10 REASONS TO GO SAILING IN CROATIA
1. 1.000 ISLANDS AND THE MOST INDENTED COAST ON MEDITERRANEAN
With its 5,800 km of coastline, 4,000 km of which belong to islands, cliffs and reefs, the Adriatic coast of Croatia is the most indented one on the Mediterranean. There are over 1,000 islands and only 50 of them are populated, while each island and even each place on the same island is diverse, the world for itself. Picturesque little villages, rich in history and Mediterranean charm, hidden bays and beaches, accessible only by sea, fair winds for sailing - all of this makes for superb sailing holidays with countless possible itineraries. No wonder Croatia became the world's top sailing destination.
ISLAND GAZ BRIJUNI, AUTHOR: RENCO KOSINOŽIĆ, SOURCE: HTZ, CROATIAN TOURIST BOARD WWW.CROATIA.HR
2. MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE WITH MILD WINTERS AND HOT SUMMERS
More than 2.500 hours of sunshine per year rank Croatia as one of the sunniest regions in the Mediterranean. The climate in Croatia is Mediterranean, which means that winters are mild and summers are hot. The sailing season is between April and October with the peak in July and August, when the temperatures can reach 38°C. June and September are less crowded, but the weather is generally still very warm and sunny. April, May and October can surprise with summer temperatures or with occasional showers, but these months are ideal for those looking for peace and good sailing winds.
SAILING IN TELAŠĆICA, AUTHOR: ALEKSANDAR GOSPIĆ, SOURCE: HTZ, CROATIAN TOURIST BOARD WWW.CROATIA.HR
3. PRESERVED NATURE – MEDITERRANEAN AS IT ONCE WAS
Croatia is one of the best preserved parts of Europe, and the slogan of the Croatian Tourist Board for years has been „Croatia – the Mediterranean as it once was“ - with good reason. On most islands, especially those more distant from the coast, like Vis and Lastovo, which during the long period of communism were closed for tourists, the authentic Mediterranean environment is well preserved. Out of the peak tourist periods, July and August, people are still living the way their ancestors used to: fishing, working in the fields and vineyards, picking olives and making their own olive oil.
In a relatively small area, Croatia accommodates as many as eight national parks, three of which are located on the Adriatic: Brijuni, Kornati and Mljet. Aside from National parks, there are also eleven nature parks, two of which are located on the Adriatic: Telašica bay on Dugi otok island and Lastovo island.
KORNATI NP, AUTHOR: STIPE SURAĆ, SOURCE: HTZ, CROATIAN TOURIST BOARDWWW.CROATIA.HR
4. CULTURE & HISTORY
1.000 islands and crystal clear blue sea is not everything that Croatia has to offer. There is much more to Croatia's beauty. The area of the today's Republic of Croatia has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Numerous monuments witness Croatia's rich history, and many of them are listed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List: Diocletian Palace in Split, the town of Trogir,.the city of Dubrovnik, Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, St. Jacob's Cathedral in Šibenik and Stari Grad Plain.
DUBROVNIK, AUTHORS: MARIO ROMULIĆ & DRAŽEN STOJČIĆ, SOURCE: HTZ, CROATIAN TOURIST BOARDWWW.CROATIA.HR
5. MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE
What is most interesting about Croatian cuisine, is that it is very heterogeneous, varies with each region. It is so not only because of the geographical position of some region and dependence on the local ingredients, but also because of the historical events that brought influences from the other cuisines. Coastal cuisine is of the Mediterranean type and bears the influences of Greek, Roman, Illyrian, Italian and French tradition. The common ingredients are seafood, vegetables, lamb, veal and poultry. The staples used in most dishes include olive oil, garlic, onion, fresh herbs and spices such as parsley, rosemary, sage, oregano, bay leaves, clove and cinnamon. The „must-try“ in Dalmatia are: Dalmatian prosciutto (smoked ham) with olives and cheese as an appetizer, „brudet“ – seafood stew made of different kinds of fish and shells, „peka“ – special kind of baking meat or octopus with potatoes and vegetables, “black risotto” made of squids and „pašticada“ –stew made of marinated beef with a lot of herbs.
You can buy ingredients on local markets and prepare the suggested dishes yourself on the sailboat or treat yourself with a meal in one of the many excellent local restaurants. Most of the restaurants are reviewed on TripAdvisor or similar portals, so finding a good one shouldn’t be a problem.
SARDINES, AUTHOR: ROMAN MARTIN, SOURCE: HTZ, CROATIAN TOURIST BOARDWWW.CROATIA.HR
6. FRIENDLY AND WARM PEOPLE
Almost all of our guests who have sailed with us commented how kind and friendly Croatian people are. Most of the locals speak fluent English, many of them even Italian, German or French. Croatian people are happy to share with the tourists all the information about their history and culture. They are warm, open and easy to start the conversation with.
LIFESTYLE DUGI OTOK, AUTHOR: BORIS KAČAN, SOURCE: HTZ, CROATIAN TOURIST BOARDWWW.CROATIA.HR
7. GOOD CONNECTIONS – LOW-COST FLIGHTS, GOOD MOTORWAYS, FERRIES...
Flying to Croatia is easy from any place in the world, only if you are flying from outside Europe, the stop at some major European airports, such as Rome, Frankfurt or London, is probably inevitable. The list of the companies flying to and from Croatia is long, but just to mention some: Croatia airlines, British airways, EasyJet, Norwegian, Germanwings, Wizzair, Ryanair, Thomsonfly, Monarch...
Thanks to the modern, newly-built motorways, arriving in Croatia by car is also a good and fast option.If you are arriving from Italy, taking a ferry is an economical and comfortable option. Companies operating to/from Split/Ancona: Blueline ferries, Jadrolinja and SNAV.
8. EXCELLENT NAUTICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Apart from the extraordinary natural base, indented coast and more than 1.000 islands, Adriatic coast of Croatia is also characterized by an extensive nautical infrastructure, which makes sailing enjoyable and safe at the same time. There are over 50 marinas, which, in addition to almost as many municipal and leisure ports and harbors, make more than 100 places where you can berth along the eastern Adriatic coast. In general, Croatian marinas are well-built and placed in great locations, either in large towns or in some beautiful bay on an island. Apart from safe berth, they offer a wide range of other services: toilet facilities, laundry services, restaurants, cafés, service centers etc.
SPLIT, AUTHOR: IVO BIOČINA, SOURCE: HTZ, CROATIAN TOURIST BOARDWWW.CROATIA.HR
9. IT IS AFFORDABLE
Contrary to the popular belief, chartering a sailing boat and spending a week aboard is not only for rich people; it is actually affordable to most people who can also afford, for example, to spend a week in a four-star hotel by the sea. Boat charter prices are set per week and per boat, and when you divide it by the number of people that the boat can accommodate, it turns out that it is not that expensive. Furthermore, the prices are lower if you don't pick the peak of a season, July and August, to go on your holidays. Although there are other costs involved, which are not included in the boat charter price: fuel, mooring fees and food, if you start planning on time and take advantage of the applicable discounts, such as early booking, multiple weeks or repeated customer- it indeed turns out to be an affordable type of holiday. Contact your favorite charter company to calculate for you the total cost of your sailing holidays in Croatia and start planning.
10. A RELIABLE CHARTER COMPANY TO BOOK WITH
Finding the right company to book your sailing holidays with is crucial. The offer is huge, when you search on Google for either „Yacht charter in Croatia“ or „Sailing in Croatia“, you will get over one million results. It is not easy to make a choice. All of them boast to be the best on the market. The good starting point would be to look for the reviews from people who sailed with the company before, maybe on TripAdvisor pages or similar travel sites. Who should know better than a person who experienced it herself?
www.croatia-charter.hr
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