14 days sailing from Zadar to Split: Kornati, Telašćica, Krka, Trogir, Hvar and Brač

Weather month by month

The route over two weeks

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.