Croatia · Dalmatia
Yacht Charter Dalmatian coast
A thousand islands lying in parallel chains, and sheltered channels running the whole length between them.
Dalmatia gave its name to a shape of coastline. Geologists anywhere in the world call it a Dalmatian coast when ridges run parallel to the shore and the sea floods the valleys between them, leaving long thin islands in rows — and this is where the pattern was described. It matters to anyone chartering here, because it means the whole four hundred kilometres can be sailed in flat water inside the islands, with the open Adriatic kept on the far side of them.
Why the sailing is easy here
The islands lie in two or three ranks parallel to the mainland, and the channels between them run north-west to south-east like corridors. A week can be spent moving down one channel and back up another without ever being exposed, which is why this coast suits families and first-time charterers as well as it does.
The prevailing summer wind, the maestral, gets up in the early afternoon from the north-west and dies at sunset, which fits the channels exactly: you sail after lunch and you are in somewhere by six. It is about as reliable as wind gets in the Mediterranean.
The two winds that are not the maestral
The bora comes down off the mountains from the north-east, arrives with little warning and blows hard — it is a katabatic wind, cold air falling off the Velebit range, and it is strongest in the northern half of the coast and at the mouths of the channels. In summer it is uncommon and short; when it comes, you stay in.
The jugo comes up from the south-east, brings cloud and rain, and pushes a swell up the whole Adriatic because it has the length of the sea to work on. It builds over a day rather than arriving suddenly. Neither wind should worry anybody with a crew — they are read a day ahead — but both explain why the itinerary is decided in the morning rather than in advance.
How much of it fits in a week
About a third. Zadar to Dubrovnik is roughly two hundred miles and there are four UNESCO sites, five national parks and something over a thousand islands along the way, and a week that tries to take them all in is a week spent on passage.
The three sections that work are the north — Zadar, the Kornati archipelago, Šibenik — the middle, from Split through Šolta, Brač, Hvar and Vis, and the south, from Korčula through Mljet to the Elafiti and Dubrovnik. Each is a proper week. Doing two of them means seeing neither.
Practical notes
- The islands lie in ranks parallel to the coast, so the whole length can be sailed in sheltered channels
- The maestral gets up in the early afternoon from the north-west and drops at sunset — the most reliable wind here
- The bora falls off the mountains from the north-east with little warning; the jugo builds from the south-east over a day
- Zadar to Dubrovnik is about two hundred miles: a week covers roughly a third of the coast, not the lot
- Anchoring over Posidonia seagrass is regulated, and the crew hold the current charts of where it is
Reached from: Split, Dubrovnik and Trogir
Where to dine
A table by the water
Bota Šare
StonAt the top of the peninsula where the oysters are farmed, and they are opened a few metres from where they grew.
Konoba Mate
PupnatInland on Korčula, in a hill village, cooking what the family grows and nothing that it does not.
Zoï
SplitOn the Riva above the old sea wall, and the most considered kitchen on the coast.
What to do
Anchorages & excursions
The parallel channels
Ridges drowned by the sea leave long islands in ranks, and sheltered corridors running the whole length between them.
The Kornati
Eighty-nine islands in the northern archipelago, almost all uninhabited, and a national park.
The four UNESCO towns
Dubrovnik, Diocletian's palace at Split, Trogir and the cathedral at Šibenik, all within the two hundred miles.
The maestral
A north-westerly that gets up after lunch and dies at sunset, running the same way as the channels.
The fleet
Yachts available for the Dalmatian coast
Vessels that operate here, from flagship motor yachts to smaller crewed boats. Every rate is quoted on enquiry.
Good to know
Questions we are asked about the Dalmatian coast
- Which part of the Dalmatian coast should we choose?
- One of three, not all of them. The north gives you the Kornati archipelago and Šibenik; the middle gives you Split, Brač, Hvar and Vis; the south gives you Korčula, Mljet and Dubrovnik. Each fills a week properly. Trying to link two means spending the week on passage.
- Is the sailing difficult?
- It is among the easiest in the Mediterranean. The islands lie in rows parallel to the coast, so there is sheltered water the whole way, the distances between anchorages are short, and the summer wind is a reliable afternoon thermal. It is why so many people learn to charter here.
- What is the bora?
- A cold wind falling off the mountains from the north-east, sudden and hard. It is a winter phenomenon mostly, uncommon and brief in summer, and strongest in the north of the coast. It is forecast a day ahead and the answer to it is to stay where you are.
- What does a yacht charter on the Dalmatian coast cost?
- It depends on the yacht, the season and the crew, so we quote on enquiry rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most weeks. Tell us your dates and party size.
Destinations
Nearby destinations
Charter here
Enquire about a charter on the Dalmatian coast
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are, and we will come back with the right yacht and a full quotation.