Choose by the crew you have
- A first charter week, or children aboard: Croatia's central islands or Greece's southern Ionian. Our first week from Trogir is 62 NM, with a longest day of 14 NM. (Measured by us, ) (Measured by us, ) In the Ionian, Apeiron Yachting's one-week Ionian route gives Lefkas to Meganisi as 11 NM. (From the operator, )
- A crew who wants stronger wind: the Aegean in July and August. Sunsail's Athens guide says the meltemi blows from the north to north-west, usually Force 4 to 6, picks up at noon and can reach Force 7 at full strength. It is consistent through July and August, doesn't blow every day but can last up to five days, and can be much stronger off the lee side of the islands. (From the operator, )
- A one-way week: Croatia. Split to Dubrovnik is 148 NM through Vis, Korčula, Lastovo, Mljet and Šipan. (Measured by us, )
- Two weeks: the two-week loop from Split is 293 NM and reaches Lastovo and Mljet. (Measured by us, )
Croatia and Greece side by side
Greece here means two areas, because they sail so differently: the southern Ionian and the Cyclades in the Aegean.
| Question | Croatia | Greece |
|---|---|---|
| Summer wind | The maestral is the usual summer north-westerly, in settled weather. It builds from the sea through the morning, is strongest in the afternoon and dies away in the evening. (Third-party source, ) | Ionian: lighter mornings and sheltered water in the southern Ionian. (From the operator, ) Aegean: the meltemi, Force 4 to 6. (From the operator, ) |
| A typical hop | Longest day on the Split week: 28 NM. (Measured by us, ) | 11 NM, Lefkas to Meganisi. (From the operator, ) 19 NM, Naxos Port to Paros. (Third-party source, ) |
| A catamaran in July | Angelina Yachtcharter's Bali 4.1 catamaran Escape I (12.35 m, 2019) at Marina Trogir lists at €3,750 for the week from 15 May 2027, €8,350 from 24 Jul 2027 and €5,350 from 18 Sep 2027, before early-booking discounts (€2,813, €6,680 and €4,280 after them). (From the operator, ) | Ionian Charter lists its Lagoon 40 catamaran (2018 to 2023) at €7,500 for a week from 11 Jul 2026 and €9,000 for a week from 25 Jul 2026, before obligatory extras (end cleaning, linen and towels, outboard fuel) and discounts. (From the operator, ) |
| A night in harbour | ACI Marina Palmižana: €140 a night for a 12 m boat in July and August. (From the operator, ) Vis town quay: About €119.15 a day for a 12 m monohull on the town quay in 2026: the county's port fee of €60 and Gradina Vis's port charge of €59.15. (Measured by us, ) | At Corfu Port Authority's Category A ports, the high-season daily stern-to tariff for a monohull up to 12.5 m is €27 without a reservation or €41 with a reservation. (Third-party source, ) |
| Tax on the boat or crew | €1.33 a person a night. (Official source, ) | €33 or €8 per metre, each calendar month, depending on boat length. (Official source, ) |
| To skipper a charter | An ICC counts, if marked C for coastal. (Official source, ) | Istion's 2024 Greek bareboat terms say a bareboat charter in Greece needs at least one certified sailing-yacht skipper and one experienced crew member, both over 18. The co-skipper should hold Competent Crew or equivalent, or sign a sailing-experience declaration. The local port authority approves qualifications on departure day, and commonly rejects certificates limited to daylight, to coastal waters under 20 NM from shore, to one region such as the Adriatic, to motor boats, or to a shorter boat than the one chartered. (From the operator, ) |
| Season | Ultra Sailing says its Croatia charter season usually begins in April and winds down toward the end of October. (From the operator, ) | Sail Ionian's 2026 season runs from 29 March to 30 October; its high season is 12 July to 29 August. (From the operator, ) |
Is Croatia near Greece?
No. The two countries don't share a border: Montenegro and Albania lie between the Croatian coast and Greece's Ionian islands. That makes them two separate charter trips. You fly into Split or Dubrovnik for Croatia, and into Preveza, Corfu or Athens for Greece, rather than sailing from one to the other in a week.
The winds: maestral against meltemi
The summer wind decides what kind of week you get, more than the country does.
In Croatia, the maestral is the usual summer north-westerly, in settled weather. It builds from the sea through the morning, is strongest in the afternoon and dies away in the evening. (Third-party source, ) Bura, jugo and maestral explains the winds that can change a Croatian week, and how to read the forecast for them.
The southern Ionian is the closest match to that pattern. Sail Ionian says the water between Lefkas, Meganisi and mainland Greece is sheltered from swell and strong winds; mornings tend to be Force 2 to 3, building to Force 4 to 6 in the afternoon. (From the operator, )
The Aegean is different. The Etesian is a stable, intense regional wind in the Aegean during summer. (Official source, ) Sunsail's Athens guide says the meltemi blows from the north to north-west, usually Force 4 to 6, picks up at noon and can reach Force 7 at full strength. It is consistent through July and August, doesn't blow every day but can last up to five days, and can be much stronger off the lee side of the islands. (From the operator, ) On a meltemi day, plan to reef early. That suits a crew who wants to sail hard, and it tires a crew who came to swim.
How far will you sail between islands?
Short hops leave time to swim and to reach the next harbour before the afternoon rush for berths.
Croatia's central islands sit close together. Our first week from Trogir is 62 NM, with a longest day of 14 NM. (Measured by us, ) (Measured by us, ) Seven days from Split is 123 NM, with a longest day of 28 NM, including the open crossing to Vis. (Measured by us, ) (Measured by us, )
In the Ionian, Apeiron Yachting's one-week Ionian route gives Lefkas to Meganisi as 11 NM. (From the operator, ) In the Cyclades the islands are further apart: the Municipal Port Fund of Naxos gives Naxos Port to Paros as 19 NM. (Third-party source, )
Which is cheaper, Croatia or Greece?
For the boat itself, not much separates them in July. The nights in harbour and the taxes are where the two differ.
The boat. A charter catamaran in late July lists at €8,350 a week in Croatia and €7,500 to €9,000 in the Ionian (the table above has the boats and weeks). (From the operator, ) (From the operator, ) These prices are for different years and different boats, so compare quotes for the same boat and the same week before deciding.
The nights. A night in a Croatian marina or on a town quay costs more than most crews expect: ACI Marina Palmižana charges €140 a night in July, 12 m boat, and Vis town quay €119.15 a day on the quay in 2026, 12 m boat. (From the operator, ) (Measured by us, ) In Greece, what you pay depends on who runs the port. Greek local-government law imposes dues for anchoring, lying alongside, stern-to mooring and special berthing in municipal ports, at amounts set by a 2004 joint ministerial decision. The municipality or its port fund collects them and may set the payment procedure. (Official source, ) At Corfu Port Authority's Category A ports, the high-season daily stern-to tariff for a monohull up to 12.5 m is €27 without a reservation or €41 with a reservation. (Third-party source, ) Croatia's buoy fields and free anchorages bring a week's total down, and what a Croatia sailing week costs prices every night on the Split route.
The taxes. In Croatia, €1.33 a person a night aboard a charter boat. The ordinance sets 10 kuna, and the euro act turns it into euro at the fixed rate. Those aged 12 to 18 pay half; children under 12 and a charter boat's professional crew don't pay. (Official source, ) Charter guests pay tourist tax for every night aboard, and it is paid before the boat leaves the base. (Official source, ) Greece charges the boat instead. Greece's TEPAI cruising fee applies to private and professional leisure vessels over 7 m in Greek territorial waters, regardless of flag. It is charged by calendar month: €33 for a boat over 10 m and up to 12 m, or €8 per metre from the first metre for a boat over 12 m. (Official source, ) On a charter, ask whether the price already includes it.
Mooring: buoys and marinas, or your own anchor
Both countries moor stern-to, but the bow is held differently. The RYA says crews are likely to meet Med mooring in Greece and Croatia: usually stern-to, with the bow held off by a lazy line or the boat's own anchor. (Third-party source, )
In Croatia, marinas and most busy town quays have lazy lines, so the bow line is waiting for you. Many bays have buoy fields; elsewhere you can anchor where it isn't forbidden. Med mooring and lazy lines walks through the manoeuvre, and anchoring in Croatia covers the rules and fees.
On Greek town quays you usually drop your own anchor and reverse in. Practise it before the first busy harbour.
Licences and paperwork
Check the rules for the country you're sailing, not the one you're from.
Croatia publishes the certificates it accepts. The Ministry of the Sea's list of foreign certificates it recognises for skippering Croatian-flagged boats and yachts. (Official source, ) An ICC issued under UN Resolution 40 counts for private use or bareboat charter, if its "valid for" box shows C for coastal waters. Its other limits still apply. (Official source, ) The Croatia licences guide separates the law from what a charter company may ask for.
In Greece, for a UK-flagged boat, the RYA says evidence of competence is required; a suitable ICC is generally accepted, and foreign licence holders should carry the supporting consular note and a Greek translation. (Third-party source, ) Charter companies also say what a Greek bareboat crew needs. Istion's 2024 Greek bareboat terms say a bareboat charter in Greece needs at least one certified sailing-yacht skipper and one experienced crew member, both over 18. The co-skipper should hold Competent Crew or equivalent, or sign a sailing-experience declaration. The local port authority approves qualifications on departure day, and commonly rejects certificates limited to daylight, to coastal waters under 20 NM from shore, to one region such as the Adriatic, to motor boats, or to a shorter boat than the one chartered. (From the operator, ) Ask your charter company which documents it needs from both of you before paying the deposit.
Season and busy harbours
The charter season covers about the same months in both countries. In Croatia, Ultra Sailing says its Croatia charter season usually begins in April and winds down toward the end of October. (From the operator, ) In the southern Ionian, Sail Ionian's 2026 season runs from 29 March to 30 October; its high season is 12 July to 29 August. (From the operator, )
July and August are the busiest months in both. Best time to sail in Croatia compares the Croatian months by wind, crowds, sea temperature and price.
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