“We want hidden bays… And we’re coming to Croatia in August!“
This is what we hear on almost every call with clients looking to book a week sailing on the Croatian coast.
And the conversations continue once the yacht has been booked.
“We want an itinerary with hidden bays, off the beaten path… Somewhere thats not touristy.”
“We know we’re coming in peak season and we definitely want to go to Hvar. We’ve heard Vis is a must too.”
“We really want to experience the real Croatia and visit authentic villages and restaurants.”
Many people coming here to sail want both the hidden bays to swim in without the crowds, AND they also want to hit the hotspots that they have heard talked about and read about online. We blame it on the mass propaganda marketing machine that promotes Croatia with off season photos of popular spots like Zlatni Rat, Plitvice Lakes and the like. And these terms like “off the beaten path” and authentic, are very subjective. They mean different things to different people.
Let's start with FACTS
>> There are over 1,200 islands along the Croatian coast
>> About 40–50 of these islands are permanently inhabited
>> There are approximately 70 islands in the Dalmatian region alone (between Zadar and Dubrovnik)
Why are these numbers so important? Well, think for a moment of how many main ports each of these islands has, where boats can dock, moor or anchor. Add to these the hundreds of smaller bays and inlets to anchor and moor, times it by how many islands there are in the Dalmatia region, and suddenly “off the beaten path” starts to make a lot more sense!
If you’ve ever talked with Nick, one of the goals he has every time he goes out on the water is to visit a new place each week. After almost ten years sailing on the Adriatic, he is STILL finding new bays to anchor in, new konoba’s to visit and new spots every summer.
And that’s not an exaggeration at all.
You can definitely find those empty little bays in peak season, or those less touristy areas tucked away. And they’re not necessarily easy to find. You need to know where to look, what time to get there and you need to have a flexible itinerary that allows for exploring.
HINT: Many of the best places you will find in the islands of Croatia aren’t the ones you’ve saved online or seen on Instagram or TikTok. They are spots recommended by locals or a random little bay that you take a chance on instead of passing it by.
The real challenge in peak season isn’t what people think it is!
Most visitors to Croatia are focused on avoiding crowds. But out here on the islands, thats not really the issue.
Croatia is not like the Caribbean, or even some parts of Greece, where yachts moor/anchor in a shallow bay in numbers that make our eyes water. Private marina’s like Martinis Marchi or smaller town piers like Vrboska or even Stari Grad only have a finite number of spots available. And when they are full, thats it. They cannot squeeze any more in and there is no back up marina around the corner. There is no creating more space for more boats.
And as anchorages here are quite deep, yachts are not able to stack out just outside the ports. The spaces really are limited. This can be a frustrating feature of sailing here in Croatia… Or you can see how it works to your advantage, with just enough people celebrating summer to give these towns and villages a lovely lively buzz. If you want to see and experience these local spots by stepping off the boat, you need to be in BEFORE the port fills up.
This means that your days are wide open to explore and adventure and find those gorgeous hidden nooks, while some of your evenings can be spent docked and enjoying the vibe of summer in one of many little islands towns and villages .
So then the challenge shifts from “How do we avoid people entirely?” to the more flexible “How do we make this work smoothly?”
'Busy' isnt the same on the islands
It is pretty well-known by now that spots like Split and Dubrovnik get BUSY in peak season. And out on the islands, the concept of ‘busy’ hits differently. Even at the height of summer peak season. You may still feel it in busy ports like Vis town or Hvar town. But anchoring in the bays means you still have space to swim and jump and SUP. And everyone around you is on holiday too. So everything just feels more chill and relaxed. It’s a slower pace. Even when there are a few boats in the bay, it’s not the same kind of ‘busy’ pressure that you experience on the mainland.
And while we're on the topic of the mainland...
Don’t forget that the mainland has some pretty awesome places to dock, moor and anchor. It’s easy to think that a sailing holiday is ONLY about the islands. And it doesn’t have to be!
Places like Primošten, Rogoznica and Skradin (from where you can access Krka National park!) are great over nights especially when the weather doesn’t play ball and they’re on the mainland. Tucked away coastal spots like Kobaš, Slano and Zavratnica often get left off land-based itineraries and are unexpected gems for keen sailors.
These sorts of spots on the mainland add a different feel, break things up nicely, and often get overlooked. Which is exactly why they work.
One of the biggest mistakes we see visitors to Croatia make is when they do not realise that often a town has the same name as the island that the town is located on. The biggest example is Hvar. When visitors talk about Hvar, they are usually referring to Hvar town. Not realising that Hvar ISLAND is the fourth-largest island in Croatia, of which Hvar town is just a small part. A very popular part, yes. But there is so much more to see on the islands beyond just Hvar town.
Now don’t get us wrong, we love Hvar Town… In the off season! And if it’s on your to-do list, it is definitely worth seeing. Just don’t overthink it. In the season it is a very busy and popular place, and because off its’ popularity, it is very accessible. You don’t need to be on a yacht to get to Hvar town. You can simply catch one of many ferries during the day departing from Split, Korčula, Dubrovnik or Vis. So be ready for being amongst the crowds in Hvar town!
And if you still really want to visit Hvar town on your sailing holiday, you can:
- Try for the town quay. It will be busy and expensive, so be prepared and have a back-up plan if you cannot get a spot. Also be aware that with all the water traffic, there will be lots of wake night and day!
- Take a mooring on the XX side of the bay. Note, you will need to use your dinghy to get to and from the boat to the shore. And the same traffic mentioned above can make a night here very sloppy and bumpy.
- Anchor in a nearby bay and tender to shore. Walk or get a water taxi to Hvar Town (as long as someone is left behind to look after the yacht).
- Dock in ACI Marina Palmižana, in the Pakleni Islands opposite Hvar Town and water taxi to the city. This is often the easiest and safest option. And just make sure you are prepared that it’s also very expensive and often VERY rowdy.
The ISLAND of Hvar, on the other hand, is so much more than just a one night stop. You could easily spend a whole week sailing around the island of Hvar, stopping in little bays and coves, discovering beaches with no one else on them, and visiting small rustic konoba where you are welcomed like long lost family. We LOVE Hvar island and in ten years, I have still not explored all of the nooks that the island has to offer. I am constantly working on it though!
And there are trade-offs
>> Anchoring in non-touristy places or out of the way spots is harder. Water is deeper and the bay may not be as sheltered. You need to be on-point with your anchoring skills, and pay attention to weather management.
>> Getting away requires GETTING AWAY! You travel further from the main route in order to leave the main crowd behind. This means your provisioning has to be more organised, and your passages may be longer to get back to your charter base. It’s all about timing and being prepared.
>> You have to be willing to risk it not working out due to weather, timing or your anchoring not holding. Have back-up plans for your back-up plans, and work the days by the sun and the wind. Not by the bar.
For example, the best sailing in summer is usually in the afternoon. But if you want to get into that bay before anyone else, you may have to travel earlier in the day when there is little or no wind. Unfortunately, getting the prime spot sometimes means getting anchored and settled in your spot by 1pm and missing out on that gorgeous sea breeze for one day.
Yes, going “off the beaten path” is a juggle, can mean longer travel days and requires more attention to logistics than just going to the same old spots as everyone else. So you need to ensure that your whole crew is down for the adventure.
And in our opinion, some of the best nights on a sailing holiday are the simplest ones.
- A quiet bay with 3 or 4 yachts with a line to shore
- A mooring buoy and dinner at a konoba
- Docked on the quay at a small town strolling for gelato after dinner.
Simple, relaxed, and exactly what most people are actually looking for.
Our Simple 45D Takeaway
If you only chase “hidden” spots, you’ll miss things.
If you only follow the popular route, you’ll miss things.
The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle.
And usually… it’s a lot easier to find than people expect.
Need help putting it all together?
That’s exactly what we do. We can help you with:
- Creating a custom itinerary for you and your crew based on what your group likes, where you want to visit and how much travelling is ideal for each day. Find out more HERE
- Upgrade your Itinerary Plan to our BareBoat Assist service to have us helping you avoid the usual stress points that come with the logistics and attention to detail of being out on the water.
- Check out Nick’s itinerary route suggestions FREE OF CHARGE, north and south of Trogir HERE
