Croatia is one of those destinations that will capture your heart.
The country's coastline is dotted with the most charming, picture-perfect cities, beautiful beaches with crystal clear water in a striking shade of blue, and it's friendly, safe and clean.
Click here to instantly access our sample 8-night itinerary starting in Split and sailing to Dubrovnik. This itinerary is perfect for a family or small group looking to spend time exploring the islands and enjoying plenty of time in the water along the way.
Read on to discover 3 reasons you should add Croatia to your bucket list. Discover Croatia's Dalmatian coast on your first trip, and you'll definitely be back to explore more!
Picture Perfect
Croatia is just so picture perfect! There is literally something charming around every corner. Expect to see endless scenes of cafes and restaurants spilling out of the old stone buildings, tables lining ancient stairs that climb up from the sea, and flower boxes in all the windows.
The cities and villages along Croatia's cost are mostly contained within ancient city walls, still in tact and well preserved. In fact, many of these town and islands are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The country's sunny beaches, shimmering waters, and clusters of walled, red-capped towns are truly unique (not to mention well known for Game of Thrones fans!)
Safe, Clean, Easy, Affordable
Croatia is pretty much the gold standard when it comes to family travel; safe, clean, easy and surprisingly affordable. Especially if you're traveling with teenagers eager to head out for a bit on their own, the Croatian islands are safe and easy for them to do so.
At each island you'll arrive to the marina and typically will find plenty of restaurants within easy walking distance. Enjoy dinner on your boat and then head out for a night cap, or book a table at one of the many spectacular local restaurants in town.
Perfect Boating Conditions
Croatia is one of the best sailing destinations in the world for a number of reasons: the islands are close together so you don’t have long distances to cross (meaning the water is generally calm and easy to navigate), the winds are generally calmer compared to other destinations, and the islands and coastline are lined with ancient historical ruins.
Here you essentially have over a thousand islands and a thousand miles of coastline to explore!
Mix lazy days of swimming and beach going with time spent exploring medieval fortresses, sitting in lively restaurants, wandering cobbled streets and hiking to ancient ruins. Wind down in the evening and fall asleep onboard the boat, being lulled to sleep by the sound of lapping waves.
Because Croatia is one of the world's best boating destinations, it’s important to lock a boat charter months in advance to ensure you have the best boat for what you're looking for. This itinerary can also be done using hotels on each island and chartering a boat for day use.