Popeye + Olive's cruising tips for Croatia
14 April 2007
Copied from Yotblog
Specially for Savarna and Swagman, maybe of interest to others heading that way
First the disclaimers:
- We've only sailed (4 times?) in Dalmatia, so can't speak for Istria.
-We sailed out of season (May, September), and found it quite "busy". Can imagine that in July / August it's heaving.
Then the warnings:
-If you're used to Greece / Turkey, it may seem expensive
-If eating out, avoid ordering fish, unless you've just won the lottery. Not much fish left in the Adriatic, and they go to great lengths to catch it, or to import it frozen from Thailand (scampi) Avoid "talking menus" in restos - they will maybe make your mouth water, but your wallet may weep later.
-Due to topography, sometimes difficult to get VHF weather forecast, but mobile phone coverage is excellent, so prefer Text weather
So here's our best of /worst of from S to N:
Dubrovnik - can hardly avoid it (unless you choose Cavtat, which I am told is good). Marina with all mod cons and swimming pool,tennis courts. Good supermarket at marina entrance, bus service to town - around 20 minutes.
Town now restored after war damage (but apparently not all that badly hit). Orthodox Church, parallel to main street, still has mortar holes. Good pizza places at reasonable price.
The islands in the South:
Mjlet, where Odysseus stayed for 7 years ( and I understand why).Interesting monastery on "island within island", in national park. Good hiking.Anchorage at Luka Polace was a bit blustery on the 2 occasions we stayed there. Restos also offer swinging moorings, but with obligation to eat there.A few shops, no fresh meat.
Korcula, birth place of Maro Polo (?). The town is tiny but beautiful, and if you have the chance to hear the locals doing their a capella stuff, it's magic. Good anchorage at Uvala Luka, 10 minutes walk from town
Hvar - island - marina and town of Vrboska subject to mini tsunamis, but don't be put off . Marina (fairly full even out of season, with chip cards for sanitary facilities , first time I saw that in Dalmatia). Town quay a bit further into the inlet with water and elec, but no sanitaries (which probably explains the chip cards)
Hvar town - never managed to get there, but if it's absolutely on the do list, read the pilot books or go to:
St Klement island, just across from Hvar. In summer, a taxi boat links the island with Hvar. Go to the ACI marina on the N side, or to the anchorage in Uvala Vinogradisce on the S side. When we were there, the marina showers were accessible to all, so a quick dinghy ride and 5 min walk gets you sparkly clean. If you choose the marina, beware the drunken marinero - takes your lines, but is a danger to all shipping.
Eat at Toto's - they have an extensive menu, from democratic pizza to overpriced fish. If Edward the blond waiter is still there, say hello from the "repeat Belgians". They can also sell bread if you're running short.
The islands of Vis and Lastovo left me somewhat underwhelmed, but that's a very personal opinion (as is all the rest, of course)
The island of Brac has it's tourist resorts (Supetar - St Peter) but one of our absolute favourites is the anchorage / swinging moorings at Bobovisce.Good resto in the village,( short dinghy ride, + 5 minutes walk)
The island of Solta is also one of our favourites - use the village quay in Maslinica,or anchor round the corner in Sesula creek, and walk over the hill to Maslinica, where the resto has been acquired by a Croat returning from many years in Australia
The towns of Split and Trogir - both beautiful, but one can have an overdose of history!Marina in Trogir is very close to the town centre, but smelly. Trogir has an amazing market, 5 mins away from the marina..
For anyone with time, I would suggest Kastela marina, midway between Split and Trogir, with busses to both. Also, big supermarket (Jetro) close by the marina. They don't let the trollies out, but gave us free transport for our 3 trolley loads
Zapping up the coast, our next best place was Sibenik. History / architecture on a par with the other famous towns, but on a smaller scale. Town quay, fairly Tito-ish, with water but no elec, and no sanitaries. For anyone with time to spare, well worth the trip up the river Krka to the waterfalls. Marina at the foot of the falls, but also possible to anchor.
And that leaves us with the Kornati isalnds. A lot of tourist propaganda has been published, but basically they're just a bunch of rocks, grazed to death by sheep and goats. Fine if you like lunar landsacapes - we went once and didn't go back. If you're into islands, like trees, birdsong, villages with real people, stay in the south!
Tried to spell check this, but the PC doesn't want to speak English! Sorry -hope it's readable.
Have a wonderful time in Croatia