- Sailing Croatia tips
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by Ultra Sailing Team
This is the 27th season of the yacht charter for Ultra sailing. The islands have remained the same and there are many of them, however the structure of sailors and trends have changed. For this reason we have made an effort to write several routes in this blog that will educate and be interesting to our guests. We noticed that everyone wants to get to Vis, Brač, Hvar and Blue cave. Briefly, everyone wants to be in the same places at the same time. This can be stressful due to the crowd and uninformedness of boaters. If you are sailing with your family, it can happen that only one person is skilled so all the pressure is on the captain. What you can do is hire a local skipper and make your stay at sea easier.
If you have decided to sail on your own and your sailboat is located in the area of Split, we will first suggest a route that is not so popular (because it is not on the proposed routes of charter agencies). With this route you will meet fewer sailors at sea and have the opportunity to see small beautiful places, swim in the clear sea…
Day 1 (Saturday) – Check in at Split
Saturday is a standard boarding day. The boats are usually cleaned and ready for handover at 5p.m. Don’t rush, while you are at check in send your crew to do the food shopping. Food can be ordered online as well. Take a look at your boat, put everything in its place, enjoy in the cockpit and watch others sail out of the marina. At the end of Saturday, the marina will no longer be crowded. The ACI marina has a restaurant and pizzeria Adriatic where you can dine, or you can visit one of the popular restaurants along the West Coast (Sidi bar and Basta). From the ACI Marina, across the West Coast, to the old part of the city of Split is only 10 minutes pleasant walk. Take a walk through this old town, visit the 1900-year-old Diocletian’s Palace. If you stayed on board, tired of the trip, watch the others set sail and the next morning you will be ready and rested to set sail as well.
Day 2 (Sunday) – Split – Pučišća
From Split to the small town of Pucisca there is only 18 NM. Town of Pucisca is located on the island of Brac, one of the largest islands in the Adriatic. It is an island known for its olive trees and stone exports. Be sure to buy a bottle of oil when you get the chance.
Entering the bay of Pučišća, on your left side you will see the impressive remains of the quarry and its white square slabs. Deeper in the bay there are two branches, the port of Stipanska on the left and Pučiški Dolac on the right. The best place to tie up is under the high bell tower f the St Jerome church. There are not too many berths, but you find it if you arrive between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. There you can connect to electricity and water.
This old and once rich place will amaze you. It is known for its quarry, a stonemason’s high school that is open to the public in the summer and is worth a visit. We were especially impressed by the story from World War II when the place was burned to the ground. These diligent locals have renovated all their houses, so you are dazzled by the whiteness of their walls. There is even a public lighting made of stone as well as showers on the beach. This is a crowded place, where instead of noise you hear the music of students from the music colony. Pušišća is a place where you can sit all day in the garden of the restaurant with free internet and friendly staff. We definitely recommend coffee and donuts in the cafe closest to the mooring. As a souvenir, buy a mortar or some other smaller stone souvenir.
Day 3 (Monday) – Pučišća- Sumartin
Sumartin is the most eastern and the youngest town on the coast of Brač and is located below the picturesque old town of Selce. From the Sumartin bay Radonja there are only 2 km to Selce. We recommend a walk to this beautiful village. The people of Brač have always been word people, therefore, it is an interesting fact that the first monument to the great Russian writer Lav Tolstoy was setted in Selce, and of course, in stone.
Sumartin is a small place with newer houses. The place was founded by refugees from the Makarska coast who fled from the Turks in the 17th century. They brought with them part of their local culture, therefore Sumartin is in folk costumes and local language slightly different from other Brač places. There are two piers in the port and an 80 m long pier in the middle of the west side, intended for the docking of a smaller ferry from nearby Makarska. This pier is open to the south. The branch of the Sumartin Bay NW from the port is the safest place for mooring, even when strong SW wind is blowing.
Day 4 (Tuesday) – Sumartin – Jelsa
While writing this blog, we were in doubt which place on the island of Hvar is better to include in route, Jelsa or Vrboska. We decided on Jelsa because it is a bigger place. No matter which place you choose they are only 1.5 NM away or just a 2,3 km of a pleasant walk through the bays of Milna Vrbovačka and Mala Vitrinja. These bays are inhabited by weekend houses and the promenade by the sea is illuminated at night.
In the port of Jelsa, a newer breakwater on the left is planned for the daily arrival of a fast line from Split (with a stop in Bol on the island of Brač). In the continuation of this breakwater, right in front of the waterfront, the newest part is intended for mooring mostly catamarans and larger yachts.
On the right side, behind the green lighthouse, there are berths with electricity and water. These berths are safer during the bora to which the entire bay is open. In case of a strong bora, we advise you to tie up in Vrboska. The mooring in Jelsa is pleasant, placed on the waterfront full of good restaurants. In the whole bay there are berths for about 55 boats, but in the heart of the season it is better to book a place in advance. The contact of the Port Authority is as follows: +385913106235.
Jelsa ensued as a port of Pitve, the oldest permanent settlement 2,5km far away from Hvar. If you decide to go to Pitve visit tavern „Kod Dubokovića“. You can buy there honey, lavender, immortelle oil, and wine in winery Marjan. If you took a taxi or rent a car, continue to south side of Hvar through special tunnel. You will see lot of wineyards and nice beaches like Ivan Dolac and Jagodna . On your way out from tunnel you will have beautiful view of Korčula, Vis, Pelješac and Šćedro.
Did you know that first disco in Croatia was opened in Jelsa? It was in 1964.. in non-existent building today . Shortly afterwards the Pitve disco club was opened, and it worked by the end of the ’80s.
Vrboska
Entrance to the port Vrboska is winding. This small town is located at the bottom of the bay. The ACI Marina is on the left , and in recent years the town and Port Authority have built a mooring on the waterfront. The bay is safe and quiet. It looks very nice with canal made of stone bridges and small island in the middle. This place was developed in the 17th century by rich shipowners and merchants from nearby town Vrbanj. You can visit Fishermen’s Museum and church-fortress of Our Lady of Mercy. This safe and peaceful port is locally called „Little Venice“.
Day 5 (Wednesday) – Jelsa – Bol
Only a few miles from Jelsa and Vrboska you will easily sail to Bol on island of Brač. Bol and its Zlatni rat are the most famous places and probably you have seen them already on posters of the Croatian National Tourist Board.It is beautiful, old place at the foot of the highest hill on Brač–Vidova gora. Bol is located on the southern sunny slopes and overlooking the nearby island of Hvar. This place is known as a good place for wind surfing, kiting and is a great choice for those who want to spend active holidays. Bol has mooring buoys organized by the Port Authority, contact is 00 385 21 635 114.
Don’t anchor or get close to this beautiful place. Every year we witness some accidents with sailboats and those who wants to be too close to this natural phenomenon. Also take care about the surfers in this area. The old port of Bol from the east is protected by 140m long pier with a breakwater. Nearby are berths for locals. It can be inconvenient in case of blowing mistral wind.
Old part of Bol is very nice and worth to be seen. You will see galleries, streets made of stone, small squares and nice restaurants.
Interesting facts for book lovers: Bol has been part of he Book Crossing project since 2013 which was created in USA in 2001. The principle of BookCrossing is that books must be free, not trapped on shelves. Fans of this movement around the world leave books that other person can take, read,, and than leave somewhere for a new reader. Membership has exceeded one million members , and over 12 million books travels the world. In front of the library in Bol you can see a small yellow glass box with books that are available to you day and night in several foreign languages.
Visit the Branislav Dešković Gallery, which features some of the most famous Croatian painters and sculptors.
Day 6 (Thursday) – Bol – Smrka Bay
Thursday is the day when most sailing boats and catamarans are on their way back to Split. The most famous bays close to Split( Milna and Bobovišća) are already full by 14:00 . Avoid this crowd and spend Thursday evening in quite and peaceful place. We suggest Smrka bay in the south of Brač , not far from Bol. The bay is safe for anchoring although is slightly open to the south wind. There is also another abandoned tunnel for warship from the Yugoslav era. Today mostly fisherman’s and small boat owners moor their boats there. In the narrow northeastern part of the bay is a road leading to the shepherd’s small village Smrka. There is one private house on the waterfront.
If you haven’t caught a place here, sail further towards Lučica bay. This port has 5 branches and in one of them you will find a place. Lučice are nice quiet weekend resort , the sea is clean and great for swimming. For the last night on boat it is for sure a good choice. You can stay longer on boat on Friday and start your sailing towards Split on Friday after the lunch.
The nearest gas station is in Milna on Brač which can be really crowded and there is one smaller in Split, in front of the ACI Marina.
Day 7 (Friday) – Smrka Bay or Lučice Bay – Split
Ultra sailing team will welcome you on Friday afternoon and will help you with mooring in ACI Marina Split. Return to the marina after a stay at sea and out of crowd can be like a slap in the face. You need to pack your things, check the boat, hand it over. We always recommend to come back to home port by 18:00 which will reduce your stress of traveling back home.
