Roundup
Sailing in Croatia and Montenegro: day trips, charters and routes
How to sail the Adriatic, from a day trip out of Split or Kotor to a week-long skippered charter, with the best islands, real costs, licence rules and the best months.
Founder, from Ruma, Serbia
The short answer
For one day on the water, take a small-group cruise from Split to Brač and Šolta, from about €95 with lunch and drinks, or a three-hour boat tour of the Bay of Kotor from €37. Neither needs any experience.
For a week, charter a yacht from Split with a skipper. A 40-foot sailing yacht costs about €1,700 a week in May and closer to €2,700 in July and August, plus about €170 to €220 a day for the skipper. To sail it yourself you need a recognised skipper licence and a VHF radio certificate. June and September are the best months: warm water, steady winds and quieter bays.
Split and the central Dalmatian islands
Central Dalmatia has the densest cluster of inhabited islands on the Adriatic, and the best bays are a short sail from Split. Brač has Zlatni Rat, the beach on every Croatia poster. Hvar has the busiest harbour on the coast and the pine-covered Pakleni Islands just offshore. Vis, closed to foreigners until 1989, is the island sailors save for last.
The day trip we link to runs on a small yacht with limited capacity: about two hours of swimming and snorkelling off Brač, then lunch and another swim on Šolta, with drinks included all day, from €95. For a week, a loop from Split covers all of these in short hops, with only one longer open-water leg, out to Vis.
Dubrovnik and the Elaphiti Islands
The Elaphiti Islands lie a short sail north-west of Dubrovnik and are made for a day on the water. Distances are short and the water is sheltered. Only three islands are inhabited: Koločep, small and green with sea caves; Lopud, with a pretty harbour and Šunj, one of the few sandy beaches on this coast; and Šipan, the largest and most rural.
A typical day sail from Dubrovnik stops at two or three islands for a swim, lunch on the quay and a short walk, then heads back on the late-afternoon breeze. Cars are rare or banned on all three islands, so they stay quiet even in August.
Kornati National Park: 140 islands of bare white stone
The Kornati are the densest island group in the Mediterranean: around 140 islands, islets and reefs off central Dalmatia, almost bare of trees, with white limestone, dry stone walls and deep blue water. They are one of the Adriatic’s top sailing areas, with sheltered anchorages and small restaurants tucked into the coves.
Boats pay a park entry fee. For a yacht of 11 to 18 metres, a ticket bought online in advance costs about €95 from June to September and €50 the rest of the year, and buying in the park costs more. Most islands have no fresh water or shops, so stock up in Murter, Šibenik or Zadar first.
Bay of Kotor, Montenegro
The Bay of Kotor winds deep into Montenegro’s coast through narrow straits, with mountains rising straight out of the water and stone towns along the shore. The water inside is sheltered, and Tivat is the base for private charters.
Most visitors see it on a shared boat tour from Kotor: about three hours, from €37, past Perast to Our Lady of the Rocks, out to the Blue Cave on the Luštica peninsula and past old submarine tunnels in the cliffs. These are fast motorboats, not sailboats. Morning departures are calmer than the breezy afternoons.
Day trip, skippered charter or bareboat?
A day trip is the easy option: no planning, no experience and one price. A skippered charter is the step up for a week. You rent the whole boat, a local skipper handles the sailing and the mooring, and you choose the islands. Skippers cost about €170 to €220 a day, and you also cover their food on board.
To charter bareboat, without a skipper, at least one person on board needs a recognised skipper licence, such as an RYA Day Skipper or a US Sailing or ASA International Proficiency Certificate, plus a VHF radio certificate. Charters in Croatia usually run Saturday to Saturday. On top of the boat, expect a package of transit log, final cleaning and tourist tax of about €100 to €400 a week, plus fuel and marina fees.
When to go
The season runs from May to October. June and September are the best months: the sea is warm, the winds are steady and the anchorages are far quieter than in July and August, when charter prices and marina fees peak. May and October are cheapest, with cooler water and fewer restaurants open on the smaller islands.
In summer the maestral, a steady north-westerly sea breeze, builds most afternoons, which makes for good sailing. The bura is the wind to watch: a cold, gusty north-easterly that can blow up fast, mostly outside summer. Check the forecast every morning and plan a sheltered anchorage for the night.
A one-week route from Split
A classic first week stays within easy reach of Split, with short hops and one longer crossing:
Day 1: Split to Šolta, a short first sail to a quiet bay for the night.
Day 2: Šolta to Vis, the longest open-water leg of the week.
Day 3: around Vis to Komiža, with a trip to the Blue Cave on Biševo.
Day 4: Vis to the Pakleni Islands and Hvar town.
Day 5: Hvar to Brač, with a swim at Zlatni Rat near Bol.
Day 6: Brač to Milna or a quiet bay on the Split channel.
Day 7: back to Split for the Saturday handover.
Sailing questions
Do I need a licence to sail in Croatia?
Only to skipper the boat yourself. For a bareboat charter, at least one person on board needs a recognised skipper licence and a VHF radio certificate. Day trips and skippered charters need no licence at all.
How much does it cost to charter a yacht in Croatia?
About €1,700 a week for a 40-foot sailing yacht in May and around €2,700 in July and August. Add a skipper at about €170 to €220 a day, fuel, marinas and a package of transit log, cleaning and tourist tax of about €100 to €400 a week.
When is the best time to sail in Croatia?
June and September, when the sea is warm, the winds are steady and the bays are quieter than in July and August. The season runs from May to October.
Where is the best sailing in Croatia?
Around Split, where Brač, Hvar, the Pakleni Islands and Vis sit within short sailing distance, and in Kornati National Park further north. The Elaphiti Islands off Dubrovnik are best for a relaxed day sail.
Can you go sailing in Montenegro?
Yes. The Bay of Kotor is sheltered and spectacular, and private charters run from Tivat. Most visitors see it on a shared motorboat tour from Kotor, from about €37 for three hours.
Ready to set sail?
Book a day on the water from Split or Kotor, with swim stops and no sailing experience needed.
Related articles
Canyoning in the Balkans: from first-timer canyons to big abseils
The best canyoning in the Balkans, from the Cetina near Split and Bohinj near Bled to Bovec, Nevidio and Škurda, with prices, levels, minimum ages and the best months.
Kayaking in the Balkans: the best sea, lake and river trips
Where to kayak in the Balkans, from the Bay of Kotor and Dubrovnik’s walls to the Mrežnica’s waterfalls and Matka Canyon, with prices from €30 and the best months.
