Sailing in Croatia
Gourmet
At the cornerstone of the Croatian hospitality, you will always find a bite to nibble on and a drink to toast with. There is not a gathering in Croatia that can go by without some food and drink, from business to family. The variety of Croatia's ingredients, traditions, and styles today comes together likewise in Michelin star restaurants and family-run trattorias.
Blessed with a mild Mediterranean climate, giving soil and hardworking hands of local people, the Dalmatian coast is a true treat for foodies and wine lovers. From the ubiquitous winemaking and olive oil production that surprise with diversity and quality, to the traditions like honey making and cooking like tribal ancestors did, a gourmet sailing experience in Croatia is bound to leave a memorable aftertaste, one which lures you into wanting more.
Highlights
Local Food and Wine
Octopus peka
Rosmary Honey of Solta
Plavac Mali Wine
Wine Tasting on Hvar
Lamb of Brac
Lobsters of Vis
Vugava Wine of Vis
Wines of Peljesac
Korcula Makaruli
Grk Wine on Korcula
Oysters of Ston
Lamb Peka in Konavle
Day 1
Split - Šolta
Wine is a practically a staple in Croatia, so start with an educative toast at the distinguished wine bar Paradox in Split. Sail away from the mainland to Šolta Island and break away from the ordinary with an olive oil pairing dinner at Olynthia olive oil mill. Feeling like it is only yours, Šolta will lull you to sleep with a gazillion stars twinkling above your masts.
Day 2
Šolta - Brač
A day with the guardians of Šolta’s honey-making tradition reveals the full meaning of the title “island of honey and olives”. Partake in this ancient knowledge by making your own honey under the guidance of the island’s beekeepers, family Tvrdić. Share a simple lunch, feasting on all things local and enjoying the island’s wine, before setting sail to the next island over, Brač.
Day 3
Brač Island
Pieces of Brač stone lie scattered around the world, from the Diocletian’s Palace in Split, to the White House in Washington DC. Its limestone karst is generously giving, and some of Croatia’s most interesting winemakers reside here. A wine tour of the island, coupled with a wine-pairing lunch with the winemaker Saša Senjković, reveals the how and the why of Brač enological and gastronomical culture.
Day 4
Brač - Hvar - Šćedro
Vineyards rub edges with blossoming lavender fields on Hvar, one of Croatia’s sunniest islands and the wine lovers’ paradise. Jo Ahearne, one out of only 300 Masters of Wine around the world, has chosen not only to live here but to host you during your visit to Hvar’s Stari Grad. Learn all about the wines from Croatia’s sunniest island! After an afternoon and dinner of wine talk, spend the night at the pristine Šćedro Island.
Great food and wine – and great times revolving around those two – can be found at every town and every village along the Croatian coast. Even in the deepest of the Dalmatian hinterlands, where modern restaurants and Michelin starts haven’t made their way yet, you will find outstanding specialties, such as peka – veal and lamb cooked and baked under an iron lid.
Foodie travels in Croatia can be tailored around many different things, from towns, sites, and regions, to wines and olive oils, to internationally-renowned delicacies such as truffles, cheeses, langoustine, oysters. Even salt! For grasping the nuances of the Croatian culture is an affair of the belly, perhaps even more so than of eyesight.
Day 5
Šćedro - Korčula
Korčula Island is known for the unique white sorts of Grk and Pošip, as well as for its old-school, hand-rolled pasta, served in a long-simmered meat sauce and named Žrnovski makaruli, after the village of origin. Try all of these in a foodie tour around the south’s largest island, working up an appetite for the real treat: a Mediterranean dinner at Lešić Dimitri, a Relais and Chateaux seafront stunner set in an 18th-century palace.
Day 6
Korčula - Pelješac - Trpanj
The far-south, vine-laden Pelješac peninsula stretches long and lazy along the mainland and is the home to some of Croatia’s most acclaimed reds – Dingač and Postup. Guided by a local winemaker, experience the nuances of micro-terroirs, interrupted only by a feast of Mali Ston oysters by the peninsula’s isthmus in Ston. Enjoy the evening in the village of Trpanj.
Day 7
Trpanj - Brač
Travel to the hearth of Brač Island for an exquisite local dinner. Past olive groves and fields of mandarins, find the small village called Dol and there, Konoba Toni. Set in the family’s 300-years-old-home, this is the place to get back to the basics and savor the true essence of Dalmatia: home-made seafood or lamb, served with fresh, home-grown, seasonal ingredients, prepared just the way locals like it.
Day 8
Brač - Split
Bid farewell to Brač Island, its craggy shores and secret treats, and make your way to the mainland – where you will find Split in the same place you left it! A glass of wine or a shot of espresso on Split’s sunny Riva completes the gourmet circle around the Dalmatian coast. Gaze away at the islands you have visited, reminisce, and plot your return. For you know it will happen. And in the meantime - živjeli!
Suggested boats
Sailing boat
Bavaria 57
Classy and elegant, Bavaria 57 sailing yacht boasts an ultra-stable hull and a long waterline to warrant high basic speeds. The beauty and comfort of its design are a result of great expertise and fine craftsmanship which went into its making. With air-conditioned cabins and spacious salon, fully equipped kitchen and outdoor BBQ, Bavaria 57 a great choice for those looking to share some good times.
Catamaran
Bali 4.5
Bali 4.5 embodies innovation: stunning panoramic views all around, natural ventilation which actually works, a cockpit with tables and sunbathing lounge, expansive interior spaces and stylish design and décor. Everything on board of Bali 4.5 was designed with comfort in mind, making it an unrivalled choice for those wanting a catamaran to go far and fast.
Motor yachts
Prestige 460
Ideal for a small group traveling together, this designer motor yacht is all about transformation. Her fly bridge can become a very large aft sundeck and the galley opens into a great swimming platform. With loads of natural light in the common areas, Prestige 460 makes the best of the spectacular Adriatic both indoors and outdoors.