charm and when you walk around the massive stone walls you have the most wonderful panoramic views over the Adriatic Sea. I was obviously amazed by day one and couldn’t wait to explore more of Croatia.
After exploring the wonders of Dubrovnik, I then went on a 7 day Croatia sailing trip with SailWeek from Dubrovnik to Split. On the first day we sailed to Sipan Island and spent the night there. On day 2 we sailed to Mljet Island and explored its incredible national park, including its two saltwater lakes, by bike.
The next day we sailed to Korcula and spent the day at Lumbarda Beach. In the evening we explored the lovely old fortress city. On day 4 we visited Hvar and enjoyed this beautiful town at sunset. It gets lively in the summer with all the bars and clubs. The next day we sailed to Vis island which is stunning – we rented a scooter and went to Stiniva Cove and Komiza.
Day 6 was a visit to Stari Grad which is also on Hvar. I found it so charming with its small cobblestone streets, old stone houses and peaceful squares. On our last day of sailing we headed over to Uvala Smrka for the day and then ended our sailing trip in Split. I then spent the last two days in Sibenik to explore Trogir and Krka National Park.
Favourite Memories from my 7 Day Sailing Trip in Croatia
I loved all the wonderful spots we visited on this 7 day sailing trip to Croatia. If I had to narrow it down, I’d say that my 3 favourite places were: Vis Island, Trogir and Krka National Park.
There are so many beautiful spots to visit on Vis Island and it’s a really calm and peaceful place. Trogir, on the other hand, has a fascinating history and everything has been really well conserved in this town.
Krka National Park was where we swam in the famous Skradinski Buk waterfall, went on an amazing hike along the river and also explored the Roski Slap waterfalls – a beautiful day immersed in nature!
Along with visiting these amazing destinations, I also had some unforgettable experiences throughout my 10 days in Croatia. Walking the city walls of Dubrovnik was a pretty special moment because everything just seemed to get more and more beautiful with each step that I took. It’s such a unique place.
Then there was the fact that I got to wake up on the sailing boat every day – admiring all the islands from the sea and swimming whenever I wanted. Croatia boasts over 1,200 islands and about 2,000km of coastline so it’s nearly impossible to go to Croatia without visiting a few islands. In 10 days we sailed to 6 different islands and I personally loved Vis, Mljet and Hvar!
Another highlight was watching the sunset from the top of the church bell tower of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Korcula – it’s so underrated and the panoramic views are amazing, especially at golden hour.
Travel Tips for the Beautiful Croatia
Croatian people are extremely kind and friendly, especially in all the restaurants we went too. They always helped us understand the menu and recommend their local specialties for us. Our skipper was from Zagreb so he gave us a good insight into Croatian history, culture and politics.
The food in Croatia was absolutely delicious! We ate lots of grilled fresh fish and meat. A local dish that we really liked was peka – a slow cooked goat stew on the fire. In Korcula we went for a local wine tasting accompanied by Dalmatian tapas that was also lovely. There are so many vineyards in Croatia and you must definitely try the local wines.
I would highly recommend going on a sailing/catamaran trip in Croatia. You can either rent your own private boat with a skipper or book an individual cabin on a joint trip. If you want to avoid the crowds and high temperatures then don’t go during the high summer season (June-September).
A final tip is that, despite being part of Europe, the currency is Croatian Kuna and not Euros. Hope you enjoy this country as much as I did!
