I will not lie, I was waiting for this moment like a child counting down the days until Christmas, except we didn’t know how many days we have to count until we can travel again… Anyway, as soon as we were allowed to travel (sorry, not sorry) we hit the Mediterranean Sea with a few friends, drove to Dubrovnik and rented a catamaran. We’ve been to charming little islands, paddle boarded in breathtaking turquoise bays , and ate incredibly tasty Croatian food whenever we were. On the plus side, Croatia decided to decrease prices to increase tourism – hotel rooms and boat rentings were down 30-40%. Here is how we spent the first trip abroad after Corona virus.
The first night we spent in Dubrovnik, I highly recommend to stay in Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik. If you book a seawiev room, like we did, you can watch the sunset from your own balcony. How cool is that? 🙂
The next day we moved our bags to our temporarily home, a Lagoon 400 catamaran, which fits comfortably 8 people, in 4 cabins with separate bathrooms. Okay, but why we chose a catamaran an not a monohull? Well, one of the major advantages of a catamaran is their stability, and they generally provide far more living space than similarly priced monohulls, plus their cabins are often more spacious too. Last but not least, anyone who may be prone to seasickness, will feel the effects of motion much less aboard a catamaran than they might on a monohull.
STON
Our firs stop was the city of Ston, which has had a rich history since antiquity. Located at the gates of the peninsula, surrounded by three seas, protected by four hills, rich in fresh water and saltwater, fertile plains, it has been an important political, cultural and ecclesiastical centre.
The Walls of Ston are a series of defensive stone walls, originally more than 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) long, that surrounded and protected the city of Ston. Today, it is one of the longest preserved fortification systems in the world. You can visit the Walls during the whole year. Take a walk around the city of Ston (in roughly 20 minutes) and from Ston to Mali Ston (in roughly 40 minutes). The walls of Ston were built in 1333 when Ston became a part of the Republic of Dubrovnik. Their purpose was to defend the Republic and the peninsula.
MLJET
Mljet is the first larger island one come upon while sailing the Croatian Adriatic from the direction from south to north. It is Croatia’s greenest island with clear turquoise sea, sandy shoreline and a wealth of underwater sea life. The island is considered to be one of the most beautiful of the Croatian islands covered by a dense Mediterranean forest.
KORCULA
Korcula is the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk and the most populous Croatian island not connected to the mainland by a bridge. It has one of the best-preserved medieval centres in the Adriatic, therefore it’s the most popular south-Dalmatian destination, after the more crowded Dubrovnik, with which it is often compared – Well okay, at the moment these statements are not true, as crowd doesn’t exist in Croatia, but I’m sure with time everything will go back to normal, aka crowded AF – If you are arriving with a boat you have to be aware, that mooring isn’t cheap here, but I guess we were luck, at that time mooring in Korcula harbor was completely free of charge, ha!
I highly recommend to try Konoba Aterina, a lovely restaurant on top of the historic walls of Korcula, where they serve fresh, local food with many vegan options on the menu! In the morning have a coffee in one of the cute restaurants, facing the beautiful Mediterranean sea.
When you are sailing in Croatia, the number of beautiful turquoise bays are endless, we stopped a few times en route, to have a refreshing swim, snorkeling and paddle boarding.
One night we decided to anchor the catamaran, meaning we spent the entire night in a magnificent bay, had an amazing dinner, watched the sunset, and stared at the Milky Way while sipping on mouthwatering Croatian wine. That was something I will never forget.
SIPAN
Our last stop was Sipan, where were luck enough to occupy the last mooring space, meaning the harbor was full for the first time in 2020! The island’s population is 419, and it is famed for its numerous palm tree species that grow on the island. We also had one of the best meals here, but unfortunately I didn’t take any photos… We arrived very late to the restaurant, it was almost 10pm, but they happily served us with first class fresh fish, garnished by heaps of salads and grilled veggies, suitable for vegans. I strongly suggested to visit, Konoba Tauris!
I hope you enjoyed this recap, don’t forget to bookmark it for later!
Until next time!
xx,
Orsi
