With the Voyager route of MedSailors, everyone is supposed to meet up at the Baotic Marina in SPLIT at around 1PM. (Croatia sailing itinerary trips usually start on a Saturday and end on a Friday).
That being said, it’s best that you arrive a day or two earlier if you want to explore more of Split. After all, it has two amazing UNESCO heritage sites that you shouldn’t miss: the Palace of Diocletian and the historic walled town of Trogir.
A flotilla usually consists of about 5-8 yachts and the yacht that I was assigned to was owned by a skipper named Russell. After being introduced to him, I was introduced to my ‘crew mates’: 3 girl friends from the UK, 1 solo traveler (like I was) also from the UK, and 1 couple from Australia. After talking with everyone, I just knew that I was going to have a great time! (Spoiler alert: …I sure did!)
We then set off to visit the 1st island of our voyage: SESULA in Solta island which was a small tranquil bay that largely depended on its fisheries, olive groves, and vineyards. Along the way though, we had our first taste of sailing lessons from Russell when he taught us how to adjust the sails — again, like what I’ve already mentioned above, you can learn how to sail with MedSailors and you’re free to aid or even take over the skipper’s duties.
When we arrived at the island, we had some time to enjoy the waters as we used the paddleboards that came free in the yachts. When sunset was about to come, everyone in our flotilla came together to have some drinks by the bay and enjoy the sunset. It was some sort of welcome party as we got to know everyone else on the other yachts!
It was then that I learned that the others were from places all over the world like USA, Singapore, France, Italy, South Africa, etc.
Come night time, the skippers reserved tables for us at Sismis Restaurant and we had our first ever delicious Croatia Mediterranean feast. There were even some locals in the restaurant who were singing with an accordion so it really felt so lively!
A must try local Croatian specialty in the konoba (restaurant) is Peka, a baked dish with meat and vegetables made in a pot or tray)
Before the night ended, we headed to a small local bar by the beach to have some drinks with everyone.
Come morning, Russell prepared breakfast for us, and then we started sailing again in order to reach a spot in the middle of the sea that wasn’t too far away from Sesula. (At this point, we learned how to anchor the yacht!)
We spent a good time of our morning there doing more swimming and paddleboarding together with the other yachts.
By lunchtime, we reached the PAKLENI Islands’ Palmizana Bay which was an idyllic place that was not only a typical stopover or ‘parking spot’ for all the other sailing providers in Croatia but also an idyllic place with scenic bars by the beach.
We spent time here swimming in the waters and drinking cocktails at the Laganini Beach Bar.
Sometime in the late afternoon, we boarded a water taxi (100 kuna, roundtrip) to reach the bustling town of HVAR that’s renowned for its nightlife. Armed with our cones of gelatos, we first explored this picturesque town and then headed up to the Spanjola Fortress (Fortica Spanjola) to get a breathtaking panoramic view of the port town (as seen in the photo that’s located at the very top of this post).
After dinner, it was a more hardcore party night for us as we all went to Kiva Bar in Hvar — it was surely a night to remember!
By this day of our Croatia sailing itinerary, I could confidently say that I’ve earned my ‘sea legs’ (the ability to keep my balance and not feel seasick) — though the lingering ‘moving sensation’, once I was on land, was a different matter of its own. But it wasn’t that bad!
It just happens when you start living in a boat and you simply will just get used to it. Rest assured, the waters here were pretty calm.
So from Hvar, we then set off to reach the next island: VELA LUKA which is Korcula Island’s largest town, and its promenade was surely lined with interesting cafes and restaurants.
During that voyage, we spent our sweet time doing more swimming and we even tried attaching our paddleboard to our yacht so that we can ride it while we were sailing! It was tough but surely manageable.
Once we were at Vela Luka, we had the liberty to choose a restaurant that we would want to dine in for dinner. You might have expected us to go our separate ways, but we all decided to stick together and dined in a pizza place (which was delish!). At one point of the day, we also went shopping for water floats… which was a funny experience because we ended up walking to such a far supermarket (which didn’t have any floats), only to find out later as we walked back that the shops closer to the port had what we needed.
Come night time, it was one of our calmer nights and we all decided to just chill on our yacht — eating, drinking, and playing card games like UNO!
We landed on KORCULA Old Town on Korcula Island, a medieval city that has a succession of narrow streets that branch off from the spine of the main street like a fish bone — you bet that I had so much fun ‘getting lost’ in those streets!
Apparently, this design was used to reduce the effects of the wind and sun, and provide the citizens with more comfortable accommodation.
Must-do: Sample Posip wine and see St. Mark’s Cathedral
Another thing that we did during the day on this island was wine tasting (for an additional cost of 80 kuna only). And before the night dawned, we stopped by the cocktail bar: Massimo which I absolutely recommend that you visit!
It’s perched up high on a tower (you’ll have to go up a small ladder) and it not only offer us great views of the surrounding landscape but also great-tasting drinks!
Croatia’s MedSailors typically holds a regatta (boat race) on this day but with a twist: the skipper will not help AT ALL so it’s up to you to navigate the yacht without the engine to reach the ‘finish line’.
We were all SO stoked about this (especially since my crew and I knew that we could win it lol).
…However, the winds weren’t so optimal this day (it was weak) so we ended up cruising along the waves with everyone else. Nevertheless, if you’re lucky enough and you hold this event, I bet that you guys will have a swell time!
So for this 5th day, we amped up our water activities. Everyone in our flotilla anchored and cozied up on a nice coast and spent most of the morning having fun! Some of the other guests bought a water float where we could play beer pong, and then the skippers even thought of tying up several paddleboards together so that whoever reaches the end whilst running will be regarded as awesome haha.
It was actually a fun way to see who has really earned their “sea legs”!
After lunch, we proceeded to dock at MLJET which is an unspoiled island mostly covered by forest while the rest is dotted with fields, vineyards, and small villages.
Up on the northwestern half would be the National Park where we found pine forests and spectacular saltwater lakes — we were all able to see most of the island by cycling (only 100 kuna to rent), which I absolutely recommend!
Make sure to spot the Benedictine Monastery in one of the lakes, and it’s also best that you keep your swimsuit underneath because there are spots where you are free to swim. Another activitiy that you can try is kayaking (only 50 kuna).
This day took us to the small island of SIPAN which is said to be the playground of royalty and the wealthy in Croatia. Apart from that, the entire island is covered in Mediterranean vegetation while the rest are mostly covered by olive trees, making it earn the spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the island with the most olive trees in relation to its size and number of inhabitants!
We had a great time just chilling around this town, and later on, we had one big group dinner again which was technically our farewell dinner. At that moment, it was hard to believe that our trip was ending because we were having so much fun!
In mild ‘retaliation’, we all went to a bar and partied all night long as we danced, talked, and drink.
I swear to you, this trip was one for the books and I urge you to take it too as it will be the trip of a lifetime!
We landed in ACI Marina DUBROVNIK to bid our farewell to everyone, and we were then free to explore the city (which ‘Game of Thrones‘ fans would absolutely love since a lot of the scenes from the series were shot here!).
Are you a fan of Game of Thrones? Join this cruise and walking tour to ride the ship of Daenerys Targaryen, go by the walls of King’s Landing and basically bask in the fandom!
It was bittersweet to see everyone go after such an amazing Croatia sailing itinerary, while also realizing that our ‘sea life’ has ended — but we all agreed to get together in the night to have one last drink with everyone.
One thing that you must know about Dubrovnik is that it is one of the most renowned tourist sites in Croatia — not only because of GoT but because of its awe-inspiring old town. It’s no wonder that it’s been a UNESCO World Heritage since 1979!
Must-do: Walk the city walls, go up the cable car (to get a better view of the whole place), and maybe even try cliff jumping at Bar Biza.
