--- title: "Best time to sail in Croatia, month by month" description: "June and September suit most crews sailing in Croatia: long, sunny days and a steady breeze. April to October compared, from official climate data." url: https://olasail.com/croatia/best-time-to-sail/ updated: 2026-10-07 --- > The Markdown copy of https://olasail.com/croatia/best-time-to-sail/, from OlaSail, a planning reference for sailing in Croatia, not for navigation. Every page: https://olasail.com/llms.txt [Report a change](https://olasail.com/about/corrections/#page=Best%20time%20to%20sail%20in%20Croatia%2C%20month%20by%20month) # Best time to sail in Croatia, month by month June and September suit most crews: 15 h 24 min of daylight in mid-June, a steady afternoon breeze and fewer boats than in July and August. Jun, Sep the best months 26 °C average air in July, Split (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) 15 h 24 min of daylight in mid-June (Measured by us, 25 Sep 2026) Photo: “Zdrilca - panoramio” by [Dejan Sekuloski](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zdrilca_-_panoramio.jpg), [CC BY 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), resized All 19 facts on this page name their source, the latest checked on 7 Oct 2026: 6 from the operator, 8 from official sources, 4 measured by us and 1 from a third-party source, such as a pilot book or a magazine, so treat that one as a guide. See every source 6 From the operator (operator) 8 Official source (official) 4 Measured by us (measured) 1 Third-party source (third party) Written by [Domagoj Franc](https://olasail.com/about/people/domagoj-franc/), editor. Reviewed by [Ivor Benko](https://olasail.com/about/people/ivor-benko/), skipper (Croatian skipper's licence, category C). Published 7 Oct 2026. 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](https://olasail.com/croatia/best-time-to-sail/#report-season-fullBy) · [Booking a berth, and when to arrive](https://olasail.com/moorings/booking-a-berth/) - 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, 5 Oct 2026) [Weather and winds](https://olasail.com/croatia/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, 29 Sep 2026) Pick a month to compare it with the rest. Figures for Split are long-term averages from DHMZ, the Croatian weather service. J F M N D Light blue with a bar: best months. Pale blue with an outline: good. Grey: few charters run. Tap a month to see it. | What | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Winds (Measured by us, 5 Oct 2026) | 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, 26 Sep 2026) | 16 °C | 19 °C | 23 °C | 26 °C | 26 °C | 25 °C | 22 °C | | Air, average (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) | 14 °C | 19 °C | 23 °C | 26 °C | 26 °C | 22 °C | 17 °C | | Sunshine (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) | 220 h | 271 h | 309 h | 353 h | 328 h | 247 h | 199 h | | Rain (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) | 10 days | 9 days | 8 days | 5 days | 5 days | 8 days | 9 days | | Daylight (Measured by us, 25 Sep 2026) | 13 h 24 min sunset 7:36 pm | 14 h 41 min sunset 8:11 pm | 15 h 24 min sunset 8:36 pm | 15 h 7 min sunset 8:33 pm | 14 h 0 min sunset 7:59 pm | 12 h 33 min sunset 7:06 pm | 11 h 5 min sunset 6:12 pm | | Charter prices (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) | Low | Middle | High | Highest | Highest | High, then middle | Low | | Berths, a night (Measured by us, 5 Oct 2026) | €60 3 places | €60 3 places | €60 to €84 4 places | €60 to €135 6 places | €60 to €135 6 places | €60 to €84 4 places | €60 3 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](https://olasail.com/croatia/weather-and-winds/#windy) ## 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 harbour](https://olasail.com/moorings/vis-town-harbour/) Town quay, all year: €60 (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) - [Komiža, Vis](https://olasail.com/places/komiza/) Town quay, all year: €60 (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) - [Vinogradišće bay, Sveti Klement](https://olasail.com/moorings/vinogradisce-buoys/) Mooring buoys, 1 Jun to 20 Sep: €84 (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) - [Milna, Brač](https://olasail.com/moorings/aci-marina-milna/) ACI marina, July and August: €128 (From the operator, 7 Oct 2026) - [Maslinica, Šolta](https://olasail.com/moorings/maslinica-marina/) Marina Martinis Marchi, July and August 2026: €135 (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) - [Stari Grad, Hvar](https://olasail.com/moorings/stari-grad-town-quay/) Town quay, all year: €60 (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) Every month, from these prices, is in the berth row of [the months at a glance](https://olasail.com/croatia/best-time-to-sail/#months). (Measured by us, 5 Oct 2026) [Every place to stay the night](https://olasail.com/moorings/) ## Month by month Early season ### 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, 5 Oct 2026) Good ### 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, 5 Oct 2026) Best ### 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, 5 Oct 2026) Good, busy ### 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](https://meteo.hr/prognoze_e.php?section=prognoze_specp¶m=jadran) every morning. (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) [What to do when a storm is coming](https://olasail.com/croatia/safety-and-emergencies/#storms) Good, busiest ### 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](https://olasail.com/croatia/best-time-to-sail/#report-season-fullBy) · [If a harbour is full: Plan B](https://olasail.com/moorings/booking-a-berth/#full) Best ### 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, 5 Oct 2026) Good ### 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, 5 Oct 2026) [Choosing a base](https://olasail.com/charter/bases/) ## 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](https://olasail.com/charter/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](https://olasail.com/croatia/best-time-to-sail/#report-season-fullBy) - Keen sailors: June or late September, for the most reliable afternoon breeze. (Measured by us, 5 Oct 2026) - On a budget: May or October, when charter prices are lower. (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) [What a week really costs](https://olasail.com/charter/cost/) ## The winds to know Four names come up on every forecast. Read the [DHMZ marine forecast](https://meteo.hr/prognoze_e.php?section=prognoze_specp¶m=jadran) each morning and before every open crossing. (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) How each wind builds, and which forecast to trust, is in our guide to [bura, jugo and maestral](https://olasail.com/croatia/weather-and-winds/). - Maestral from 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, 5 Oct 2026) - Bura from 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, 5 Oct 2026) - Jugo from 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, 5 Oct 2026) - Nevera summer 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](https://olasail.com/croatia/weather-and-winds/#winds) and [choosing tonight's harbour](https://olasail.com/croatia/weather-and-winds/#tonight) are in the weather guide. Our route shows a Plan B for each day's wind: [seven days from Split](https://olasail.com/routes/split-seven-days/). ## Help keep this page right Found something different on the water this season? Tell us what you found. We check it with the source before anything changes. [Report a change](https://olasail.com/about/corrections/#page=Best%20time%20to%20sail%20in%20Croatia%2C%20month%20by%20month) [Other ways to help](https://olasail.com/about/contribute/) ## Sources 19 facts from 22 sources, last checked 7 Oct 2026. [ACI Marina Milna's price list for 2026](https://aci-marinas.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ACI_Milna_prices.pdf) (The ACI Marina Milna price) (From the operator, 7 Oct 2026) [ACI Marina Split's price list for 2026](https://aci-marinas.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ACI_Split_prices.pdf) (The ACI Marina Split price) (From the operator, 7 Oct 2026) [Fair Wind 2026 price list](https://fairwind.hr/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PRICE-LIST-2026.pdf), Bavaria C38 (2024): €1,800 a week from 14 Mar to 25 Apr and 10 to 31 Oct, €4,400 from 11 Jul to 15 Aug (Charter prices by month) (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) [Sail Club Croatia 2026 price list](https://sailclubcroatia.com/media/17624200142806_98jrph.pdf), Elan 40.1 (2022): €1,950 a week to 24 Apr and from 3 Oct, €4,550 from 11 Jul to 14 Aug (Charter prices by month) (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) [Waypoint 2026 price list](https://waypoint.hr/price-list-2026/), Bavaria C 38 (2024): €1,850 a week to 18 Apr, €2,750 from 3 Oct, €4,250 from 18 Jul to 15 Aug (Charter prices by month) (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) [Marina Martinis Marchi: daily berth price list 2026, in force from 23 Mar 2026](https://www.martinis-marchi.com/Portals/0/adam/Sadrzaj/OfgRuMP9uU6Ejjdz7fUilA/Link/Price%20list%20daily%20berth%202026_10.03.2026.pdf) (Maslinica: the marina price) (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) Show all 22 sources Show fewer sources [Ultra Sailing: charter season in Croatia](https://blog.ultra-sailing.hr/en/boat-winter-maintenance-how-we-prepare-our-charter-yachts-for-the-new-season/), Winter maintenance of our Charter fleet in Croatia, opening paragraph (The charter season at Ultra Sailing) (From the operator, 29 Sep 2026) [GIP: Vinogradišće anchorage: its website and price list](https://vinogradisce.com/), "Anchorage price list", high and low season (Vinogradišće: the buoy price) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [Split-Dalmatia County Port Authority: Port fee rules (Pravilnik o lučkim pristojbama) of 21 Jun 2023, with the 2025 and 2026 changes](https://www.lusdz.hr/Portals/0/adam/Documents/4T8EmwsaZUyU-OIRrV9Ykw/Files/Pravilnik%20o%20lu%C4%8Dkim%20pristojbama/PRAVILNIK%20O%20LU%C4%8CKIM%20PRISTOJBAMA%202023.pdf), Articles 8 and 14 (Vis town: the town quay fee. Komiža: the town quay fee. Stari Grad: the town quay fee) (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) [DHMZ climate data for Split Marjan, 1948 to 2024 (monthly means and extremes)](https://meteo.hr/klima.php?section=klima_podaci¶m=k1&Grad=split_marjan) (Split: air temperature by month, sunshine by month, days of rain by month) (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) [DHMZ sea temperature readings (Temperatura mora)](https://meteo.hr/podaci.php?section=podaci_vrijeme¶m=more_n) (Split: the sea today) (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) [DHMZ marine forecast for the Adriatic (English)](https://meteo.hr/prognoze_e.php?section=prognoze_specp¶m=jadran) (The marine forecast) (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) Our count from Open-Meteo's historical weather data (the ERA5 model), a model and not measurements, for the sea west of Split (model cell 43.5 N, 16.25 E), 2016 to 2025 (The winds by month) (Measured by us, 5 Oct 2026) Our sum of the checked prices in our records (Vis town, Komiža, Stari Grad, Vinogradišće, ACI Marina Milna and Martinis Marchi in Maslinica), by the months each one is for (Berth prices by month) (Measured by us, 5 Oct 2026) Our average of Open-Meteo's marine model: the daily mean sea surface temperature (sea_surface_temperature_mean) at 43.458 N, 16.458 E, 2023 to 2025, 1,096 days with 14 missing, averaged by month (Split: sea temperature by month) (Measured by us, 26 Sep 2026) Our calculation from the sun's position for Split, the 15th of each month in 2026 (Split: daylight by month) (Measured by us, 25 Sep 2026) [Hrvatska enciklopedija: the entries bura, jugo, maestral and tramontana](https://www.enciklopedija.hr/clanak/bura), Entries bura, jugo, maestral and tramontana (What each wind does) (Third-party source, 5 Oct 2026) [DHMZ: the climate of Croatia](https://meteo.hr/klima.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1), Maritime climate: Bura and Jugo, and the summer paragraph (What each wind does) (Third-party source, 5 Oct 2026) [DHMZ model forecast for sailors (prognoza za nautičare)](https://meteo.hr/prognoze.php?section=prognoze_model¶m=prog_nauticari), the forecast for sailors: three days ahead (What each wind does) (Third-party source, 5 Oct 2026) [HHI: Adriatic Pilot, Croatian Coast, 1st edition 2026 (free preview)](https://www.hhi.hr/Portals/0/adam/HHI/M9-upOPhZECJ61exIk9IaA/PdfView/Sailing%20Directions%202026-1.pdf), 7.94 Šćedro: a south-east-open cove to be left at the first signs of a south-easterly; a north cove exposed to strong northerlies (What each wind does) (Third-party source, 5 Oct 2026) [US NGA: Pub. 132, Sailing Directions (Enroute) Eastern Mediterranean, 17th edition 2026](https://msi.nga.mil/api/publications/download?type=view&key=16694491/SFH00000/Pub132bk.pdf), 10.1 and 10.7: shelter at the first signs of a bora (What each wind does) (Third-party source, 5 Oct 2026) [US NGA: Pub. 9, The American Practical Navigator (Bowditch), 2024, volume II, glossary](https://msi.nga.mil/api/publications/download?type=view&key=16693975/SFH00000/Bowditch_Vol_2_LoRes.pdf), Glossary: lee shore (What each wind does) (Third-party source, 5 Oct 2026) Photos on this page - Ždrilca, Pakleni islands, off Hvar town. Photo: “Zdrilca - panoramio” by [Dejan Sekuloski](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zdrilca_-_panoramio.jpg), [CC BY 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), resized - Komiža, island of Vis. Photo: “Aerial view of Komiza Town Harbour on Vis island, Croatia” by [dronepicr](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aerial_view_of_Komiza_Town_Harbour_on_Vis_island,_Croatia_(48608822587).jpg), [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), resized - Croatian Adriatic coast, place not named by the author. Photo: “The power of nature in Croatia” by [otrow_photography](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_power_of_nature_in_Croatia.jpg), [CC0](http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en), resized - Split. Photo: “Aerial view of Marina Split in Croatia” by [dronepicr](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aerial_view_of_Marina_Split_in_Croatia_(48608758207).jpg), [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), resized - Hvar town harbour, the quay. Photo: “Hvar Town through the Yachts” by [Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hvar_Town_through_the_Yachts_(5969965094).jpg), [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), resized - Pakleni islands, off Hvar town. Photo: “Pakleni otoci - panoramio (4)” by [Dejan Sekuloski](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pakleni_otoci_-_panoramio_(4).jpg), [CC BY 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), resized (From the operator) (Official source) (Seen by us) (Seen by a sailor) (Measured by us) (Sources disagree) (Third-party source) [How we check](https://olasail.com/about/how-we-check/#labels) 19 facts, last checked 7 Oct 2026. [See every source](https://olasail.com/croatia/best-time-to-sail/#sources) [A route we planned Seven days from Split Šolta, Vis, Hvar and Brač, with a price and a Plan B for every night. See the route](https://olasail.com/routes/split-seven-days/) ## Keep planning [All guides](https://olasail.com/guides/) [Sailing in Croatia Bura, jugo and maestral: which forecast? How the main winds behave, and which forecast to read each morning](https://olasail.com/croatia/weather-and-winds/) [Charter planning Split, Trogir or another base? Which base suits your flights, your crew and your route](https://olasail.com/charter/bases/) [Moorings Booking a berth, and when to arrive How far ahead to book, which places take bookings, and when the rest fill up](https://olasail.com/moorings/booking-a-berth/) [Charter planning What a sailing week really costs The boat, marinas, buoys, fuel, food and the deposit, added up](https://olasail.com/charter/cost/)