A sailing vacation in Croatia with kids is definitely recommended! Last summer we sailed on a catamaran along some of Croatia’s beautiful southern islands with our kids. We have a cottage in Croatia, near Zadar, so we come here often. Normally we take many wonderful day trips with a speedboat. But a wish of ours was to once explore the southern islands of Croatia by catamaran. In this blog, I will take you on our adventure. You’ll discover why sailing with kids is ideal, what not to miss, and I share what we learned on our first independent sailing trip in Croatia with the family.
Catamaran rental in Croatia
Why rent a catamaran in Croatia with kids? Because you have an awful lot of space on these boats, where you can sleep wonderfully, and because they allow you to travel longer distances. After several spring trips to practice, my husband was ready to drive the ship himself. We chartered a catamaran with my uncle, aunt and niece for two weeks to go on a new adventure.
The catamaran had 12 berths: four double bedrooms, two staff cabins, four bathrooms and the living room could possibly sleep two more people. However, I would not recommend really going sailing with 12 people. When the four double rooms are occupied, the boat is full enough as far as I’m concerned.
We visited the following places during this family sailing vacation in Croatia: Žirje, Šolta, Hvar, Stari Grad, Mljet, Lastovo, Vis, Kaprije and Žakan in the Kornati.
Best travel time sailing in Croatia
Croatia has a largely Mediterranean climate and is good to visit in spring, summer and fall, with mostly sunny and warm weather. If you are going boating and plan to enjoy the sea a lot with your kids, I think the best travel time is from July through September. This is because the sea water can still be fresh in spring, which is less pleasant when you are boating and want to enjoy lots of diving and swimming in the beautiful blue sea.
Transportation to and in Croatia
You can drive to Croatia by car just fine. We always do this in the summer, too. However, for shorter trips in the spring and/or fall, we like to take the plane. You can then perfectly well fly into Zadar airport.
In this blog, we move around Croatia by catamaran. If you possess Boating License 1 and 2, and certainly have some experience, you can do this without a captain. Don’t have any experience or like everything being taken care of for you? Then you can book a captain when you rent your catamaran.
Not going boating? Then you can take a wonderful tour by car and still visit several of these places in Croatia with kids. You can then perfectly well rent a car through Sunny Cars in Croatia.
Route Sailing Holidays in Croatia
Sukosan
Sukošan is a beautiful, nostalgic and lively village, just 10 minutes from the city of Zadar. This is our second home, and from here we picked up the catamaran in the largest marina in Croatia to explore. When in the marina, be sure to take your kids for a tour of the harbor.
The boats, sailing ships and yachts moored here are beautiful and the number is impressive. Our kids feast their eyes every time. Time to check in and board our boat. Boats in Croatia are almost always rented from Saturday to Saturday. In the morning they are thoroughly polished, and as soon as they are ready, you board.
We were given a little tour and while my husband untied the mooring lines and sailed away, I joined my aunt in unpacking and setting everything up. The kids ran forward and lay down on the nets to enjoy the view. We left around 4 in the afternoon and wanted to try to sail as far as possible, since we already knew the area from where we left well. Thus began our sailing vacation in Croatia with the family.
Zirje
We arrived at our first overnight spot and reserved a buoy in a bay near the island of Žirje. We arrived quite late, so after a quick dip in the sea we got ready to take the dinghy to shore. Arriving on the island, we walked along the water to the village center. What a surprise!
The kids looked their eyes out. There was a hippie festival, and throughout the village there were performances, stalls with food and, above all, many special hippie people completely absorbed in the strange music. Our kids were amazed.
Since it was already a little late and the kids were really enjoying looking around, we decided to have a quick fast food snack the first night. Then we walked slowly back to the dinghy. Back on board, we played a game together and went to bed early so that we could leave the next morning on time for the island of Šolta: the second destination during our sailing vacation in Croatia with kids.
Solta
On the way from Žirje to Šolta, we stopped in a quiet bay where we stopped more often for a nice swim and snorkeling. We pumped up the SUP boards and the large lounge floaty, which we tied to the boat to keep it from drifting away. After a swim and a nice lunch, we sailed on toward Šolta.
We reserved a place in the port of Maslinica. It was a bit exciting to dock in between two large sailing ships, with an awful lot of wind, but with some help from the kids it went all right. We gave the kids their own chores for docking. They didn’t have to help, but if they wanted to, they knew what they could do.
Some made sure the fenders were hanging in the right places, others opened the gate and laid out a rope, or we gave them the important task of making sure we didn’t hit anything while docking. This kind of task makes the kids feel important and prevents them from getting in the way, haha.
Once docked in Maslinica on Šolta, we saw that at the corner of the harbor there was a beautiful stretch of pebble beach cordoned off especially for swimming. The kids ran after it and enjoyed themselves for a long time. Along the coast were large rocks that they walked over in search of anything. They found sea sponges, squid bellies and beautiful stones.
In the evening, we walked into the small, beautiful fishing town of Maslinica and looked around the souvenir shops and stalls. Through Google Maps we found a very well reviewed restaurant higher up, with a great view. We made reservations and decided not to use the shuttle service, but to walk up. Pooh, we had underestimated that! Quite a climb, haha, but it was well worth it: great food and a beautiful view.
Jorja Bay
We stayed another day on Šolta, but in a remote bay. After a wonderful night’s sleep on the boat, we left for our next spot. We stayed another night on the island of Šolta, but this time in a quiet bay surrounded by high rocks, with only a restaurant. We arrived at Jorja Bay.
Wow, what a beautiful bay this was! Truly one of those places where we experience complete tranquility. It was wonderful for the kids, as they were able to splash around again with their SUP boards and snorkel to shore, where they used large branches to build huts on the little beach. There were about four other boats that stayed here for dinner and the night.
This is a place you can only get to by boat. You reserve a buoy owned by the Lero restaurant. When you dine there, you pay nothing for your berth. This sounds very nice, but the prices in the restaurant make up for it, haha.
Still, this restaurant and overnight spot also comes highly recommended. The restaurant has a boat that they use to pick you up at the appointed time and bring you to shore. Then you walk up many stairs, where a delicious dinner awaits you. What is very nice for the kids in places like this is that there is almost no one around. While we dine long, they can adventure in the pristine countryside.
Starigrad
In the early morning we sailed on, heading for Hvar. During our stop to take a swim, we came across the Mojito Man’s famous cocktail boat, which we did know from Instagram and TikTok. Our son recognized the boat immediately, so of course we couldn’t help but wave and order a cocktail.
Warning: the cocktails were really super strong, haha! But he also had non-alcoholic cocktails for the kids, and they loved it. A man in a small, ramshackle boat, completely full of ingredients for cocktails.
After this stop, we sailed on toward Hvar. Here we found out that our thought of planning everything day by day did not quite work, as there was no way we could reserve a port or a buoy. We dropped anchor just before the center of Hvar, so the kids could swim and we could take a moment to figure out what to do next.
We tried everything, but it really didn’t work. So, change of plans! We sailed around the island to the town of Stari Grad. Just by luck, because in this port you couldn’t book anything. First come, first served. Fortunately, we immediately had a nice spot available.
There was an aqua park in the water, so the kids were eager to go there. We bought a ticket so the kids could enjoy themselves for a while. Meanwhile, I decided to continue planning the route and book overnight accommodations ahead of time, as I didn’t like being in that limbo.
The itinerary was quickly figured out, but for the next day we did not succeed in making reservations through the MySea app – everything was full. So I decided to book the rest of our trip the next morning. Then we set out to explore the center of Stari Grad.
Stari Grad was not on the plan, but what a fun place this is! Beautiful alleys, streets, stores and lots of restaurants. The kids played with other kids in the alleys while we ordered some food. If you visit the island of Hvar, be sure not to skip Stari Grad. It is a small, nostalgic but super atmospheric town, definitely worth a visit!
Peljesac
In the morning, as soon as we hit the road, I got to work looking for places to stay and making reservations. The intention was to sail to Korčula, but there was no more space available there. We found that we had really underestimated the distances and booking overnight places.
This region is popular with yachts and sailboats, so looking each day at what we would do and where we would go was out of the question. Since Korčula was not an option, we decided to find something else nearby and on the route to our next destination.
I found a large, deep bay near the Pelješac peninsula. We decided to make reservations here at a restaurant buoy. We sailed straight there to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing, playing games and tearing around in the dinghy. For the kids, it’s super fun to sail the dinghy. We even tied a SUP board behind the dinghy so they could use it as a surfboard behind the boat. What fun!
I proceeded to book and plan out the rest of the trip, and when that was accomplished, peace finally fell over me. We enjoyed a delicious dinner while our son watched with wide eyes as the restaurant owner cleaned the ordered fish at the water’s edge. After dinner we ran an errand at the little supermarket and the kids played in the playground for a while.
Ready for the rest of the trip, we went to sleep soundly. Knowing that we no longer had to search for a place to sleep gave us all great peace of mind. Although that didn’t bother the kids – all they were doing was looking for dolphins, playing games, enjoying the view and waiting expectantly for what the next place would be like.
Mljet
In the morning we left very early for our next destination. We sailed to the island of Mljet. Before sailing to our reserved spot, we sought out a beautiful bay in the national park for snorkeling and swimming. While we were lying there, we saw people biking around the island. This gave us an idea.
I already looked up what there was to do near our booked spot and discovered a national park with tunnels, viewpoints and even a World War II cannon. This seemed great to our kids, so we decided to sail to our overnight spot – this time again at a restaurant, but at the dock.
We had a drink on this friendly man’s terrace. Then we walked into the village and saw the bike rental. We decided to rent bikes and go exploring. We were not quite prepared – in our bathing suits and flip-flops, and our son even barefoot – but that’s part of island life.
We cycled a beautiful path with a slight rise, overlooking the sea and many islets. After cycling for half an hour, we arrived at the military tunnels, which had four exits. At one of the exits was a World War II cannon. The kids loved exploring the dark tunnels, only to find a beautiful view at each exit.
In the evening we had a nice dinner on the dock by our boat. We played games and went to bed early to sail fresh and fruity the next day to the next destination of our family sailing vacation in Croatia.
Lastovo
Lastovo is a destination in Croatia that I added later during planning and booking. It is not a well-known island, but we decided not to sail further south and go back slowly, so we had fewer long distances to cover and also were able to stay a little longer in some places during our sailing trip in Croatia with kids.
Lastovo caught my eye when booking, it was located between Mljet and Hvar, so this seemed the perfect location for the next stop on the way to Hvar. Lastovo is a remote, quiet island. This is one of the few islands in the region that still seems truly undiscovered.
It was off-limits to tourists in the last century, and then there was the Balkan War. So it wasn’t until the beginning of this century that some tourism began to develop. It really is an island for lovers of tranquility, with beautiful hiking trails.
We booked a place at the pier of a small resort, Augusta Insula. The resort has a small overflow saltwater pool in the wharf, a Jacuzzi, a beach, a beach bar, a spa and a delicious restaurant. Especially for the kids, it’s a top place: nice swimming, hiking, drinking kids’ cocktails and meanwhile a wonderful massage for mom.
Hvar Palmizana
From Lastovo we left early in the morning for Hvar. The men sailed away while the kids slept in. You’d be surprised how soundly they sleep as the boat gently rocks over the waves. From a good Croatian friend we got the tip to make reservations in the bay Palmizana. These are islets opposite Hvar, with a boat shuttle service to Hvar center. We booked a buoy here for two nights.
Upon arrival, we feasted our eyes. A large bay filled with gigantic yachts and sailing ships, crystal clear water and a beautiful beach club. We docked and enjoyed the sun and sea. Around noon, we took the dinghy to go to the Laganini Beach Club. A wonderful place that is also really fun for the kids.
We could not rent a cabana, as they were already reserved, but there was room in the bar. Our kids played next to the bar in the outdoor gym and watched in the pool where even sharks swam. We enjoyed drinks and socializing with tourists from other boats.
Today the kids decided on dinner, and it became pizza. We walked over the hill to the other side of the island. Beware of the many cacti – they don’t really learn until they have felt it for themselves, haha. We ate pizza at the harbor and walked back. On top of the hill we had a beautiful view of Palmizana Bay.
We sailed the dinghy back to the boat, and Dad took the kids on a snorkeling adventure in the dark, diving lights along to spot fish. Somehow, there are always bigger fish in the dark. I tried it for a while too, but was out of it in no time, haha.
Hvar
Today we wanted to see the town of Hvar. In the morning we enjoyed a delicious breakfast. Another supermarket boat passed by where you could buy fresh produce. After breakfast we had reserved a water cab to take us to Hvar center. A fast dinghy picked us up, and in 15 minutes we sailed to the center of Hvar.
Hvar is a beautiful old town with an awful lot to see and do. We strolled through the center, visiting all sorts of cute little stores and taking occasional cool drinks. We looked at the stalls, bought souvenirs and ate ice cream. We were looking for a restaurant for an early dinner, as we wanted to hike up to Fortica Fortress in the late afternoon, when the temperature had dropped a bit.
Located 90 meters above sea level, the fortress was built in the 16th century by the Venetians as part of the city’s defense system. Through the narrow streets, you walk up many stairs before reaching the fortress via a winding path. You can look around independently or opt for an informative tour.
We explored on our own and got from one viewpoint to another. Many staircases and rooms can be found there, where you really feel the history. The kids were enthralled and wanted to go up every aisle and stairway.
From the fortress you have a beautiful view of the city and port of Hvar and the surrounding islands. We had a cold drink on the fort’s terrace and then started our way back. It was a very hot day and we decided to go back to our boat to continue our enjoyment there.
The kids came up with the idea of collecting trash from all the boats in the bay and taking it to the trash point. They paddled past the boats on their SUP boards, received trash bags and a bag of money as a thank you for turning in the trash. They loved it. We filled the evening with tasty snacks and fun games. Then we went to bed, ready for the next destination tomorrow.
Fish
Early in the morning we left for the island of Vis, known, among other things, from the movie Mamma Mia! Also on Vis we stayed two nights, but in two different places.
We stopped at the famous bay Stiniva Beach, a beautiful beach shielded by high cliffs. We snorkeled and swam, but the downside here was that it was very crowded with tourist boats going back and forth for day excursions. So we decided not to go all the way to the beach, but to see it from our perspective from the boat. Then we set sail for Vis.
For the first night, we booked a buoy in a quiet bay belonging to a restaurant. Upon arrival, the kids went rushing around the water with their SUP boards behind the dinghy. Then we explored the island on foot. The kids strolled along the rocks toward a beach, while we kept an eye on them from a terrace.
After a delicious early dinner, we returned to the boat for a game of 20-second showdown and Answer or Dancer. We didn’t go to bed too late so that we could sail to Fish Harbor early the next morning.
Pussy
It is not possible to make advance reservations at Vis harbor, so arriving early is important to be sure of a spot at the wharf of this bustling, distinctive town of Kut, Vis. The name alone made this a favorite spot for our kids. We decided to disembark immediately and rent scooters to tour around the island.
After we all found a well-fitting helmet, we headed out. Beautiful winding roads, sharp hairpin turns and fantastic views made this scooter ride so special.
We stopped first in the fishing village of Komiža, where we strolled through the alleys and walked along the quay. We had a nice cold drink on the terrace and then drove on again. We stopped at a beautiful bay where we had lunch and the kids had a nice swim. Then we drove inland, uphill, to visit Tito’s cave.
It is said that Tito hid here during World War II. The path uphill was a little too steep for some of our scooters. Not everyone came up and had to walk the last part with the scooter.
We parked the scooters and walked up a lot of stairs to the cave. Actually it was more like a small cave, it wasn’t big, but with the information about the history of the island of Vis and this place, it was still very special. Going down with the scooters was a lot easier.
We sought out another beautiful bay where we enjoyed dinner. We actually wanted to eat at Roki’s, which is said to be very delicious and traditional. Unfortunately, upon arrival we found that you really need to make reservations here several days in advance, so if you are going to visit Vis, keep an eye out for this.
In the evening we strolled through Kut, checking out the stalls and souvenir shops and discovering several traditional stores selling local produce. Some treats went with us, of course. In the evening, we sat on the deck and enjoyed live music on the dock across from us. Again, we did not go to bed too late, because a long crossing back awaited us the next morning.
Kaprije
For today, we had nothing booked ahead. By mid-afternoon we arrived in the area where we planned to spend the night. I was looking for a nice bay where the kids could play and a top restaurant. I found the perfect spot and reserved a buoy at Spirito Summer Place on the island of Kaprije.
Upon arrival, we saw the beautiful blue water with a small island and a shallow connection to the island of Kaprije. The kids were thrilled, snorkeling to shore and walking through the shallow end to the island. In Croatia, don’t forget to put on shoes in the water because sea urchins are quite abundant.
After the necessary water fun, we got ready to go to Spirito Summer Place. We were picked up by a boat from the restaurant and slid into the beautiful restaurant. The atmosphere was hearty. The kids played on the beach while we had a drink. We actually needed to run a small errand, and when we asked at the restaurant, the men were allowed to go with us in a sort of golf cart to the village to get the needed items at the supermarket.
Then it was time to eat. The menu was promising and the food was even many times better than expected. Delicious! What is so nice about places like this is the small scale and the tranquility. While we dine long and elaborate, the kids can chalk pebbles on the water, play on the beach, without anyone having to worry about losing them. After all, there is no one but the guests of some wonderful ships.
Looking for delicious food during your sailing trip? Then be sure to add Spirito Summer Place to your list. In our experience, almost all such places have fantastic food. People come there by boats and when the reviews are not good, no boat docks and therefore they have no guests.
Zakan, Kornati
The second-to-last day has arrived of our sailing vacation in Croatia with kids. In the morning we sail to an area familiar to us: the Kornati National Park. Zakan was already known to us, but we did not have the opportunity to spend the night there before. It seemed like the perfect ending to our sailing trip.
Restaurant Zakan on the island of Ravi Zakan is one of many special places in the Kornati. This beautiful national park consists of 89 islands, small islets and cliffs. All these islands are uninhabited, but you will find some apartments or small hotels, as well as many places you can only reach by boat. Like Zakan.
For us, these are often favorites spots: idyllic, quiet, beautiful water, and so on. It always makes us feel privileged to be able and allowed to visit these places. Zakan is a top place to stay with kids. There is a soccer field, a basketball court, a trampoline in the water, they can play water polo, explore the island and much more.
Our kids immediately made friends with some local kids visiting their father, who stays during the season, as do all the staff on the island. The food here is fantastic and after your dinner you can have delicious cocktails, bubbles or something else at the beach bar. For the kids, there are super fun non-alcoholic cocktails.
We ended the evening with stargazing. We put on some nice music, lay with our backs on the nets and saw so many beautiful stars shining. We discussed the past two weeks and all agreed that this was an adventure to remember. We crawled into bed on the boat for the last time, ready to fully enjoy one more day tomorrow.
Otok Zut
The last day we sailed from the Kornati past Otok Zut, a beautiful island with many beautiful bays and crystal clear water. Here we snorkeled and swam some more, and said goodbye to our adventure. We sailed back to Sukosan, and upon arrival at the marina, the staff was ready to direct all boats returning to the right place.
We docked and waited for the boat to be checked. Everything was fine and we decided not to stay on the boat the last night – which is possible – but to go back to our cottage in Sukosan to finish the vacation there.
Tips sailing vacation Croatia with the family
This was our first time on a catamaran with overnight stays on board during our sailing vacation in Croatia with the kids. We learned a lot from this first boating trip and I would like to share some tips so that it might be a little easier for you and you won’t run into the same beginner’s mistakes that we did.
1. Early departures and stops: sometimes the trip was longer than we estimated. This often caused us to overextend the first few days. We therefore decided to leave early, when the kids were still asleep, so that we were already well on our way when they woke up. It also helps to make short stops for a swim and bring along entertainment, such as games or craft materials, for longer trips.
2. Staying longer in one place: one night per place is sometimes too short. To properly explore a destination, it is smart to occasionally stay two or even three nights in one place. You can also choose different moorings in the same area, for example, first in a harbor and then in a bay with a buoy. This provides variety and new experiences.
3. Plan route and overnight stays: it is helpful to see in advance which places you want to see and map out a rough route plan. Finding last-minute places to stay during peak season in popular areas can be tricky, so we found it nice to have booked ahead after a few days.
4. Involve kids in docking: give kids simple tasks when docking, such as hanging fenders, preparing ropes, or watching carefully to make sure everything is going well. This makes them feel important and involved.
5. Book overnight spots: you can use the Museums app to book overnight spots, but I also often searched through Google Maps and reviews to see if there were fun things for the kids to do at the place.
6. Food and drink on board: you will find many restaurants on the islands in Croatia, and generally they are all good. Since you can often only get there by boat, this ensures that only the best spots have customers.
7. What to bring for kids: for long days on the water, UV shirts are recommended. A subboard, floaties and snorkels are also essential for lots of water fun.
8. Stock up on board: make sure you have enough groceries on board, such as snacks for between meals, drinks, bake-off sandwiches, toppings, etc. This avoids having to take the dinghy to the supermarket at every stop. In ports this goes fine, but at a buoy it is quite a lugging job to get everything to the boat. Besides, you don’t have a car with you, and we were often in remote places where there was no supermarket nearby.
9. Boating license and skipper: don’t have your own boating license or insufficient experience? Then take a skipper with you. You can arrange this through the rental company.
10. Reliable rental companies: would you also like to discover the Croatian islands on a catamaran? The company Master Yachting Croatia is reliable, has nice contact and delivers nice, clean boats.
11. Cost and early booking: the cost of renting a catamaran can be substantial. So book early for discounts. Or take the risk of checking last-minute to see if boats are still available, so you can save big.
Cost sailboat hire in Croatia
To rent the catamaran for two weeks, we paid about €15,000. Added to that was a package of towels, bed linen and a cleaning service, which cost €400, and a security deposit of €2500.
We stayed with 4 adults and 3 kids on the catamaran, which had the following amenities:
- 4 double bedrooms
- 2 full bathrooms
- 2 toilets with sinks
- 2 skipper beds in front
- In the living room/kitchen there is the possibility of creating a double bed, although I think this would be too full for our group.
Use of the boat: the use of the boat itself was quite minimal. You’re cruising on diesel idling. In the two weeks we were with it, we consumed about €500 worth of diesel. This is considerably more economical than, say, a speedboat. Of course, if you used the sails more, this amount would be lower.
Moorings: the cost of moorings can vary widely. Sometimes you pay €80 for a buoy, sometimes you can lie for free if you dine at the associated restaurant. In other ports, you pay up to €300 per night. You can view these costs in advance in the MySea app so there are no surprises.
Have questions or want to know more about our trip, the company we chartered the catamaran with, or other tips? Then feel free to take a look at our Instagram page and send me a DM. I am happy to answer all your questions!
About us: hey we are Dirk, Inge, Vince(10) and Lexi (7). With our school-age kids, we like to travel during as many vacations as possible to countries near or far. Follow our adventures on Instagram. Also, feel free to message us if you have any questions or are looking for tips. And be sure to check out our videos on YouTube, as they will give you a good idea of what your days with kids in various places might look like.
