Sailing in Croatia usually means a Saturday to Saturday charter week of short hops between islands, a few hours a day, with a marina, town quay, buoy or bay each night. The coast had 216 nautical ports in 2025 (Official source, ).
Most crews charter a boat for a week from Split or Trogir and sail between the islands. The hops are short, and there is a marina, a town quay (a town's public harbour wall), a buoy field or a bay for every night. What catches first-timers out is the rules, from licences to anchoring, and the wind. The bura can arrive fast. The jugo builds over a day or two and brings a big swell.
All 19 facts on this page name their source, the latest checked on : 3 from the operator, 14 from official sources and 2 measured by us.
Written by Domagoj Franc, editor. Reviewed by Ivor Benko, skipper.
The season, licences, weather, the anchoring rules and safety, in the order most crews need them. Each one links the guide that covers it in full.
The main season runs from May to October. July and August are the busiest weeks, with the fullest harbours and the highest charter prices, and the weeks either side are quieter. Which month suits you depends on the wind, the water and your budget.
To take a boat out without a hired skipper, you need certificates that Croatia recognises, and usually a VHF radio certificate too. A charter company can ask for more than the law does, so check both before you pay a deposit.
No licence? You can still go with a hired skipper or on a flotilla. Bareboat, skipper or flotilla
Summer afternoons often bring the maestral, a steady breeze from the northwest. Two other winds matter more. The bura is cold and gusty, blows from the northeast and can arrive with little warning. The jugo blows from the southeast and builds a big swell. Read the official forecast every morning, and the evening before a crossing. How each wind behaves, and which forecast to trust, is in our weather guide.
The rules on where you may anchor changed in 2025, and many sailors misread them. The one people ask about most: No anchoring within 150 m of a natural beach, under the 2025 ordinance (Official source, ).
Some bays are now buoy fields with an operator who charges for the night. How much each one costs is in the guide.
The lines-ashore limit changed on 25 Apr 2026 (Official source, ). What else changed since the 2025 rules: What changed for sailors in Croatia since 2025, in our journal.
Save the emergency numbers and the radio channel before you leave the dock, and make sure the whole crew knows them. Safety at sea says who to call and what to say on the radio. Our safety page names the official sources, and the weather guide says how to pick tonight’s harbour when the wind turns.
Also planned for this section: National and nature parks by boat: tickets, rules and mooring. Every guide in Sailing in Croatia
Where these five fit into the rest of your planning. The steps with a light blue dot have their guide in this section.
The islands between Split and Vis: Šolta, Brač, Hvar, the Pakleni Islands and Vis. Short hops between the islands, and open water only if you go out to Vis and back. We add a region only once we have checked it.
Distances measured along our planned line with our route tool. Hours at 6 kn, our planning speed until you set your own on the route page.
14 NM
€135 a day in July 2026, 12 m boat, plus €10 water and power
(From the operator, )
21 NM
€119.15 a day on the quay in 2026, 12 m boat
(Measured by us, )
19 NM
€60 a day on the town quay, 12 m boat
(Official source, )
28 NM by the Blue Cave
€140 a night in July, 12 m boat
(From the operator, )
13 NM
€60 a day on the town quay, 12 m boat
(Official source, )
15 NM
€128 a day in July, 12 m boat, ACI Marina Milna
(From the operator, )
13 NM
Included in the charter
(From the operator, )Sunsail gives 6 pm as its usual boarding time at Marina Agana, its base near Trogir, and sells a 3 pm start as an extra
(From the operator, )
Unknown
Dated reports, each with its own evidence: the rule changes from the official texts, and the official port statistics.
The boat, the crew and the charter week have their own section.
Found something different on the water this season? Tell us what you found. We check it with the source before anything changes.
Other ways to help19 facts from 19 sources, last checked .
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