Catamarans Charter in Croatia is an increasingly popular way to enjoy a sailing vacation in Europe.
Croatia is often overlooked as a sailing destination, but this shining jewel of the Adriatic Sea is more than your typical Central European country steeped in history in tradition.
The coast of Croatia is blessed with majestic views and brilliantly hued waters that beg to be explored and enjoyed.
Catamaran Charter Companies in Croatia
Charter companies in Croatia are run by a cacophony of different countries. The best companies have excellent customer service and offer a lot of information to anyone who gives them a call.
Navaboats
Located in Split, Navaboats is renowned for friendly service and helpful staff.
Sailing Europe
A Zagreb-based charter company that has a wide variety of yachts that can be viewed for availability in real-time through their website.
Trend Travel and Yachting
Split, yet again, has the best charter companies stationed there. The trend is an Austrian company that has a vast selection of the most highly-rated catamarans.
Yacht-Rent
Well established company with an in-depth website that you can peruse for hours. Ports are dotted all along the Croatian coast, widening your options.
Recommended Catamaran Yachts to Sail in Croatia:
Wherever you sail, you want to have the most stable, reliable boat available. The top three Catamaran yachts to sail in Croatia boil down to:
- Fountain Pajot
- Lagoon
- Nautitech
These three yachts are popular among sailors for a reason. They are spacious, easy to handle, and safe. Fountain Pagot cats are known for their speed and sleek appearance, Lagoon cats have room to spare and a beach-like interior, while Nautitech cats have to bother with performance and comfort.
Advantages of Sailing with a Catamaran in Croatia
The obvious advantages of sailing in Croatia are the ability to avoid the hot spots for tourists on land unless you want to visit them or that you get the opportunity to play and explore the beauty of the Adriatic Sea. One surprising advantage is the summer camp atmosphere that forms among other catamaran sailors at a port.
Due to limited space, docking and sometimes anchoring put boats within close proximity to each other. This may be bothersome in some regions, but Croatian sailing tourists form a kind of loose celebratory community that adds to the fun.
Crewed Catamaran vs Bareboat?
The choice of chartering a crewed catamaran or sailing bareboat comes down to your personal preference, how much control you want over the actual sailing and privacy.
Crewed
A crewed catamaran takes the operation of the boat out of your hands. The only job you and the other passengers have is to enjoy the trip!
Crewed Pros:
- Service from a professionally trained crew
- The charter captain handles the operation of the boat
- A local skipper will know more about the area and places to go
- The skipper can help plan a schedule
- Meals are prepared for you
Crewed Cons:
- Lack of privacy
- You have to discuss changes in your itinerary with the skipper
- The presence of strangers can be disconcerting
Bareboat
Bareboat charters place the responsibility of the boat on you and the other passengers because you are now the crew. Keep in mind in order to sail in Croatia, you are required to obtain a certificate (ICC) from a sailing school.
Pros:
- Privacy
- Freedom to go where/when you want
- You’re in control of the boat’s operation
Cons:
- Required certification
- Lack of personal service from a trained crew
- You’re responsible for the operation of the boat
Best Places to Sail
Dubrovnik
Full of history and beautifully preserved architecture, with a famous marina for sailors.
Korcula
An island surrounded by sapphire blue waters with a marina housed in a bay on the eastern side of the island.
Mljet
Difficult to reach on anything other than a boat, Mijet is partly comprised of a National Park.
Split
Popular among tourists, Split is bustling with trade, industry, and tourist sites.
Places to Avoid Sailing
There really isn’t a bad bit of water to sail in Croatia, but some marinas are jam-packed with tourists, so they might be better avoided.
Where to Anchor?
Anchorage spots are clearly marked by signs, but there are often fees involved, depending on where you go. The water around smaller islands often has free anchorage, but you should be mindful of the weather before setting anchor by a smaller island.
Where Not to Anchor
Marinas can have a fun atmosphere, but if you want peace and privacy, head out to the water. Busier islands, like Dubrovnik, don’t have much space for anchorage, but you can usually find a good spot. Local fishermen often know of good places to set anchor.
Want to Know More About Croatia?
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Have you already sailed on a Catamaran in Croatia? Please share your experiences in the comment below.
Daniella has been passionate about travel, the sea, and nature for many years. As a child, she frequently traveled throughout the Mediterranean and continued with her journeys throughout her adult life.
Her experiences have created the desire within her to share her love for traveling with other passionate and adventurers who want to discover beautiful horizons and new cultures.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been out on any sort of boat. Your photos look amazing and I so want to be in those hot looking places right now 🙂
This is a great article on Catamaran Charters in Croatia and with so much great information on sailing. I would love to actually learn how to sail a boat and then take one of these boats out to see for a short while to do a little exploring and soak up the sun.
Neil
Hi Neil,
Nice to hear from you again.
Thank you for the compliment and for stopping by!
You can do an online theory course and then take a RYA day skipper practical sailing course while you are on vacation. It’s only 5 days long. You will learn all the aspect of sailing!
To soak up the sun, I would suggest you a Catamaran, you can enjoy and rest on the trampoline
I wish you to sail soon
When I came across this article I was not particularly looking for a cruise, but you have convinced me. I am not in a position to make use of the information now, but I am adding a Catamaran Cruise around Croatia to my list of things I want to do. I am sure it will make a great holiday for the whole family, especially with all the places to visit.
Hi Lesley,
Thank you for passing, Yes it is an exciting holiday for the whole family especially for children they love to be on a boat to explore the ocean . It gives them a lot of confidence and they discover another style of life. It is really enriching for everyone
I wish you an awesome day
Hi Daniella, ever since reading your review on the Lagoon 400 I’m interested in a sailing trip instead of my normal vacation on the mainland. Thank you for pointing out a few of these charters. I think I will have to go for a crewed catamaran, because I have no experience on sailing such a boat. And yes Croatia looks like an awesome place to sail!
Hi, Jurgen,
Yes, of course you will have to charter a crewed Catamaran if you don’t have any experiences in sailing.
I am glad you liked the article about Catamarans in Croatia and wish you to sail soon!
If you have any questions, please let me know, and I would be more than happy to help you.
Have a nice day
I love to sail and cruise around as much as possible.
To do it in Croatia would be like a win win situation where you get the pleasure of sailing but have the excellent views second to none.
You photographs show just how amazing it would be to sail in the area and your detailed write up make it sound good enough to make it a bucket list vacation.
Hi Travis,
Thank you for your kind comment and for the compliments.
Hope to see you on board soon!
Have a nice day
Hello
Croatia looks amazing! I honestly never thought of going there until I stumbled across your site. I imagine most do not consider a sailing charter when coming up with vacation ideas. Do you actually book a charter with others or is this something you do privately? I am definitely intrigued but may be out of our budget.
Hi Kelli,
Yes Croatia is a beautiful place to visit especially by boat. To answer to your question, there are many options available . You can have a flotilla sailing holiday, which is fun and you meet many people with the same passion. You can sail with family and friends on a crewed or skippered yacht , it’s a fantastic getaway and it’s not as expensive as many you may think .
I hope this helped and if you have any other questions, please let me know and I will be more than happy to help you.
Thank you for passing by and wish you a nice day
Now here is a website I will be bookmarking! I love travelling, and Croatia is one place I’ve been dying to go for years. I have done some sailing around the Greek islands, but I think Croatia will be next on the list. As you mention, the best part about boating is that you can avoid the tourists, and stop at places others can’t.
Hi Todd,
I am glad you like my review about Croatia.
Thank you for the comment and wish you to sail soon !
Have a nice day
hi i have been searching around the net and come across your site very informative but i got a couple of questions for starters i have no experience at all but i would like to learn this how can i go about learning this .where is the best place to get tough how to do this and how much would it cost me do you think
Thank you
Hi Jimmi,
If you mean you want to bareboat charter, then you’ll need to do some sailing courses in the “RYA” Royal yachting association . After this course you will be able to skipper your own boat. I would suggest you to do the ASA 101/103/104. license. It will be perfect:)
I hope it helped and if you need any further information , please feel free to contact me, I’ll be more than happy to help you
Thank you for the comment and I wish you an awesome day
You’ve really given a well-painted picture of Croatia’s sailing scene. It all seems so beautiful. I think I will have to go with a crewed Cat… simply for my lack of certification and experience with the larger Cats. I grew up on smaller cats in some of the bigger Indiana lakes, so I know I love it… Just not capable of crewing my own. What is your favorite charter for Croatian waters?
Hi Nicki,
What a nice childhood you had:) Yes, I understand, without any certification or sailing skill you won’t be able to navigate by yourself. However, bigger cats usually come with crew or a skipper. My favorite charter is without a doubt catamarans because I get all the comfort and space I need. In fact, it’s like a luxury hotel floating on the water.
Thank you for the comment, I really appreciate:)
I wish you a wonderful day!
Great article interesting that you can sail your own boat.now ive never been on a yacht before as I am sure a lot of people haven’t. What I would want to know is the itenerary? Is this like a cruise ship where you go here for so long then go to your next port? Is it like build your own itenary? I really like the pictures
Hi Tabby,
Yacht charter is completely different from cruise ships
If you bareboat charter, which means you are the one who navigates the boat, then obviously you choose where to sail, but if you rent a crewed yacht then the captain will decide on the itinerary.
You can speak with the skipper and tell him about your favorite places, generally they take it into consideration according to the weather. Here is a nice article about yacht-vs-cruise-what-to-choose” yacht vs cruise, It will give you a lot of information on this subject.
Thank you for the comment and wish you a nice day!