Sailing yacht or catamaran

Dutch Flotilla

From Sukosan you can join a flotilla with other yachts with Dutch sailors on board. These are mostly families with children. In a flotilla you usually sail with about 8 yachts plus an accompanying sailboat. Departures from Sukosan. This is located in North Dalmatia; one of the most beautiful sailing areas of the Croatian coast.

If you want a flotilla, you do not have to indicate this in the above search function, but you can let us know. We will then look together at which sailing holiday period suits you best (and whether there is still room) and we will then reserve a place in the fleet.

By plane to Croatia; Split or Zadar

The 2 main airports are  Split and Zadar (near Sukosan). You usually fly to Split in a direct flight and if you fly to Zadar, you usually make a stopover in Zagreb. From both airports we can arrange a transit (taxi) for you directly to the yacht you have rented for your sailing holiday. The airport of Zadar near Sukosan is located a little more to the north in North Dalmatia and that of Split a little more to the south in Central Dalmatia. Both are beautiful sailing areas (more info about this below).

Tip; Transavia often has cheap airline tickets from Rotterdam Airport to the port of Split.

If you would like help in finding the right airline tickets, we are happy to help you with this.

Sailing areas of Croatia
Croatia … a country full of fantastic sailing areas, beautiful islands and atmospheric harbors.

Croatia has 5 sailing areas which are further explained below the map. From north to south these are:

• Istria
• Kvarner
• North Dalmatia
• Middel Dalmatia
• South Dalmatia

Below the map you can read more details about the 5 sailing areas of Croatia.

Istria

Because Istria is close to Italy, you will notice a lot of Italian influences here, especially in the architecture. Partly because of this, it is a popular sailing area for sailing yachts and catamarans. It is very touristy which can be very nice if you choose that. In addition to the beautiful beaches, there is a rich history with beautiful old harbor towns such as Rovinj and Porec. The place Pula is known for the best preserved Romanesque amphitheater which is located right next to the harbor of Pula.

Although there is so much to experience on land, it is slightly less varied in terms of sailing characteristics because you can only sail up and down along the coastline; the other areas of Croatia are very rich in islands. Because the coastline of Istria covers approximately 50 nautical miles, this is of course no problem in a holiday of 1 or 2 weeks.

Pula is the area’s most popular departure port. It has its own airport with flights from Amsterdam (usually with 1 or 2 stopovers) and a large harbor with many beautiful sailing boats. Pula is also the southernmost point of Istria, allowing you to enter the next beautiful area of ​​Kvarner.

In this part of Croatia the Bora wind can sometimes blow up. This is a fairly dry cold and strong land wind from the northeast. If you want to avoid this wind, we recommend sailing in one of the southern parts.

Kvarner

The mainland of Kvarner is mainly mountainous until the sea and the islands of this sailing area can be described as hilly. There is an alternation of somewhat bare parts with green, richly vegetated parts. And just like in Istria, I can also occasionally encounter the somewhat colder Bora wind in Kvarner. The most important ports are Punat and Mali Losinj (in the search filter you can find various yachts and catamarans here).

This area is particularly suitable for more experienced sailors.

North Dalmatia

North Dalmatia is a wonderful area to experience from a sailboat. It is full of beautiful islands that all have something to experience. The most famous part of this area are the Kornati islands. This is 1 large island called Kornat with 88 smaller islands around it. The national park is located on Kornat; on this site read all about it here. There are plenty of nice bays where you can anchor well and many beautiful harbors where you can moor. Please note; in Croatia there are no posts at the moorings, but you use your anchor (with your fence from the yacht to the jetty and the point with the anchor).

If you go to the mainland, you will find the Krka national park (info on this site) with, among other things, fantastic waterfalls; well worth a visit.

In general, the wind here, partly due to the many islands, is fairly variable, varying in strength between 2 and 5 Beaufort. In August it can be a bit busier here (partly because the Italians go on holiday) so it is useful not to arrive too late at the ports. The main departure ports are Sukosan, Zadar and Biograd. Using our search function, you can select the yacht from many sailing yachts in these beautiful harbors on which you want to experience your sailing holiday :).

Central Dalmatia

Middle Dalmatia has fewer islands than North Dalmatia, but this part of Croatia has more interesting ports on the mainland. The 2 largest islands of this area are Hvar and Brac; here you can experience a lot; the Tripadvisor site gives you a good overview; for Brac and for Hvar .

This part of the coast is the most famous part of Croatia. It is a mix of busy tourist spots where you can go shopping or party, for example, and plenty of quieter areas and places where you can relax. Places like Split and Trogir have a very rich history which makes them very interesting for enthusiasts. If you like nature more, you can visit the Blue Caves at Bisevo (info here) visit or you can take a boat trip through the river Cetina to experience the beautiful canyon with gorges (info here). You will also find many beautiful beaches in Central Dalmatia. all in all a very varied area that has something to offer for everyone.

The sailing conditions here are excellent with fairly constant winds between 2 and 5 Beaufort. If there is an outlier, then rarely harder than 6 Beaufort and these are short-lived. In the smaller ports, especially in Hvar, it is important to obtain a berth in good time during the high season. In the larger ports it usually works out fine. The main departure port for our sailing yachts and catamarans for this area is Split.

South Dalmatia

This southernmost part of Croatia is ideal for the sailor who opts for a little more peace and space. Although relatively fewer yachts are sailed and rented here, there is plenty to do and there are beautiful islands to visit. The town of Dubrovnik, located in the southernmost part of South Dalmatia, is an absolute must if you choose this area. The best way to reach the city center from the port is by bus or taxi; it is well worth the trip. Through Happy Sailing you can choose from approximately 140 sailing yachts that you can rent from this area. Although this may seem like a lot, there are significantly fewer yachts available in this area than in the other parts so it is advisable to book a sailboat in good time. An additional advantage is that because it is quieter, you can also easily find a nice spot in one of the attractive harbors.

In general you can compare this area with Central Dalmatia with a mix of beautiful larger and smaller towns. One difference is that the beaches here are more of pebbles than sand. Here too the wind is fairly constant between 2 and 5 Beaufort with small peaks to 6. The sea here is sometimes a bit rougher than in the other parts of Croatia because a number of currents and weather systems converge here; especially in the afternoon and early evening you can sometimes notice this.

Would you like more information about these beautiful areas of Croatia, the sailing yachts themselves or booking a sailing boat or catamaran? Then call us 0229 750 739.

Be Happy, Be Sailing !

Sailing yacht at twilight and a beautiful Lagoon Catamaran in one of the coves that is rich in Croatia…