Nautical tourism in Croatia

WHY CHARTER A YACHT IN CROATIA?

Because, the Croatian coast, abounding in natural harbours, with its countless bays, beaches, ports and marinas are a real heaven for navigators. Natural indebtedness of the Croatian coast enables rest and stopover in different surroundings.

HOW TO CHARTER A YACHT IN CROATIA?

How to choose a yacht?
You can cruise in the finest Croatian destinations aboard your own private luxury yacht, mega yacht, motor yacht, sailing yacht or cruising vessel. Power or sail, everything depends about your choice. We will help you to find the best yacht for you!

Do I need to know how to sail?
No, you don’t! Since you have your competent crew or skipper to take care of every detail. If you would like to become involved, then by all means. The areas that we charter in are all chosen for there clear waters and sheltered anchorages and our recommendations are based on your requirements and experience.
The best season for sailing in Adriatic is early summer: there are good winds in May and June. In July are August, when periods of calm prevail, conditions are ideal for those motorboat fans who prefer calm waters. In the autumn and winter, seas can be rough with prolonged periods of the north wind and the south wind, the real paradise for those who like “real sailing”.

How do I book a yacht charter?
Simple… contact or call us freely and we would be happy to discuss your intended vacation. We will mail you colour brochures of your yacht and route and overviews of the crew from which to make your choice.

Which recreation can I choose?
With Yacht Charter Croatia you can enjoy in: Windsurfing, Water Skiing, SCUBA Diving and Deep sea Fishing.

When to visit Croatian coast?
The best period to visit our coast is from April to October. Peak temperatures in high season summer months (July, August) can reach 38°C (100°F), and the water surface at that point reaches a comfortable 26°C (79°F). High season has its obvious advantages for people looking for fun and excitement and disadvantages for others, but in Croatia you can always find some nice hidden place if you want to sleep far from loud music. Spring starting in March can bring some rain showers, but the autumn months, September and October, are ideal for travel if you want to relax. In the off-season the beaches are less crowded and the prices drop, weather, however, remains stable and the water is still agreeably warm. Generally, you can travel along the Croatian coast at any time of the year. During winter season, however, you should pack some warm clothing in spite of the mild Mediterranean climate. The temperatures seldom drop below the freezing point but some winds might be unpleasant in the winter.

What shall I bring with me?
In spite of generally good health care system, it is best to take a few sensible precautions during your holiday. The most important is to avoid overexposure to the sun, wear hat and quality sunglasses, and use a high-factor suntan lotion, especially during the hottest part of the day (11 a.m. till 3 p.m.). Drink plenty of water to avoid exhaustion and dehydration. Tab water in Croatia is generally safe to drink, but if you feel uncomfortable, bottled spring water is for sale throughout the country. Swimming after a full meal is not recommended for at least two hours. Wild beaches are usually not cleaned from sea urchins that like Croatia’s clean waters. If you notice their presence, the best solution is to wear plastic or other adequate shoes to enter and get out of the water safely.

WHERE TO CHARTER A YACHT IN CROATIA?

Croatia’s coast is 5835 km long, has 1185 islands and islets, and extends from the northwest to the southeast. It is divided into the regions of Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia. In order to help you choose your summer destination, we have prepared this feature about Croatia’s regions.

Istra – crystal clean sea and green interior
Istria, placed on the peninsula of the same name, is the northernmost tourist region in Croatia and offers a beautiful coastline as well as a green interior. Visit Porec, Rovinj or Pula, tourist centres of rich cultural heritage with numerous hotels and restaurants to suit everyone’s taste.
Should you choose Buje, Buzet, Motovun or Groznjan, you will enjoy the privacy and tranquillity of these fortified medieval cities and learn more about traditional gastronomic specialties and wine production. There is something for everybody; first class service in 9 marinas on the Istrian coast for boaters, cycling and motto cross trails, caves and tennis courts (the best are in Umag and Novigrad) for outdoor enthusiasts, and the Limski channel for nature lovers.

Kvarner – mountains, coast and islands
The Kvarner region lies next to Istria, and consists of the Kvarner coastline with islands and the mountain range. Kvarner, thanks to its favourable climate, has a 150 year tradition in elite and health tourism. Places such as Opatija, Lovran and Icici are ideal for those looking for luxury and first class entertainment, while the carnival city of Rijeka and the surrounding places offer various types of entertainment throughout the entire year. Boaters are welcome to the 8 well-equipped marinas, while outdoor enthusiasts can choose among climbing, cycling, motto cross, hunting and fishing.

Dalmatia – Mediterranean temperament
Dalmatia is Croatia’s largest tourist region. There are three large cities: three thousand year old city of Zadar, Split – residence to the Roman Emperor Diocletian, and Dubrovnik to the far south, a UNESCO World Heritage List city. Choose between larger places such as Sibenik, Trogir and Makarska or the tranquil places on the Sibenik, Zadar and Makarska Rivieras. The Velebit and Biokovo mountain ranges, the Paklenica, Krka, Kornati and Mljet National Parks, wonderful speleological and diving locations, vineyards on the Peljesac peninsula and olive groves – all of this and much more can be found in sunny Dalmatia.

Dalmatian’s islands – beauties of the open sea
Croatia’s coast with over 1100 islands is among the most indented on the Mediterranean, and is a favourite destination for tourists, especially boaters. The islands of Kornati and Dugi otok with its Telascica lake near the city of Zadar are particularly interesting, while the small islands near the city of Sibenik, such as Krapanj, are a great place for a tranquil holiday. The island of Hvar, home to the oldest theatre in Europe and a summer festival, lies close to Split and has the most sunshine hours on the Adriatic.
The picturesque island of Solta with its bays far from the hustle and bustle of big cities is ideal for a quiet holiday. The island of Brac is known for its 200 m sandy beach “Zlatni rat”, heaven for surfers. You can also try hang gliding or simply have a good time in the numerous nightclubs, discos and restaurants. On the island of Vis, there are ruins of Roman theatre, as well as the breathtaking “Modra spilja” (Blue cave). If you are looking for a quiet holiday, Vis is the right destination due to the untouched nature and its few inhabitants. At the far south are the wooded island of Korcula, birthplace of Marco Polo and home to traditional knight dances, the island of Lastovo, known for its rich underwater, and the Elafiti islands close to Dubrovnik.
Croatia is ideal for sailing. The best season for sailing in Adriatic is early summer: there are good winds in May and June. In July are August, when periods of calm prevail, conditions are ideal for those motorboat fans who prefer calm waters. In the autumn and winter, seas can be rough with prolonged periods of the northeast wind (”bura”) and the southeast (”scirocco”), the real paradise for those who like “real sailing”.

ADRIATIC SEA

The Adriatic Sea got its name from an ancient port of the same name. The Adriatic spans from the Balkan to the Apennine peninsula. The part belonging to the Republic of Croatia is the east coast, which extends all the way from Prevlaka in the south to cape Savudrija in the west, including all islands, islets and cliffs along the coast, and the archipelago of Palagruza (the number of islands, islets and cliffs is more than 1700). This is a unique area in Europe for cruising with motorboats, speedboats, or sailboats, but also for enjoying the underwater world.
Croatia is truly a land of islands because it has more than a thousand of them and each one is different. Many of them are inhabited but each and every one is exceptional, with its own story and destiny. To have a weak spot is human and the connoisseurs of Croatian islands have thousands of them. To be more precise 1185 of them. That’s how many islands, islets and cliffs are located in front of 1777 kilometres of the Adriatic coast. The first trip to the Adriatic coast and its islands is a journey into the unknown. Every other trip will be a journey to the already familiar beauty of this country, always different but equally breathtaking.

Depths
The shallowest part of our sea is in Istria, where the depth does not exceed 50 metres. From Pula, the seabed mildly drops, making a long, narrow valley, which extends from Zirje towards Italy, which is called Jabucka kotlina. The biggest depth there is about 240 metres. From Jabucka kotlina, the bottom rises to Palagruza reef where the biggest depth is 130 metres. Towards the south, the bottom drops steeply towards the Juznojadranska dolina, where the biggest measured depth is about 1,300 metres.

The Adriatic eco-destination
The quality of the water in the Adriatic is very well preserved. The results reached through the constant measuring of the quality of water on more than 800 beaches are in accordance with the strictest criteria. Except for the cleanliness of the sea, another important quality of the coastal area is its biological and geographical particular quality, which can be seen in the number of species of plants and animals, and in the high number of endemic species (for example human fish). In order to protect and preserve such natural wealth, a list of rare and endangered species, the so-called Red Book, has been made.
Various projects are carried out in Croatia by government institutions or associations of citizens with the goal of preserving natural and cultural heritage, and its evaluation. One of these projects is The Blue Flag Project, and from the year 2001, the project Green Key also starts with the goal of improving the quality of surroundings in hotels, motels, camps and other facilities. Another project is Eco habitat Green Laguna in Porec, where the environment is especially taken care of. Green Laguna has its olive groves, orchards, and horse stables etc. where tourists can take active part in preserving the environment.
Through the year several days are especially marked in Croatia such as International day for water preservation, World meteorological day, Day of the planet earth, Day of the dolphins, World day of preserving the environment, Day of the Sun. Except for the natural, great significance lies on the preservation of cultural heritage, as well. National costumes and customs are preserved. During the summer, in most coastal towns special celebrations are organized in order to show tourists our local traditions, for example, traditional donkey race which is held each year in Tribunje, Moreska – knights dance on Korcula Croatia is also, except for its ecological cleanliness of air and water, an exceptionally safe place where everybody feels pleasant and welcome.

Tides
In the Adriatic, the high and low tides have relatively small amplitudes. In the southern part, the difference is rarely above some forty centimetres, while in the northern part it is somewhat bigger, so that it comes to 1 metre in Istria and the Gulf of Trieste. In some narrow channels and bays, the high tide can grow considerably during a strong sirocco. That phenomenon is characteristic for big and deep bays of the southern Adriatic. The tides are of a mixed type, which means that their rhythm is semidiurnal during the new and full moon, and of a daily type during the first and the last quarter. Their amplitudes are very irregular.

Sea Currents
Sea currents occur under the influence of winds, the difference in pressure, temperature, and the differences in salinity. With respect to the direction, they can be horizontal or vertical. There are also bottom currents, which appear as the consequence of moving of water from warmer areas to colder ones, during which the surface layer gets cold and descends towards the seabed. Currents are weakly observable in the Adriatic. The speed of currents changes in particular areas, but it also depends on time periods. The average speed of currents is about 0.5 knots, but they can also reach the speed of 4 knots.

Salinity of Sea
The total quantity of salt dissolved in one kilogram of seawater is called salinity, which is usually expressed in grams and as the permillage. The salinity of the Adriatic Sea is 38.30 permill averagely, i.e. there is 38.30 g of salt dissolved in 1 kg of water. In the northern part, the salinity is somewhat lower than in the middle and southern part because of the influence of the Po River.

Sea Temperature
The Adriatic Sea has a very marked annual change of the surface temperature. The average annual temperature is 11°C. During the winter, the sea is the coldest and the surface temperature is about 7°C; very seldom, it can drop below that too. In the spring, the sea becomes warmer, and the surface temperature rises to 18°C. In the summer the surface of the sea reaches a very high temperature, of up to 22 to 25°C, and in the southern Adriatic and Istria up to 27°C. In the Adriatic, thermo clines, i.e. parts of the water column of the same temperature, are very well distinguished. The thermo cline is most evident during the summer, and, in the winter, the isothermal process arises, i.e. equalling of the temperature throughout the water column. In the summer, we can notice the first thermo cline at the depth of 3 to 5 metres; the next one is at about 12 metres, and yet another one at 18 metres, while below 30 metres the temperature is mostly constant throughout the year.

Waves in the Adriatic
Waves occur primarily as the consequence of the blowing of winds. The bigger the reach, i.e. the surface across which the wind blows, the higher the waves will be. Their strength depends on the configuration and the exposure of the coast. In that way, mixing of the surface layer with water from the deep is enabled, and the interaction between the atmosphere and the sea. We distinguish the crest and the trough of a wave. The length of the wave is the distance between two troughs. Most often, heights of waves in the Adriatic are between 0.5 and 1.5 metres, and they very rarely exceed 5 metres.