Cruising Croatia 2017
Colin and I embarked upon a six month sailing adventure after buying a boat in Croatia. We had planned to sail the East Coast of Australia but boat prices were much more affordable in Europe, and the Mediterranean was somewhere Colin had always wanted to explore. We flew into the capital, Zagreb, and drove to Biograd na Moru on the Dalmatian Coast, a wonderful little seaside town where the boat was penned at Marina Kornati. We spent the next four weeks getting her cleaned, fitted out for cruising, and ceremoniously changing her name.
The people at the marina and in the town couldn't have been more friendly and helpful, warm and welcoming. We started practising our Croatian straight away, but fortunately for us almost everyone speaks English. Biograd na Moru (Biograd by the Sea), quickly became our home away from home and was where we started our intrepid sailing adventure. |
Throughout the following pages...
Otok = Island
Otočić = Islet
Uvala = Cove
Otok = Island
Otočić = Islet
Uvala = Cove
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. The Dalmatian coast is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, stretching from the island of Pag in the north to the Bay of Kotor in the south. The largest city in Dalmatia is Split, followed by Zadar, Dubrovnik and Šibenik.
Dalmatia is divided into Northern, Central and Southern Dalmatia, and we were fortunate enough to be able to explore the magical coast and islands of all three areas. |
Kvarner
In the 19th century Kvarner, blessed with a mild climate and lush Mediterranean vegetation, was chosen by the European aristocracy for their holidays. This gave rise to the first luxurious village and laid the foundations of the first Croatian resort. Not the only travellers though, the mariners of Lošinj also sailed all over the world and brought back from their voyages over 80 species of exotic plants. The gardens of small towns are filled with flowers, and throughout the landscapes woods and olive groves abound, and shrubs of sage, rosemary and lavender are abundant. It's no wonder Kvarner is known as the Fragrant Gates of the Adriatic.
We travelled to the following islands in Kvarner: Krk, Cres, Lošinj, Rab |
Istria
The heart-shaped peninsula of Istria, just South of Trieste in Italy, is where continental Croatia meets the Adriatic. It is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea and offers a verdant indented coastline, acclaimed gastronomy (including prime white truffles), and historical charm.
We visited the following coastal places in Istria: Rabac (and nearby inland Labin), Sebenišca, Medulin, Pula |
Biograd na Moru
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Dugi Otok, Biograd, Pašman, Zverinac, Molat, Zadar, Žminjak
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Obinuš, Skradin, Biograd, Pašman, Rava
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Zverinac, Dugi Otok (Veli Rat, Telašćica), Pašman (Soline)
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Guest: Elaine
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Žminjak, Skradin, Mirine, Primošten, Split, Trogir, Brač (Stipanska, Bobovišće, Milna, Lučice), Veli Drvenik, Šolta
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Guests: Julie and Alan
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Gomilica, Hvar, Sveti Klement, Brač
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Guests: D'Cruz Family
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Sveti Klement, Hvar, Korčula, Mljet, Dubrovnik
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Dubrovnik, Mljet, Šipan
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Guests: Kristin and Davy
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Mljet, Korčula, Brač, Split, Šolta, Kasjun, Veli Drvenik, Mirine, Kaprije,
Biograd |
Zadar, Ugljan, Kornati Islands, Biograd na Moru
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Guest: Geoff
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Biograd na Moru, Žut
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Guest: Alex
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Pašman, Ugljan, Molat, Silba, Olib, Ilovik, Lošinj, Unije, Cres, Sebenišca,
Medulin, Prklog, Rabac, Krk, Rab |
Lošinj
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