Sail Croatia Group Trip Highlights- Week One
August 28th-September 4th, 2021
During the final week of August, twenty of my readers booked to join me in Croatia for eight days of sailing around the beautiful islands and crystal clear waters of the Adriatic Sea.
Check out the week two recap here.
We lived aboard the ship Ika with our awesome Croatian sailing crew. We made the most of our time, sailing to a new island or city every day!
If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen all the fun we got up to! But if you didn’t get to follow the adventure in real time, here’s a recap of the first week.
Sail Croatia 2022 is open for bookings here!
August 13th-20th, 2022 Split to Dubrovnik
August 20th-27th, 2022 Dubrovnik to Split
Day 1: Split
On Saturday afternoon, my co-guide Tessa and I checked in all the arriving guests at the bus terminal in Split.
From there, we all boarded the ship together and everyone found their rooms onboard Ika!
After a welcome drink and briefing, we headed into the city for a walking tour of Split. Full of historical facts and Game of Thrones tidbits, we explored the ancient city with the help of our local guide.
That evening, we had a welcome dinner at TOC Bistro, just a short walk from our boat!
After dinner, we had a few drinks on our boat since nearly everyone upgraded to the unlimited beer and sangria for just 10 euro a day onboard.
From there, we visited some of the best bars in Split like Charlie’s Backpackers Bar and Shotgun Shooters (a fun shots bar with ridiculously named shots and games!) It turned into quite a late night for some since Split is so lively on weekends in the summer.
Day 2 Split to Omis
We started our second day with a beautiful sail to Omis and a morning swim stop.
After lunch on board, we docked in town to head in for a ziplining excursion with Zipline Croatia. This track is easily the best zipline course I have ever seen in all my travels! The course goes directly over the river far below and required us to self brake.
After 8 seriously epic zipline tracks, many had conquered their fear of heights!
That evening, half the group decided to hike to Starigrad Fortress for sunset while the others relaxed in town or back on the boat. The hike is challenging and steep but comes with beautiful (and very well earned!) views over Omis.
That evening, we all gathered in the town square at a restaurant called Konoba Kampanel for a fantastic group dinner under the stars.
We wrapped up the evening at the stunning rooftop bar Eol with gorgeous night views of a medieval fortress.
Day 3 Omis to Makarska
For those who missed the sunset hike the night before, Tessa and I led a second sunrise hike to the Starigrad Fortress.
Then we set sail the next morning while most people continued to sleep. And after 2 hours hours, we arrived in Makarska!
Again we had a swim stop and lunch onboard before disembarking the ship.
Half the group went to Skywalk Biokovo in a nearby national park while myself and others went to the beach to play on the blow up water park. This hour spent on the bouncy water castles turned out to be a real highlight of the trip as all of us died with laughter watching one another wipe out in relay races and games.
In the evening, we had the option of joining a group dinner on a local fishing boat. Inexpensive and certainly a unique experience, this boat is a no frills, inexpensive dining experience for fresh, locally caught fish, calamari and mussels!
With full stomachs, we went back to the ship bar to enjoy some sangria and beer before walking over to Deep Makarska, a beautiful bar inside a cave with views of the ocean!
Day 4 Makaraska to Hvar
The next morning we departed for Hvar! We had our usual morning swim stop and lunch before calling water taxis into Hvar. While we can usually port upon arrival in most cities or islands, we are unable to dock in Hvar until 7pm. But the water taxis make for a fun mode of transportation!
Once in Hvar, the group split up and set off exploring. Some toured the historic theater built in 1612, some drank wine in the main square… and we all met back up at a dinner time with picnic food for a sunset hike. We did the 20 minute scenic climb up to the Spanish Fortress and assembled our picnic in time for sunset.
We had drinks back on the boat before going out to the bar SEVEN.
At midnight, the famous nightclub Carpe Diem opens so a handful of the group went by water taxi to the club which is located on a small, nearby island.
Day 5 Hvar to Korcula
Again, we sailed briefly in the morning before our swim stop and lunch.
Then we docked at the beautiful small town of Korcula!
Everyone broke off into small groups and set off exploring the shops, cafes and sights around town. But we all met back up at 4pm to do a wine tasting of local Croatian wines at Wine Bar Bokar!
In the evening, we had an included group dinner at a little family owned restaurant called Belin where we could experience a traditional Croatian peka dinner.
And although we were the only group there, we ended our night on the dance floor at Jungle Bar.
Day 6 Korcula to Mljet
That morning we sailed to Mljet where we got picked up by a shuttle bus which took us to the trailhead of the hike to Odyssey’s Cave.
Although it was hot and the hike was challenging, we ascended to the cave for a fantastic few hours of cliff jumping, swimming and exploring!
We packed a picnic lunch and ate on the rocks while people swam or dove into the waters below.
That night, we had a sailor themed party on the boat. Due to high winds, we were unable to anchor at sea as originally planned so we docked in a small nearby town for the night.
Day 7 Mljet to Dubrovnik
In the morning, we set sail for Dubrovnik!
After lunch onboard, we docked at the main port and took a taxi into old town. From there, the group divided up to explore the walled city. Some of us went for coffee or drinks at the cliffside Buža Bar which is also a terrific swim stop.
Others grabbed gelato and walked the walls. Those who wanted to, joined a Game of Thrones tour of the city which ended with photos on the Iron Throne. In the evening, the whole group joined back up for a farewell dinner at Komarda.
Day 8 Dubrovnik
On the final day of the trip, we had a breakfast onboard together before disembarking at 10am.
After lots of hugs and goodbyes, the group separated. Many went on to surrounding European countries to continue their travels or hopped on flights back home.
This week was truly unforgettable and I am so thankful for everyone who came out and experienced Croatia with me. If you were apart of our family this week, THANK YOU!
I am so appreciative of all the late nights, funny moments, great conversations and memories we shared 
Until next time!
Book Sail Croatia 2022 here!
Previous group trips:
- SAIL CROATIA GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS- WEEK TWO
- DOG SLEDDING IN MINNESOTA – GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS WEEK ONE
- DOG SLEDDING IN MINNESOTA: GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS WEEK TWO
Shop my Sail Croatia essentials:
