Top 8 anchorage bays in Istria and Kvarner area

Spending the night at anchor always has a unique atmosphere, especially in the evening when the calm in the bay subsides and only a few boats remain at anchor. Another reason to anchor is cost. It’s either free of charge or a lot cheaper than in marinas or harbors. This blog will mention 8 anchorages in Istria and Kvarner, that are either free or offer mooring buoys. Of course, you must pay for mooring on a buoy, but the cost is usually 30-40% lower than in a marina or port. There are also mooring buoys for which you will not be charged. But mostly, these belong to a restaurant or a “Konoba” (tavern), because there is a rule that if you stay on a mooring buoy, you are expected to go for dinner or drink.

Please be aware that you should anchor according to the rules and that the bay you choose as an anchorage offers good shelter.

Portic and Debeljak bay

We start with two bays, which we consider as one because they are next to each other. These two bays are just north of Cape Kamenjak Point, protected from all winds except NE.

If you start your sailing vacation from our charter base in Pomer, it is just 4 nautical miles to the Portic and Debeljak bays. If the weather conditions are acceptable and you don’t feel like doing long sailing routes immediately on Saturday, in that case, the two bays are perfect for getting familiar with the boat and spending the night at anchor instead of staying in the marina for the first day.

Both provide good anchorage, with sandy beds, at a depth of 6 metres in Portic and 5 metres in Debeljak. During the day, there are many boats, while Portic is much more popular with boaters. As evening approaches, most boats depart, and it gets much quieter.

Maracol bay – island Unije

Most sailors who sail along the west coast of Istria and sail further south choose the route on the outer chain of north Adriatic islands such as Unije, Losinj, Ilovik, Silba, Premuda, Ist and Molat. These islands, except Losinj, may be small, but each offers its own charm on the edge of the open sea.

About 5 nm west of the large island of Losinj is the island of Unije. On the island’s western side, in front of the village of the same name, lies the large and sheltered bay of Maracol. The sandy bottom in Maracol holds well at a depth of almost 20 meters in the outer part of the bay. If needed, spending the night on a mooring buoy is also possible.

The sea, which is mostly crystal clear, already shows good anchoring possibilities by its turquoise discoloration, which can be found close to land on this beautiful bay’s south and southeast side. The bay offers good protection from almost all wind directions except the easterly wind. At the same time, in the deepest part of the bay, it also offers reasonably good protection from easterly winds.

Artatore bay – island Losinj

This famous bay on the island of Losinj is also called Artaturi bay. It offers a combination of sheltered anchorage and lively town life. This large, deeply recessed bay, with several arms, offers good protection from northern winds and is only 4nm away from the town of Mali Losinj.

So, if you’re tired of the solitude in the anchorages and fancy a bit of nightlife and a decent dinghy, that shouldn’t be a problem. From the bay there is also a road leading to Mali Losinj. Just ensure you don’t stay here while SE “Jugo” wind. The entire bay is exposed to SE, except the westernmost arm offers quite good shelter, but with “Jugo” the best option is to leave this bay.

The best way is to anchor in the middle of the eastern arm, where the sandy bed is about 10 metres deep. The other arms are too shallow, and there is only room for smaller boats.  

Ilovik – Sveti Petar

Ilovik is among the most famous and probably the most popular anchorages in the North Adriatic. The shallow channel (passage) separates the two islands of Ilovik and Sveti Petar. It is easily recognizable by its mostly turquoise water. There are about 80 mooring buoys in the channel. In the middle, you can expect about 6m water depth. However, the depths decrease rapidly to around 1.5m near the shore. Most of the channel is sheltered from all winds. Sometimes there can be a little swell in the bay at SE wind “Jugo”. While when NE “Bura” is blowing, it is better to anchor closer to the island of Sveti Petar than at Ilovik, but you are generally safe here.

The best way to get from one island to the other is by dinghy. The town of Ilovik, with its small church tower is extremely tranquil – there is no traffic. It can get quite crowded here in high season. The place radiates a Mediterranean lightness that is otherwise rarely found in the waters of the northern Adriatic. On the island of Sveti Petar, on the other hand, things are a little quieter. You can visit the ruins of a Benedictine monastery. From here a path leads halfway up the mountain. From the mountain, you have a beautiful view of the opposite island of Ilovik and the channel between the islands.

Krijal anchorage – island Premuda

South of the island of Ilovik is the island of Premuda and the beautiful anchorage of Krijal. Whoever drops anchor here is closer to the open sea than at any other anchorage in the Adriatic. Krijal is in fact a passage between the west side of Premuda, the furthest island reached from Zadar, and a group of cliffs in front of the small port.

It is not recommended to use the small port for berths, this also applies to the ferry terminal north of it. A much better option is to get one of the 50 mooring buoys, that are anchored north and south of the harbor. Unfortunately, the buoy field is poorly protected, so you can expect some rough seas in stronger winds, regardless of the direction. The sea is particularly clear, and it is a beautiful place for swimming and snorkeling. You can take a dinghy to the reefs, where there are some little beaches. There are a few restaurants right by the port.

For animal lovers, in the waters around Premuda, you have a relatively good chance of seeing dolphins.

Jadriscica bay – island Cres

This is the largest bay on the south-eastern coast of the island Cres, which stretches inland for more than a mile. It is a narrow and long bay that is a popular anchorage during the season, and there are usually many boats anchored here. The Jadriscica bay offers good protection from the Bura, Tramontana and Maestral (north winds), but it is better to avoid this bay in the case of Jugo (south wind).

Along the eastern shore of this 2 km long bay are two smaller side bays. In the first smaller side bay, called “Bokinic”, there is a camping resort, and in the second side bay, called “Pogana”, there is a restaurant, which you can reach by dinghy.

The best place to anchor is in Pogana Bay, where the depth is around 6 meters. There is a floating jetty and a buoy field in front of Pogana Bay. From here, you can easily walk to the village of Punta Kriza, which is 3 km away.

Bok anchorage – island Susak

The island of Susak is located about 10 nm south of the island of Unije. It is a peculiarity of the Croatian coast, because the island is not rocky, but consists of sand. The small bay Bok is located on the eastern side of the port of Susak.

Since the beach stretches far out, you should drop your anchor with enough distance to land, to avoid running aground. The bay is well protected, especially from winds from westerly and southerly directions. At Bora (northeast) the bay should be avoided, since the bay is completely exposed to NE wind. There are also around 20 mooring buoys, but the buoys are also not a safe option when Bura is blowing.

The harbor of Susak and the bay Bok are frequented during the day by excursion boats from Losinj, but it is mostly quiet and calm during the night.

Cifnata and Gozinka bay – island Rab

Here we go again with two bays that are next to each other. Both bays are located on the Kalifront peninsula, when sailing towards the island of Rab. These are very popular bays with excursion boats in the summer but also with sailors who stay at anchor here overnight.

Cifnata Bay stretches inland for nearly a mile and offers good shelter from all winds except Jugo (SE). It is best to anchor in the middle of the bay, where the depth is about 5 meters. Depending on the wind direction, you can tie a shoreline if necessary. Be careful if you want to anchor closer to the sandy beach. The depth drops sharply to just one meter. Apart from the bathers, who mostly visit the beach, the bay is uninhabited and deserted. So, you are literally lying in untouched nature and can relax and enjoy the peace and serenity at anchor.

Gozinka Bay is right next to Cifnata, and unlike Cifnata, in Gozinka, there are some houses with a pier in front which is only available for smaller local boats. There is also a restaurant with a beautiful terrace and a view of the bay. The ambiance is nevertheless the same as in the neighboring bay, Gozinka offers the same characteristics of peace and seclusion. It is slightly more southwest exposed and slightly flatter. In the middle of the bay, you anchor well at a depth of about 4 meters.