Two weeks to link the Kornati with Central Dalmatia without ever sailing the same route twice: the national park and Telašćica in the first week, then the Krka river and its waterfalls, the stone towns of Primošten and Trogir, and finally the islands off Split. It is the one-way that brings together the two faces of Croatia, the limestone desert and the Venetian harbours, with legs of 10 to 24 miles. Around 185 miles. Details below.
In brief
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Departure base | Zadar (Zadar or Borik marina), return in Split (ACI Marina Split) |
| Access | Flight to Zadar (ZAD) outbound, return from Split (SPU) |
| Total distance | ~185 NM (one way) |
| Sailing time | ~38 h over 14 days |
| Duration | 14 days / 13 nights |
| Level | Confident beginner to intermediate |
| Recommended boat | 40-46 ft monohull or 40-45 ft catamaran |
| Best period | Late May to June, September |
| Winds | NW maestral 10-18 kt in the afternoon; NE bura possible, strong in the Zadar channel |
| Indicative budget | ~€1,700 to €2,600 per person for two weeks, parks and one-way fee included (see Sailing Croatia: Dalmatia or the Kornati?) |
Explore the stops
Approximate destination locations for trip planning. Use current nautical charts and local information for navigation.
Zadar · Veli Iž · Telašćica, Mir · Levrnaka, Lojena · Piškera · Žut · Murter · Skradin, Krka · Primošten · Trogir · Maslinica, Šolta · Palmižana, Pakleni · Bol, Brač · Milna, Brač · Split
Weather month by month
| Month | Wind | Air | Sea | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | Light maestral, bura possible | 21-25° | 17-19° | Empty parks, cool water |
| June | NW maestral 10-15 kt | 26-29° | 21-23° | Ideal |
| July | Maestral 12-18 kt, storms (nevera) | 29-32° | 24-25° | Buoys taken early |
| August | Maestral 12-18 kt | 30-32° | 25-26° | Peak season |
| September | Easing maestral | 25-28° | 23-24° | Ideal |
| October | Bura and jugo more frequent | 19-23° | 19-21° | End of season |
The route over two weeks
| Day | Leg | NM | Mooring | Shelter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | Zadar to Veli Iž | 12 | Veli Iž marina | Good |
| D2 | Veli Iž to Telašćica | 14 | Mir buoys | Very good |
| D3 | Telašćica to Piškera via Levrnaka | 16 | ACI Piškera / Lavsa | Good |
| D4 | Piškera to Žut through the Kornati channel | 14 | Žut buoys | Good |
| D5 | Žut to Murter | 12 | Hramina marina / Betina | Very good |
| D6 | Murter to Skradin through the Šibenik channel | 22 | ACI Skradin | Very good |
| D7 | Skradin, the Krka waterfalls | 0 | same | n/a |
| D8 | Skradin to Primošten via Šibenik | 22 | Kremik marina / quay | Good |
| D9 | Primošten to Trogir via Rogoznica | 16 | ACI Trogir / Trogir marina | Very good |
| D10 | Trogir to Maslinica (Šolta) | 10 | Martinis Marchi marina | Very good |
| D11 | Maslinica to Palmižana (Pakleni) | 22 | ACI Palmižana / Vinogradišće | Good |
| D12 | Palmižana to Bol (Brač) | 16 | Bol harbour | Fair |
| D13 | Bol to Milna via Lučice | 14 | ACI Milna | Very good |
| D14 | Milna to Split, hand-back | 12 | Base | n/a |
| Total | ~202 |
Highlights
Photo: Kornati · Aleks / Unsplash
Telašćica, the enclosed bay of Dugi Otok, the salt lake of Mir and the 160 m cliffs on the outer face.
The Kornati, 89 treeless islands of white limestone: Lojena beach on Levrnaka, Piškera marina, the inner channel down to Žut.
Photo: Krka · Ilse / Unsplash
The Krka, a river navigable up to Skradin, and the Skradinski buk falls ten minutes away by park boat.
Primošten, the village on its islet joined to the coast, and the babić vineyards planted in bare rock.
Photo: Trogir · Piotr Musiol / Unsplash
Trogir, the UNESCO-listed Romanesque and Venetian town, St Lawrence's cathedral, a quay at the foot of the walls.
Photo: Hvar · Josip Ivankovic / Unsplash
The Pakleni and Hvar, a night at Palmižana and Hvar town by water taxi, fortress and St Stephen's square.
Bol and Milna, Zlatni Rat, the beach that changes shape with the wind, then the deep bay of Milna for the last night.
Technical points and watch-outs
- Park tickets: Telašćica (D2), Kornati (D3 and D4) and Krka (D7) each have their own ticket. Kornati tickets are cheaper bought the day before in Murter or online; Žut is outside the park.
- Bura: the first week is spent in the most bura-exposed area of Croatia, the Zadar channel and the Velebit. With bura forecast, stay inside Telašćica or at Murter and shift the leg.
- Krka and its bridges: the run up to Skradin passes under two bridges whose clearance suits most charter yachts; check your mast height with the base before entering the channel. Speed limit in the Šibenik channel.
- Krka falls: leave the yacht at Skradin and take the park boat to Skradinski buk. Swimming at the foot of the falls is no longer allowed.
- D11, Maslinica to Palmižana: 22 miles due south, maestral on the beam in the afternoon; leave in the morning to arrive before 2 pm, Palmižana is full in summer.
- One way: charter company surcharge to plan for; less requested than Split to Dubrovnik, so easier to find.
Book and prepare
- Compare the yachts and catamarans available from Zadar with hand-back in Split.
- Charter insurance recommended over two weeks.
- Flights: to Zadar (ZAD) outbound in season, Split (SPU) on the way back.
- Activities: Telašćica cliffs, Krka waterfalls, Trogir old town, Zlatni Rat.
See also: the guide Sailing Croatia: Dalmatia or the Kornati?, the 7-day Kornati itinerary from Biograd and the page Boat rental in Split.
Nautical data: distances estimated on direct routes between harbours, ACI marinas and the port authorities of Zadar, Šibenik and Split. Weather: DHMZ. Kornati, Telašćica and Krka park rules and the clearance of the Krka bridges to be checked with the base.
Page type: Itinerary (schema.org TouristTrip).
A word from the crew
Logbook. The morning you sail up the Krka: a yacht in the middle of a river, cliffs closing in, water turning fresh and green, and Skradin appearing at the end. Not what you expect on a sailing holiday.
The mistake to avoid. Doing the Kornati in two days to "make progress". The park deserves five knots and a swim per island; the second week has a harbour at every stop, you will want for nothing.
Our favourite, and what we skip. Favourite: Lojena on Levrnaka in the morning, and the Trogir quay below the cathedral. Skip: the Šibenik marina in town, noisy; Skradin is far nicer.
Our verdict. Beauty 5/5. Anchorages 4/5. Ease 4/5. Crowds 3/5. Verdict: the most varied cruise in Croatia, two countries in one, with no difficult crossing.