North Dalmatian route: Split – Zadar – Split

Your embarkation is at 5:00 PM in Split.

We advise you to take a little tour around emperor Diocletian’s old town before the start of your cruising tour, as this is something you should not miss while being in Split. After introducing the crew and the boat, you will sail out to Trogir, which will take about two h of navigation. You will spend the night on anchor, and dinner will be served on board. In the evening you can visit the town of Trogir.

Trogir is one of the pearls of the Adriatic. This beautiful ancient town, under UNESCO protection, is situated on a small island. This island is on both sides – land, and sea – connected by bridges. So, besides being associated with the mainland, Trogir is also connected with the small island Čiovo. While entering the old town and walking through the narrow streets of Trogir, you will feel history all around you. All the buildings in Trogir’s old center are a mixture of different art styles, mainly Renaissance and Baroque ones. The bell tower of the Cathedral of St. Lawrence, built in the 13th century, offers a stunning view.

After breakfast, you will sail out to Skradin. This small but romantic town is located on river Krka and at the entrance of Krka National Park. You will be amazed while sailing through the canyon of Krka, as this is a beautiful experience. While arriving in Skradin, you will be welcomed by beautiful swans swimming all around your boat.
From Skradin you can visit Krka National Park. This park is known for its large number of lakes and a series of 7 waterfalls. The most interesting ones are Skradinski Buk and Roški slap. During the summer, you can swim in the crystal clear waters of the Krka River. You can also visit traditional watermills and the Franciscan monastery of Our Lady of Mercy, located on the small island of Visovac. Or you can relax and soak up beautiful nature all around you.

In the evening you will go to Šibenik. This beautiful town is known as the oldest native Croatian town, and here you can find two monuments on the UNESCO World Heritage list: the Cathedral of St. James and St. Nicholas fort. Cathedral is a beautiful example of Renaissance architecture, and it is famous for its 71 unknown human portrait sculptures surrounding the outside walls. Šibenik is full of history: you can feel it everywhere, and many monuments and locations can be seen. After visiting all the cultural sites, if you find enough time, we suggest you go and enjoy a peaceful walk and a breathtaking view on the walking trail in St. Anthony’s Channel.

After breakfast, you will sail to National Park Kornati (4h navigation). Kornati Islands are a nautical paradise, providing a breathtaking experience while cruising through the archipelago of 89 islands, islets, and reefs. Dry stone walls and barren vegetation are mute witnesses of time that passed a long time ago when people were still connected with nature and lived from the hard work on the land. A stunning combination of grey stone and crystal-clear blue waters best defines this natural wonder. Although it may appear rocky and desolate at first glance, this natural complex is also full of surprises and animal life activities. This all is why Kornati is for sure an unforgettable experience. If the weather serves you well, you should also visit cliffs on the outer island chain of the Kornati archipelago. The night you will be spent in the beautiful untouched nature of some hidden bay.

While waking up in the beautiful untouched nature of Kornati islands, you will feel like you are in heaven. After breakfast, you will sail more to the north and spend lunch in another beautiful bay. A day of nature and complete relaxation prepares you well for Zadar, the second-largest town in Dalmatia. This three thousand years old city is rich in historical sights and monuments from Roman times to today. This ancient town was the administrative center of Venetian Dalmatia for a long time. It was destroyed and devastated a few times in history but has been rebuilt each time.

From the extensive gallery of historical attractions of Zadar, we suggest you visit St Donatus’ Church and the old Roman forum, the city’s main square. You should also climb the Bell Tower of St Anastasia’s Cathedral and enjoy its stunning view. Zadar, as a town of rich history, is also a town of great museums such as the Museum of Ancient Glass and Archaeological Museum. Zadar is also known for its beautiful sunsets. Famous film director Alfred Hitchcock claimed to have seen the most beautiful sunset in the world right here in Zadar. In the glory of these “movie” sunsets, architect Nikola Bašić built a unique art light installation called The Greeting to the Sun on the west part of the sea promenade (Riva). This installation absorbs solar energy from the Sun. It produces special light and color effects that change the rhythm of music from the Sea organ, another architectural installation on Zadar’s promenade. Sitting next to the Sea organs, you can enjoy the music produced by the waves. This stunning game of sound and light is undoubtedly one of the must-see locations while visiting Zadar.

After breakfast, you will sail out, and the captain will find another beautiful bay to swim, sunbathe, relax and enjoy the morning. After lunch and two hours of navigation, you will sail to the island of Murter. People from Murter are traditionally connected with the Kornati islands as they are the majority owners of the land on these islands. Today most of the population of Murter lives from tourism. Beautiful beaches and nature provide a great escape from the everyday hustle and bustle. But even today, though they don’t spend as much time working on lands as they did in the past, residents of Murter are known to produce excellent olive oil.

We suggest you relax on Murter and feel this island in its fullness: enjoy long walks in untouched nature and swim and sunbathe on beautiful beaches (Slanica beach, Podvrske beach, Cigrada beach, and Kosirina beach). Murter is also known for its beautiful coves hidden from most tourists’ eyes. If you are enthusiastic enough, you can find your private beach and enjoy beautiful sunsets and sunrises. Muter also has a few old churches that history lovers can visit. You can also see the ancient Roman archaeological site Colentum.

After a usual morning of relaxation in some beautiful bay (and lunch), you will sail out to Rogoznica, a small town famous for its marina. It is known as one of the most protected ports in this part of the Adriatic because it is located in a deep bay sheltered from the winds. Rogoznica is located on a peninsula that was a long time ago a small island. This old fishermen’s town grew up into a famous tourist location, but old stone houses in the town center and fishermen selling their catch early in the morning are actual witnesses of the past times. And this is what makes this town so unique – a mixture of old and new, beautiful nature and marina infrastructure. Rogoznica is also known for its beautiful beaches. After a long walk by the sea and in the beautiful pine woods, we suggest you visit Lake Dragon’s eye, a natural phenomenon located next to Marina Frapa. This lake, filled with salt water, is considered a natural bioreactor.

As usual these days, after breakfast, you will drive a little bit more and find some beautiful bay on the island of Šolta where you’ll sunbathe and relax. Lunch will be served in nature, surrounded by a song of crickets and crystal blue waters, and you will feel as if you have your private peace of heaven on Earth. You will spend your late afternoon and night anchored next to the small village of Nečujam on the island of Šolta. In the evening you will have free time to visit the town and have dinner on the land. Nečujam is a lovely little town, the youngest on the island of Šolta. The town grew together with the apartment complex built there in the 1980s. The location was perfect, as you can find a series of eight beautiful bays on the island. One of them, Piškera bay, was named after the Latin word for fish, as this bay was a private fishing pond of the Roman emperor Diocletian. This complex’s ruins can even be seen in the depths of bay Pišekra. Diocletian also had a spa complex here. Nečujam is famous for its beautiful nature, inspiring many artists in the past. Marko Marulić, a father of Croatian literature, did his crucial work here. And even today, a famous painting camp is organized here each summer.

If you are not keen to spend your last night in the silence of some hidden bay, you can choose to spend the time in the bustle of the beautiful town of Split. If you decide to do so, you will sail out towards Split just a bit after lunch and enjoy your last moments of the enthralling nature of Adriatic bays. In Split, the second largest town in Croatia, you can spend your last night visiting rich historical monuments, top restaurants, or some of the many nightclubs. A little bit of something for all of us can be found in Split. And sunrise in this 1700-year-old gem is something you will never forget. We suggest you walk through the old town and you will feel like 17 centuries walk by right next to you. Feel the magic of this place and discover why Roman emperor Diocletian decided to build his villa right on this spot.

If you decide to stay on Šolta your last night, you will have an early breakfast while sailing towards Split. Enjoy your last moments sailing the Adriatic and soak up its beauty. If you wake up in Split, do not miss drinking coffee on the beautiful sea promenade. Your embarkation is at 9:00 AM.