Croatia by Sea
A week on a private, fully crewed gulet with friends, cruising the Adriatic. Does it get much better?
Days revolved around beautiful little harbours, impossibly clear water, long lunches, swimming straight from the boat and deciding where we might like to stop next. It was relaxed, indulgent and so much fun — exactly the kind of travel I love.
Meet Luna
Our home for the week was Luna, a traditional Croatian gulet that we chartered privately for our group. Fully crewed and wonderfully relaxed, it gave us the freedom to explore the coast at our own pace — discovering small fishing villages, swimming before breakfast and lingering a little longer whenever we found somewhere we loved.
Luna
Life on Board
There was an easy rhythm to life on board Luna. For many of us, mornings started with a swim in that stunning water. With the sea sitting at around 18 to 22 degrees in June, it was certainly a refreshing way to wake up - and we felt ready for the day afterwards.
Breakfast was a leisurely affair, with an abundance of food and absolutely no reason to rush. This was usually when we pulled anchor and began our voyage to the next destination. It was also when our beautiful rooms - all fully en-suited - were serviced, so there was no disruption to our day.
Plans had been made with our captain the night before, so for now we all just did our own thing. For some that was yoga or stretching, relaxing in the heated spa, reading on deck or just enjoying the view with another coffee and chatting with friends. And of course, another swim stop was never far away.
Days and nights were wonderfully varied. Sometimes we chose to have lunch or dinner in town, other days it was on the deck of the boat. Evenings were a lot of fun. We played name that tune, sung together and danced like no one was watching.
Sunsets were always spectacular and definitely a highlight.
Our biggest decision? Chardonnay or a cocktail.
Days Ashore
VIS is our first island to explore. Its claim to fame is the sequel to Mama Mia (the movie) - Mama Mia! Here we go again, was filmed there.
We wander around the boutique shops before taking a taxi to Fort George for the best sunset views across the Adriatic Coast line, and the best garden bar setting complete with a comprehensive Spritz menu. This was definitely a late afternoon to savour, and one of my favourite places of the trip.
KORCULA also know as a “mini Dubrovnik” is a stunning medieval walled town, believed to be the birthplace of Marco Polo.
Drinks and sunset views were enjoyed at Massimo Cocktail Bar - where beverages are uniquely delivered via a pulley barrel. Dinner choices were many, so the group separated to enjoy individual experiences. For my group, we discovered Filipi - A Michelin Star restaurant - with exceptional service, sensational food, and of course, stunning views.
The trip back to the boat on our tender became a bit of an adventure, with a sudden, unexpected patch of heavy rain. The staff were waiting with towels and a very welcome nightcap.
JELSA ends up being a 2 night stop - due to bad weather. We get prime position in the beautiful harbour and are just a short walk from a beautiful, albeit rocky, beach, which will become our regular swimming spot while we are here. The town is quaint, with many restaurants and gelato bars. Bike hire is available if you want to explore a bit further. It is also possible to get a taxi to travel to the other side of the island.
HVAR is accessed via taxi from Jelsa. Yes the weather was rainy and stormy, but this was a great option to fill in our day. It took us about 30 minutes to get to Hvar and then the group splits. The boys enjoy exploring St. Stephen cathedral, and had a coffee on the waterfront promenade, while the girls explored the maze of limestone lanes with their hidden boutiques and designer goods. Unfortunately today, many other tourists had the same idea as us, and with water sports restricted because of the storm - many chose to explore the town, so it was very crowded.
We decided to taxi back, but came across another town - STARI GRAD. A beautiful fishing village, and the oldest town in Croatia.
Lunch was at Blue Doors, a family run restaurant where the service is second to none. The prawn and seafood tagliatelle is a standout but special mention also to the Prawn Buzaru. This beautiful town is similar to Hvar, but without the crowds - a great find.
Hvar old town - Hidden lanes Hvar - Lunch @ Blue Door, Stari Grad
MILNA is another small fishing village. Our time here was limited as we had spent most of our day swimming in the Adriatic Sea - and yes, the sun was out!! We were tendered in for dinner. There were lots of quaint seaside places to eat, and gelato stores to enjoy for dessert. We were fortunate enough to witness the religious procession of Corpus Christi, with many locals marching along the waterfront.
OMIS was our final port of call before we returned to Split. It was by far the most picturesque, and if I was opting to stay somewhere for a few days, this would be it. The combination of the Cetina River and the Adriatic Sea, offers so much in terms of adventure tourism. Zip-lining, white water rafting and boating activities were just a few of the options being advertised in the local tourist shops. The beaches there are sandy, and very inviting. The town was fun and has a lot of pirate themed shops and cafes, as it was known for being the lair of the Omis Pirates in the 12th Century.
For us, we chose to climb up to Mirabella Fortress. The climb is interesting, with rather fewer safety precautions than we might be used to in Australia, but the views were absolutely worth it. The emerald coloured waters of the Cetina River, meeting the dramatic blue of the Adriatic Sea.
The things I loved
The boat - there was so much space for 14 of us. From the roof, with sunbeds and a great sun-shade, to the upper deck complete with jacuzzi. All rooms were en-suited. It was all luxury.
Swimming - How could you not love swimming in the Adriatic Sea. Luna was the perfect place to jump into the water from, and returning to the boat was easy with a big step ladder on the stern. A warm shower was also accessible there. We had all the toys - kayaks, stand up paddle boards, noodles and a jet ski (for additional cost) if you wanted.
The food - our chef was Boris, and his food was amazing. I especially loved when he told us that something came from his aunts vegetable garden. Our package was half board, it included breakfast, and either lunch or dinner on the boat, and all our drinks.
The freedom - our Captain Martin would sit with us after dinner and discuss some options for the next day, it was always our choice, but I loved some of his recommendations.
The Staff - I can’t rate them enough, they were so kind and thoughtful and we had so much fun with them. Anna and Anna, were our cleaning and hospitality staff, they kept the cocktails and the food flowing and kept our rooms looking amazing. Mickovic and Carlo were the deck hands, and the 2 who got us to and from different ports on the tender. And I’ve already metioned our captain Martin, and chef Boris.
Croatia - The people are beautiful and so is the landscape. If you haven’t been, you need to go.
The things I didn’t love
Leaving !!
Recommendations
Book early. If you can travel in the shoulder season, even better. We booked the last week of the shoulder period and it was perfect - and considerably cheaper.
Choose your broker carefully. There are different brokers who charter Luna - do your homework and make sure you have someone who knows what they are doing with the booking process.
Half board is plenty. One of the pleasures of the trip is heading ashore and discovering somewhere new for lunch or dinner. If you love really good food, download the Michelin app. This will list Michelin star and Michelin recommended restaurants all over Europe - I use it all the time.
What to bring - Reef shoes, the waters around Croatia are beautiful and clear, but they are rocky, and in the rocks there are sea Urchins, and you don’t want to step on one. Swimming googles - the water is so clear, and you want to be able to look at it.
Packing - You don’t need to overpack, you will be in swimmers and resort wear all day, and you don’t wear shoes on the boat.
Who to bring - Book this with a group of friends or an extended family group - you won’t regret it.