Croatia & the Dalmatian Coast
A thousand limestone islands between Split and Dubrovnik — Hvar's harbour glamour, a blue-lit cave off Vis, and two walled cities bookending the run.
Few Mediterranean coasts reward a week aboard the way Dalmatia does: the islands sit close together, so a week delivers two UNESCO old towns, a vivid blue sea cave and a genuine stone-desert wilderness without a single long overnight passage. Split is the hub, Hvar is the stage, and Dubrovnik closes the show.
“Split to Dubrovnik is roughly 170 nautical miles of island-hopping — and almost none of it is open water.”
The waters, in eight frames
Signature anchorages
Close together by Mediterranean standards — most hops between them run 15–30 nautical miles.
- Pakleni Islands — Palmižana & StipanskaPine-covered islets 2–3nm off Hvar Town; good shelter within the chain of islets. Palmižana has the marina, gardens and restaurants; Stipanska is the Carpe Diem beach-club anchorage. The classic Hvar night stop.
- Vis — Stiniva Cove & the Biševo Blue CaveStiniva is a pebble beach inside a collapsed sea cave, entered through a rock gateway just 4 metres wide — tender only. Biševo's Blue Cave, a short hop further, glows brightest 11am–1pm; small-boat access, timed entry, closed November–April.
- Kornati National Park89 islands and reefs, ~85% bare limestone, cliffs to 75m straight from the sea, no permanent settlements. A size- and season-based park entrance fee applies; ACI Marina Piškera bundles it with the berth.
- Mljet National Park — Veliko & Malo JezeroTwo connected saltwater lakes at the island's western end; anchor near Polače or Pomena and tender in. The park fee includes the solar-boat crossing to the 12th-century Benedictine monastery on Sv. Marija islet.
- Korčula old townYachts anchor or moor directly off the fortified, fishbone-planned peninsula — a city anchorage in miniature, with the Marco Polo House ashore.
- Dubrovnik roadstead (open anchorage) & LokrumNo berthing beneath the walls themselves; yachts anchor off the wooded islet of Lokrum or berth at ACI Marina Dubrovnik (Komolac) and tender or drive in to the Old Town gates.
The scene
Hvar after dark, and the fixtures around it.
Carpe Diem, Stipanska
The Pakleni Islands' best-known white-party beach club, reached by tender from Hvar. It closes for the off-season — confirm reopening dates directly before building a night around it.
Kiva Bar & Hula Hula
Kiva Bar is the stone-alley pre-party fixture off the main square; Hula Hula's headland terrace holds the island's most-watched sunset. Falko, west at Marinci, is the quieter bohemian answer.
Ultra Europe, Split
The region's major EDM fixture, now staged at Park Mladeži — 2026 dates confirmed for 10–12 July, squarely inside the peak charter window.
Table & stay ashore
Michelin-recognised tables from Šibenik to Korčula, and the waterfront addresses either side of them.
Pelegrini
One Michelin star, in the Renaissance Villa Pelegrini-Tambača beside the Cathedral of St James; Chef Rudolf Štefan's modern Dalmatian tasting menus.
Restaurant 360°
Built into the medieval city walls above the Old Town harbour; modern Adriatic cooking with a French accent.
Nautika
At the entrance to the Old Town by the sea, terrace views to Fort Lovrijenac; Dalmatian recipes, French and Italian technique.
ZOI
Rooftop over the edge of Diocletian's Palace; Chef Alberto Garcia Perez (ex-Aponiente, ex-Martín Berasategui) on contemporary Mediterranean tasting menus.
LD Restaurant
One Michelin star; Chef Marko Gajski builds the tasting menu from the day's catch and central-Dalmatian island produce.
Gariful
Michelin-recognised waterfront seafood in Hvar Town, front-row to the harbour promenade.
Hotel Excelsior, Dubrovnik
Five-star seafront address a few steps from the Old Town walls; 158 rooms and suites with a long history of royal and film-star guests.
Villa Dubrovnik
A contemporary hotel on the Dubrovnik waterfront, on a site with nearly six decades of hospitality history.
Maslina Resort, Hvar
Five-star resort in Stari Grad Bay, terracotta and Brač-stone design, built around sea and panoramic-view rooms.
The week, sketched
Split to Hvar & the Pakleni Islands
Depart ACI Marina Split, ~19–23nm to Hvar; anchor or berth off Palmižana, then ashore in Hvar Town for the Fortica fortress, the Franciscan monastery and Kiva Bar.
Vis — Stiniva Cove & the Blue Cave
Cross to Vis; tender into Stiniva through its narrow rock gateway, then run to Biševo for the Blue Cave, timed for the 11am–1pm light.
Korčula
Sail on to the walled old town; anchor off the peninsula, walk the fishbone streets and the Marco Polo House, dine at LD Restaurant.
Mljet National Park
Cross to Mljet; anchor near Polače or Pomena, tender in for the Veliko/Malo Jezero lakes and the solar-boat crossing to the Benedictine monastery on Sv. Marija.
Mljet to Dubrovnik
Short run on, via the Elaphiti/Šipan approach; anchor off Lokrum or berth at ACI Marina Dubrovnik (Komolac), then walk the city walls and dine at Nautika or 360°.
Dubrovnik
A full day inside the Old Town — the UNESCO walls, the Game of Thrones filming locations — with an optional side trip out to the Elaphiti Islands.
Kornati detour, or direct return
For an 8-day charter, route the return leg via Šibenik — D-Marin Mandalina and dinner at Pelegrini — with a day inside the Kornati “stone desert” before Split.
The long weekend
A Split round trip for a charter that would rather not disembark somewhere else — Hvar and Vis only, home in time for a last look at Diocletian's Palace.
Split to Hvar & the Pakleni Islands
Depart ACI Marina Split for Palmižana in the Pakleni chain, an easy first night with Hvar Town's Fortica fortress and Kiva Bar a short tender ride away.
Stari Grad Bay, Hvar
Round the island to the quieter side of Hvar, off the stretch of coast that holds Maslina Resort — a slow afternoon well away from Hvar Town's evening crowd.
Vis — Stiniva Cove & the Biševo Blue Cave
Cross to Vis and tender into Stiniva through its 4-metre rock gateway, then on to Biševo for the Blue Cave, timed for the 11am–1pm light (closed November–April).
Stipanska, Pakleni Islands
Back to the Pakleni chain for the trip's one big night out — Carpe Diem at Stipanska, if it's open; the beach club closes for the off-season, so confirm dates first.
Return to Split
A short final run back to ACI Marina Split, with time to walk Diocletian's Palace before disembarking.
Stone desert to city walls
The full run north to south, Kornati folded in from the first morning instead of saved as an optional postscript.
Split to Rogoznica
Depart ACI Marina Split and run north for a first night at Marina Frapa, Rogoznica, ahead of the Kornati approach next morning.
Šibenik & the Kornati stone desert
Past D-Marin Mandalina and into Kornati National Park itself — 89 islands and reefs, some 85% bare limestone, cliffs to 75 metres. ACI Marina Piškera bundles the park entrance fee with the berth; Žižanj, a quieter detour, lies within reach.
Kornati to Hvar & the Pakleni Islands
Turn south for Hvar; anchor off Palmižana, then ashore in Hvar Town for the Fortica fortress and Kiva Bar.
Vis — Stiniva Cove & the Biševo Blue Cave
Tender into Stiniva through its 4-metre rock gateway, then on to Biševo for the Blue Cave, timed for the 11am–1pm light (closed November–April).
Korčula
Anchor off the fortified old town for the fishbone streets and the Marco Polo House, dinner at LD Restaurant.
Mljet National Park
Anchor off Polače or Pomena and tender to the Veliko and Malo Jezero lakes, then the solar-boat crossing to the Benedictine monastery on Sv. Marija.
Mljet to Dubrovnik via the Elaphiti Islands
A slower run through the Elaphiti chain and Šipan before the walls come into view; anchor off Lokrum or berth at ACI Marina Dubrovnik in Komolac.
Dubrovnik
A full day inside the UNESCO walls and the Game of Thrones filming locations, dinner at Nautika or 360°.
The destination. Nearby lies Žižanj — profiled in full on our sister site, privateisland.pro.
Pair with
The year, measured
Monthly means at the heart of this water — daily maxima averaged, wind as mean daily peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air, day °C | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 23 | 18 | 13 | 9 |
| Sea °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 18 |
| Wind, peak kt | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo · 2019–2023 means · sea temperature 2022–2023
The yachts that run these waters
Profiles from the record — introductions via the harbour desk.
Read on: WAKE — the magazine · the guides · the glossary