Sailing the Adriatic Sea: Split to Dubrovnik Croatia

One of the places we had told ourselves we would visit while living in Europe was Croatia… So when a friend asked if we wanted to join a group on a Sail Croatia cruise from Split to Dubrovnik, we didn’t even think about it – we just said YES!

Find out all about our week on the Adriatic Sea below:

• The Country

• The Ship

• The Daily Cadence

• The Ports

• Other cruise details

• Overall impression: was it worth it?

• Other things to know

• Where to stay in Split and Dubrovnik

THE COUNTRY

Croatia is a beautiful, safe, and historically rich country in Southeast Europe. Situated along the stunning Adriatic Sea, it bridges the Mediterranean and Central European worlds. Renowned for its world-class tourism, delicious cuisine (can you say yummy fish??), and over 1,000 islands, it is a highly developed, secure, and modern European destination.

Cruising along the Adriatic not far from the shores of the islands was amazing! It is the magic of nature intertwined with a rich history and vibrant culture.

With sparkling turquoise waters, pebble beaches, hills rising from the water’s edge covered in green trees, dramatic limestone cliffs, and beautiful old cities… every day was a dream.

The sea, coastline and cities were impeccably clean. The people were incredibly warm, welcoming and kind. From the boat crew to the people working in restaurants and driving taxis, we were overwhelmed by their warmth and kindness. As their country’s GDP depends heavily on tourism, everyone seemed happy to have us there and they were eager to be of service, share stories about their country, and provide any information we needed.

THE SHIP

We chose Sail Croatia as our cruise company and our ship was the Contessa. It was the newest boat in the Sail Croatia fleet and we were the second set of guests to sail on it after its recent renovation.

The is a luxury, small ship that is 47 meters long and holds 36 passengers. It was beautiful and had plenty of space for the number of passengers it carried.

The top deck was an amazing place for all to hang out when we were sailing or in port. It was a great place to relax in a lounge chair in the sun or shade, sit in the onboard jacuzzi, or take in stunning views and beautiful sunsets. There was plenty of space to be in the sun or the shade and comfortable seating.

The main deck featured the dining room, bar, and a covered outdoor sitting area. It also had stairs that led down to the swimming platform where we’d get in the water at our swim stops.

There were 18 cabins – 10 above deck and 8 below deck, each with its own ensuite bathroom. The cabins were much roomier than I’d imagined. We had an above deck room with a large bed, vanity/desk, closet, and bathroom. There was plenty of room to walk around the bed and lots of storage under the beds for suitcases.

THE DAILY CADENCE

One of the things we liked most about this cruise was our daily cadence which, at a high level, was sail/breakfast, swim stop, sail/lunch, arrive at next port, afternoon/evening in port, sleep in port (and repeat again the next day).

We loved the casual, relaxed mornings/early afternoons on the boat and the afternoons/evenings in a new port every day.

I got up early every morning (before most) to sit on the top deck and watch us leave port. It was a great time to enjoy a hot cup of tea and some quiet on the water before the day started.

Being on and in the Adriatic Sea was amazing. The crystal clear waters shimmered under the warm Mediterranean sun, creating a shade of blue that almost seemed unreal.

We looked forward to the swim stops every day. The Captain would find a beautiful, secluded cove where he would drop anchor and we’d jump in the water for some relaxing time in the water. We brought blow up floaties with us and the boat had some stand up paddle boards. It was a great time every day and there was never more than 1 or 2 other boats where we were (and never near us).

After our swim stops, we would shower and get ready, then have our 3-course lunch while sailing.

Shortly after, we’d pull into our next port.

It was awesome getting to spend the afternoons exploring a new port every day and eating out at local restaurants every night.

Most evenings after dinner and returning to the ship, passengers would meet on the main deck and have a nightcap and great conversation before going to bed.

THE PORTS

Day 0: Split before the cruise - We arrived in Split, Croatia’s second largest city, the day before our cruise started. We went into town and found a tuk tuk to take a tour of the city. We saw:

• Marjan Hill – A picturesque spot at the top of the hill with views of the sea and Split

• Stadion Poljud – Historic futbol stadium

• Viewpoint above Sustipan Park – gorgeous sea and park views

• Riva Promenade – Palm lined waterfront

We then headed to our hotel and enjoyed some pool time and a lovely dinner with my 3 girlfriends from college and their husbands.

Day 1: Split to Makarska – On the day the cruise started, we boarded the boat around noon. The crew got our bags on the boat and to our assigned rooms. As they served us lunch and provided orientation to the ship, crew and week ahead, we sailed towards our first port - Makarska.

We had our first swim stop in a beautiful cove.

From the swim stop, we sailed on to Makarska. Once there, we enjoyed wandering around this sleepy little town and had dinner across the street from the water, stumbled upon some live music in a square, and ended the day with a beautiful sunset.

The night ended with a nightcap back on the ship with fellow passengers and our fantastic waiters/bartenders (Nenao and Martin).

Day 2: Makarska to Stari Grad – We sailed early from Makarska toward Stari Grad on the island of Hvar. As per our typical daily schedule, we sailed to our swim stop for the day, which was in a lovely little cove – then enjoyed lunch while we sailed into port.

Once in Stari Grad, we participated in the cruise organized excursion to Hora Hvar winery. This is a family-run, organic winery and farm set in the middle of Stari Grad Plain. It is a great place for a wine tasting, surrounded by UNESCO-protected vineyards, ancient Greek stone walls, and olive groves. We were greeted with shots of 2 flavors of local liqueur – cherry and fig (which were quite tasty). The wine tasting included 4 different wines – Bogdanusa, Posip, Plavac Mali, and Rose – and came with a charcuterie board featuring local meats, cheeses, olive oils, and homemade bread. It was a fun experience!

From the winery, we went back into town and toured Tvrdalj Castle. It was not what one typically pictures as a big, beautiful castle but was beautiful nonetheless. This castle was the home of the Renaissance poet and nobleman Petar Hektorovic.

We then wandered around the town and found the lovely restaurant Antika that had my very favorite champagne and great food.

Our daily gelato habit started with gelato in Stari Grad before going back to the ship for a nightcap and to hang out with our fellow passengers.

Day 3: Stari Grad to Hvar Town – We set sail from Stari Grad to Hvar Town on the other side of the island of Hvar. Since we couldn’t dock yet, we took a water taxi from our temporary location into town. We walked up the hill to the Fortress Fortica, also known as the Spanish Fortress or Tvrdava Spanjola. This fortress was built in the 16th century as a defense structure for the town and its harbor. It offers stunning panoramic views of Hvar, the Adriatic Sea and the Pakleni Islands.

That afternoon our Tour Manager arranged a cocktail tasting at a bar right on the waterfront.

We also enjoyed dinner at Restaurant Pizzeria Primi Piatti. It was a beautiful venue at the top of the hill with great views of the Sea and fantastic food.

After dinner, Mike and I had some great cocktails at Carpe Diem on the waterfront. Hvar Town is known for its club scene and this was one of them – although when we were there it was only 10pm so we were almost the only people there. The club scene starts later in the evening.

Walking back to the boat, we had to get our gelato of the day!

Day 4: Hvar Town to Vis – The next morning we set sail from Hvar Town to Vis. It was another beautiful, sunny day on the Adriatic Sea. We dropped anchor for our daily swim stop and then sailed on into Vis harbor.

We wandered around town for a little while to see some of the sites. It was a beautiful little town.

The ship offered a historic tour of Vis but Mike and I opted to book a separate Mama Mia tour. Vis is where they filmed much of Mama Mia: Here We Go Again. We had a great tour guide who showed us all the Mama Mia filming locations (as well as a lot more of Vis), showed us pictures and told us stories from when they were filming the movie, and took us to his winery for a wine tasting.

After the tour, we had one of my favorite meals of the trip at Villa Kaliopa. I got to choose the fish I wanted for dinner from a platter of freshly caught options and was told the diver who caught the fish I selected was at the bar having a drink! The evening was beautiful. The fish was wonderful. The company was amazing!

And we had our daily gelato on the way back to the ship!

Day 5: Vis to Korcula – The next morning we left Vis early to get to the Blue Cave for a tour before the crowds arrived. The Blue Cave or Blue Grotto is a famous sea cave located on the small island of Bisevo, just off the coast of Vis. It is part of the UNESCO Global Geopark within the Vis Archipelago. The cave is only accessible by boat through a small opening in the cliffside (you have to duck to get in!). It’s famous for its amazing blue color, caused by the sun’s rays reflecting off of the white floor of the cave and bouncing onto the limestone rock walls inside. I stayed on the ship but Mike went with others into the cave.

From the Blue Cave, we sailed to our daily swim spot and had a great time in the water.

After swimming and lunch, we arrived at our next stop in Korcula. We chose to go on the Buggy Safari – driving a buggy through hills and vineyards, to a beach, and back. It was a fun time and the sites were beautiful.

After cleaning all of the dirt off of us from the buggy ride, we participated in a wine tasting that our Tour Manager set up. It was a fun time tasting wine, eating snacks and enjoying the ambiance of Korcula.

Dinner and the best gelato of the trip rounded out our evening.

We loved Korcula and wished we’d had more time there. With the time spent on the buggy safari, we didn’t have nearly enough time to get to know the town and see all the sites. It was a really cute town and there was so much more to see, but that gives us a reason to go back at some point!

Day 6: Korcula to Mljet – The next morning we set sail for Mljet Island and Mljet National Park. We rented e-bikes to explore the park. It was a beautiful, secluded oasis with lush pine forests and two gorgeous saltwater lakes (Veliko and Malo Jezero).

After taking a couple of wrong turns and wondering why they didn’t tell us we were on some super rocky mountain biking adventure, we found the smooth paved paths (12 kilometers in total) that we were supposed to be on to begin with.

The park is beautiful. We rode around the lakes and took in views of St Mary Island with its 12th century former Benedictine monastery, which has been converted into a café.

It was a fun afternoon of biking and checking out the natural wonders of the park.

That evening was our Captain’s Dinner on the ship. Everyone dressed for the occasion and we enjoyed a wonderful meal with the Captain in attendance. After dinner, we all danced the night away on the ship. So much fun!

Day 7: Mljet to Dubrovnik – The next morning, we set sail to our final swim stop – and from there to Dubrovnik (our final port). Dubrovnik is often called the “Pearl of the Adriatic” and is famed for its medieval walls and historic old town. ‍

We skipped the ship’s arranged tours and grabbed a tuk tuk to get an overview of the area outside of the walled city (as no vehicles are allowed inside). Our tuk tuk driver took us to several beautiful viewpoints and shared information about Dubrovnik.

After the tuk tuk tour, we walked around the old town, enjoyed drinks with friends at a café, and tried the famous Burek – YUM!! This is a baked, savory pastry made with thin, flaky phyllo dough and typically filled with spiced meat, cheese, spinach, or potatoes. We tried the spinach one and the chicken one and they both were so good!

Before leaving for the trip, we’d seen a cave bar and restaurant on social media and made reservations with a group of friends to check them out for drinks and dinner. The Cave Bar More was so cool! With it’s multi-level cave bar and outside deck on the water, there were so many fun places one could sit and enjoy a drink.

After drinks, we went upstairs to the Restaurant More for dinner. We had a lovely table outside overlooking the water. The setting was beautiful. The food was fantastic. The company was wonderful.

Day 8: Disembark in Dubrovnik – The following morning we had breakfast on the ship, packed all of our stuff, and disembarked. We were sad to go as we’d had such a wonderful time! But lots of great memories of beautiful places with beautiful people were made and will stay with us for a lifetime.

After we checked into our hotel in Dubrovnik for our final night there, we headed back to the old town to do some more exploring. It was hot and crowded so we didn’t see as much as we’d planned but did enjoy what we saw. And had the opportunity to get another burek and some more gelato!

That afternoon we hung out at our beach hotel and enjoyed the beach and pool, followed by dinner at a small, local restaurant.

The next morning, it was time to go! We headed to the airport to fly back to Germany.

What a great week we’d had! So much fun with old and new friends relaxing and seeing some of the coastal towns of Croatia. If you are considering a trip to Croatia, I highly recommend a Sail Croatia cruise as a great way to go!

OTHER CRUISE DETAILS

Sail Croatia cruise types/levels - Sail Croatia has different types of cruises to choose from: 

• Navigator (cheapest option): Geared toward 18-35 year olds. I talked to some “kids” who’d been on one and I’m guessing it appeals most to the 19-22 year old crowd. Shared rooms. Shared bathrooms. Least expensive. Lots of drinking and partying.

• Explorer (combo of relaxation and activity): Advertised for 27-60 year olds who are “couples, young professionals and 'young at heart' travelers.” More upscale. More expensive. Nicer ships. All rooms with ensuite bathrooms.

• Elegance (higher price, smaller boats): Geared toward the mature crowd. Most luxurious ships. Combo of sightseeing and relaxation.

We picked the Explorer cruise and it was perfect for us. The ages of our fellow passengers ranged from ~20 to 60+. While interests varied, everyone got along well and were fun and adventurous.

The crew – Our crew was absolutely amazing! They consisted of Slavko (Captain), Christiana (Boat Manager), Tino & Charlie (Sailors), Nenao & Martin (Waiters/Bartenders), Zeljana & Joy (Housekeepers), Bane & Marko (Chefs), and Anita (Tour Manager). They were all wonderful people who worked so hard to make our experience great. The service and attention to detail were incredible and we could not have asked for a better crew!

The food – We were served breakfast and lunch on the boat daily and dinner one night for the Captain’s Dinner event. We did not ever go hungry!

Breakfasts were a buffet and offered a variety of options. There was always yogurt and granola, an egg dish, sausage/bacon, meats and cheeses, a variety of bread products, fresh fruits and vegetables, rotating hot dishes (waffles, pancakes, grilled veggies, etc.), coffee, tea, juices, and more.

Lunch was a 3-course meal with an appetizer, a main course with salad, and a dessert (yes, dessert every day with lunch). Main courses included salmon, veal, lamb, tuna, and more. The food was very good and presented beautifully.

Before the cruise, you were asked if you had any allergies, sensitivities, or other food issues. For those who shared info, they were very diligent about making sure their meals met the requirements.

There were also large bowls of a variety of fresh fruits always available for snacks at any time.

Bringing your own food and drink onto the boat was not permitted.

Tables were set for 6-9 people and there was no assigned seating. Meals were a great opportunity to mix up the tables and get to know our fellow passengers.

The excursions – The Tour Manager offered 0-3 optional excursions in each port. For our cruise, the excursions included:

• Makarska - none ‍

• Stari Grad – Wine tasting at UNESCO heritage site

• Hvar Town – Walk to fortress, Cocktail tasting

• Vis – Vis island tour, Blue cave tour‍ ‍

• Korcula – Buggy safari, Kayaking, Wine tasting

• Mljet – Rent bikes

• Dubrovnik – City historical walking tour, Game of Thrones walking tour, Sky bike

The passengers – The ship held 36 passengers. There were 16 of us in our group from Oregon. It was fun to have a group of people we knew, as well as new people to meet. The other passengers were amazing and came from the US, Australia, Canada, and Saudi Arabia. Ages ranged from ~20 to 60+. We couldn’t have asked for a better group to spend a week with!

Tipping – At the end of the cruise, we were provided with an envelope for a crew tip (evenly distributed among crew members) and a Tour Manager tip (separate that goes directly to Tour Manager). We were told that tipping is not compulsory in Croatia, and the crew is paid fairly for their work, but tips are a great way to thank the crew and Tour Manager for delivering a great experience. They also provided general guidance on tips amounts - often up to €105 per guest for the Tour Manager and up to €210 per guest for the crew.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Was it worth it?

YES it was totally worth it and we’d give it an A!

I can’t recommend Sail Croatia and this cruise enough! It was fantastic! Everything about our experience – the boat, the crew, the food, our room, the swim stops, the off ship exploration, our boat mates – was top notch!

If you are looking for a good way to see the Croatian coast where you only have to unpack once and someone else sets everything up for you, this is it! I’m a total planner and spend hours researching and planning our trips. For this one, I had to do almost nothing. Everything was taken care of for us and it was great!

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

Weather & Crowds - Summers are great but very crowded (and hot). The best times to visit are spring or autumn (shoulder season), which offer comfortable weather and fewer tourists. May was perfect as the weather was nice and the crowds were a little smaller than summer. We were told that September is also a great month to visit as the weather and crowds are similar and the sea is warmer after a summer of heat.

Visas and entry - Croatia is part of the European Union and in the Schengen Area. Non-EU travelers should check requirements and book travel in advance but, at the time we went, no visa was required for visitors from the US.

Currency - Croatia uses the Euro. While cards are accepted in major cities and hotels, you should carry cash for smaller bakeries, cafes, and island markets.

Language – The native language is Croatian but everyone we encountered spoke English.

WHERE TO STAY IN SPLIT AND DUBROVNIK

We stayed one night in the ports on each end of the cruise. As you may know from other blog posts, Mike is a Marriott guy so we chose Marriott properties for both stays.

In Split, we stayed at Le Meridien Lav, Split. It was a beach resort that was about a 15-minute drive from old town Split. It was an upscale, relaxing seaside retreat with modern rooms, an amazing breakfast buffet, and great indoor and outdoor pools. Our room had a lovely view of the marina and sea.

In Dubrovnik, we stayed at the Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera Hotel. It is a stunning beachfront hotel with immaculate grounds and modern, spacious rooms about 15 minutes from old town Dubrovnik by car. It had a large spa that we did not use and provided a relaxing environment. Our room was a suite with two balconies and a lovely view of the beach and sea.