When should we go?
- June or September for most crews. The days are long and sunny, and the afternoon breeze is steady. Berths are easier to find than in high summer.
- July or August if you need the school holidays. It is the hottest, busiest and most expensive time, so plan to arrive early or book a marina. What sailors told us · Booking a berth, and when to arrive
- May or October, the shoulder season, for quiet bays and lower prices, if your crew can live with cooler water and changeable weather. (Measured by us, ) Weather and winds
The months at a glance
The sailing season depends on the charter company. Ultra Sailing says its Croatia charter season usually begins in April and winds down toward the end of October. (From the operator, ) Pick a month to compare it with the rest. Figures for Split are long-term averages from DHMZ, the Croatian weather service.
| What | April | May | June | July | August | September | October |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winds (Measured by us, ) | Changeable: jugo on about one day in five, bura spells | Maestral afternoons begin; jugo on about one day in five | Maestral on about one afternoon in three | Maestral on almost half the afternoons | Maestral on about one afternoon in three | Maestral fades; jugo on about one day in seven | Jugo on about one day in five, more bura |
| Sea (Measured by us, ) | 16 °C | 19 °C | 23 °C | 26 °C | 26 °C | 25 °C | 22 °C |
| Air, average (Official source, ) | 14 °C | 19 °C | 23 °C | 26 °C | 26 °C | 22 °C | 17 °C |
| Sunshine (Official source, ) | 220 h | 271 h | 309 h | 353 h | 328 h | 247 h | 199 h |
| Rain (Official source, ) | 10 days | 9 days | 8 days | 5 days | 5 days | 8 days | 9 days |
| Daylight (Measured by us, ) | 13 h 24 minsunset 7:36 pm | 14 h 41 minsunset 8:11 pm | 15 h 24 minsunset 8:36 pm | 15 h 7 minsunset 8:33 pm | 14 h 0 minsunset 7:59 pm | 12 h 33 minsunset 7:06 pm | 11 h 5 minsunset 6:12 pm |
| Charter prices (From the operator, ) | Low | Middle | High | Highest | Highest | High, then middle | Low |
| Berths, a night (Measured by us, ) | €603 places | €603 places | €60 to €844 places | €60 to €1356 places | €60 to €1356 places | €60 to €844 places | €603 places |
Prices are one night for a 12 m boat. The sea row is the monthly average for Split, and the berth row is our sum of the prices in our records. Not for navigation. Which months are windiest
Berth prices we have checked
Prices from our records, each with its month, its source and the day we checked it. They show what high summer costs in the harbours on our route from Split.
- Vis town harbourTown quay, all year
- €60 (Official source, )
- Komiža, VisTown quay, all year
- €60 (Official source, )
- Vinogradišće bay, Sveti KlementMooring buoys, 1 Jun to 20 Sep
- €84 (From the operator, )
- Milna, BračACI marina, July and August
- €128 (From the operator, )
- Maslinica, ŠoltaMarina Martinis Marchi, July and August 2026
- €135 (From the operator, )
- Stari Grad, HvarTown quay, all year
- €60 (Official source, )
Every month, from these prices, is in the berth row of the months at a glance. (Measured by us, ) Every place to stay the night
Month by month
April: quiet, cheap and changeable
Harbours are empty and prices are at their lowest, but the sea is still cold and some restaurants have not opened. Bura and jugo spells can keep you in port for a day or two, so plan short hops and a spare day. (Measured by us, )
May: long days, green islands and few boats
The weather settles and the days are long, with light sea breezes. The water is still fresh for swimming. A good first week if your crew doesn't mind a cool swim and the odd windy day. (Measured by us, )
June: long evenings and a steady afternoon breeze
Warm days, the longest evenings of the year and the maestral, the northwest breeze that fills in most afternoons. Harbours get busier from mid-June, but you can still find a berth later in the day than in July. (Measured by us, )
July: high summer, hot, lively and full
Mornings are often calm and the maestral comes in after lunch. Harbours are at their busiest, so leave early and arrive early, or book a marina. Summer storms are rare but fast. Read the DHMZ marine forecast every morning. (Official source, ) What to do when a storm is coming
August: the busiest month, with lighter winds
Everything is open and every harbour is busy. Winds are often lighter than in July, so expect to motor, and expect summer storms to be likelier late in the month. Book the nights that matter most. What sailors told us about July and August · If a harbour is full: Plan B
September: fewer crowds and a better sailing breeze
The crowds thin out after the first weeks, and the breeze is better for sailing. Late in the month the first bura or jugo can arrive, so keep an eye on the forecast and a sheltered harbour in mind. (Measured by us, )
October: short days, low prices and more wind
Quiet harbours and low prices, with warm days early in the month. Bura and jugo come more often and the days are short, so plan shorter legs, keep a spare day, and check which bases and restaurants are still open. (Measured by us, ) Choosing a base
Which month suits your crew
- A first charter
- June or early September. The weather is settled, the breeze is steady and berths are easier to find. See bareboat, skipper or flotilla.
- School holidays
- July or August. Book the marina nights that matter, plan short days, and arrive early. What sailors told us
- Keen sailors
- June or late September, for the most reliable afternoon breeze. (Measured by us, )
- On a budget
- May or October, when charter prices are lower. (From the operator, ) What a week really costs
The winds to know
Four names come up on every forecast. Read the DHMZ marine forecast each morning and before every open crossing. (Official source, ) How each wind builds, and which forecast to trust, is in our guide to bura, jugo and maestral.
- Maestralfrom the northwest
- The summer north-westerly of fair weather. It starts in the morning, is strongest in the early afternoon and dies by sunset. The ideal sailing wind. (Third-party source, )
- Burafrom the northeast
- A cold, gusty wind off the mountains, strongest close under the coastal mountains, and it can blow for days. In the channels it can start suddenly, and it is stronger at night, so don't spend the night in a bay open to the north or northeast if one is forecast. (Third-party source, )
- Jugofrom the southeast
- A warm, humid wind, often with rain, that builds gradually and can blow for days, usually up to three in summer. It raises big waves on the open sea, and harbours and bays open to the south-east and south become unsafe: leave before it builds. (Third-party source, )
- Neverasummer storm
- A sudden thunderstorm with violent gusts, most often in the second half of summer. It passes within an hour or so, but it can turn a calm bay into a lee shore.
What our sources say, not a forecast. The winds, one by one and choosing tonight's harbour are in the weather guide. Our route shows a Plan B for each day's wind: seven days from Split.
What sailors told us
What sailors told us about each month on the water. We haven't checked these reports, and they don't count in our checks above.
A crew who sailed from Biograd over 3 October three years running had winds of 4 to 20 knots in 2024 and a fast run back from Šibenik. In 2025 there was too much wind and rain, a ban on leaving port, and they went home early.
In summer, popular harbours and marinas fill by early afternoon: sailors say to be in by 11:00 to 14:00, or around noon at Hvar and Vis.
Between 10 May and 24 June 2024 a boat owner spent 7 nights in marinas, 4 of them because of the weather, 3 on town quays and 17 at anchor, and the rest on konoba buoys or piers.
Sailing off-season in April, a crew found good sailing and the bays and anchorages empty.
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