Sail Croatia 2022
Group Trip Highlights: Week 2
After a great first week of traveling Split to Dubrovnik, it was time for a second week traveling from Dubrovnik back to Split!
This trip happened to be all women, so the 22 of us set sail from Dubrovnik…here is everything we got up to over the course of the next week!
Check out the 2021 highlights here: Week one & Week two
Day 1: Dubrovnik
Everyone began arriving in the iconic city of Dubrovnik for the start of our trip! We kicked things off with a welcome meeting on board our ship, IKA, before heading into Old Town.
Our group went on a private walking tour around the famed medieval city before splitting off for some free time.
I brought some of the ladies up to the fortress used in many Game of Thrones scenes which also provides my favorite view of Dubrovnik!
As always, I love photographing all the guests on my trips!
That night we had a welcome dinner at the restaurant Port 22 which provides amazing sunset views over the Dubrovnik harbor and walled city.
I could already tell this was an amazing group of ladies & that we were going to have the best week!
Day 2: Mljet & Odysseus’ Cave
The next morning, we set sail for the beautiful national park of Mljet.
This pristine island is where the likes of Bill Gates keeps their mega-yachts!
We swung by the grocery store for our picnic goodies before beginning the hike down to this lesser-known Croatia gem.
We went cliff jumping and swam in the crystal blue waters…as always, it was a real trip highlight!
Because it’s a little tricky to reach, this cave isn’t on the usual tourist path and for that, we love it even more! There were moments on week 2 where we had this incredible natural wonder all to ourselves.
That night, we docked in port and attended a wine festival happening on shore! We got lucky, the wine fest only happens once a year and it happened to be while we were in town. We had a blast dancing with the locals and sampling countless Croatian wines.
Day 3: Korcula
The next day we had a swim stop before taking the water taxi into one of my favorite stops, Korcula!
This medieval city is small but stunning! It’s lesser known and a total gem of Croatia.
We explored the cobblestone alleyways, ventured up to some scenic viewpoints and of course, had to help ourselves to some gelato.
Then we headed for an official Croatian wine tasting located inside the city walls! If you hadn’t already guessed, this region produces a lot of wonderful wine.
Afterwards, we grabbed a drink at the medieval tower cocktail bar, Massimo. Then we were off for an included Peka dinner at the best place on the island, a quaint little family run restaurant serving traditional Croatian cuisine.
That night, we went for drinks at a cocktail bar before going dancing at Dos Locos! It turned into a late night as we celebrated several birthdays with a fun night out.
Day 4: Hvar
The next day, we set sail for Hvar! Little did we know, Beyonce and Jay-Z would be in Hvar on the same day as us.
This island known for its mega-yachts, celeb spottings and insane nightlife always lives up to its reputation!
When we arrived, we had more gelato in the main square (naturally) and wandered the cute shops. We visited the historic bell tower and theater before meeting for a sunset picnic at the fortress.
The fortress overlooks all of Hvar and is easily the best place for sunset on the island!
Not only is a great place to hang out for sunset.. it makes for gorgeous pictures! How beautiful do these ladies look?!
After dancing and drinks at a street bar, we headed to Carpe Diem Beach Club… a nightclub located on a private island only accessible by boat!
Day 5: Stari Grad
The next day, we arrived in Stari Grad. With the way the itinerary worked out, we had more time in Stari Grad this week than week one. So we were able to go to the beach and wander this sleepy, adorable town. I absolutely LOVE the little quaint, picturesque town. We walked along the coastal walk from the harbor to town, stopping at beaches or to buy grapes from a local vendor along the way.
That night, we were picked up for our dinner at the eco-farm, Hora. Another absolute highlight of the trip!!
The meal included a wine tasting, olive oil tasting and 3 course meal… all served with ingredients made right here on the farm!
Not only is the handmade olive oil, wine and food delicious…the farm is absolutely stunning! And its perfectly positioned for the best sunsets on the island.
Day 6: Zipline, Fish Dinner & Cave Bar in Makarska
The next day, we set sail for Makarska. Seems silly to even mention again because they are all so beautiful but Makarska is yet another stunning harbor. There are huge rocky cliffs overlooking the bay with tons of beaches lining the coast. All the ships come to dock which is right next to the cave bar, DEEP.
That afternoon, we were picked up by our transfer to go ziplining on Europe’s most epic course. The very first of the eight ziplines is 700 meters long… the longest in all of Europe! We zipped over cliff sides and the beautiful river below. Our tall, dark and handsome Croatian guides were a ton of fun as well!
After ziplining, we headed back to the Makarska port for an excellent seafood dinner onboard a fishing ship! Fresh mussels, fish, squid and more… it was delicious!
That night, we had drinks on the boat before heading out to the cave bar located right on the beach inside of a naturally occurring cave. The venue is gorgeous!
Day 7: River Rafting & Split
Bright and early we departed for river rafting!
The views along the river in Omis are spectacular and this adventure down the river always provides a lot of laughs as we topple into the raft to avoid falling out at the rapids.
We joked our raft looked like a bucket of cats being tossed around because not only did several of us fall into the river on the rapids but there was a lot of hilarious flailing going on. I don’t think we’ll be invited to compete in any kind of rafting competition anytime soon but it made for a hilarious and fun morning!
After rafting, we set sail for Split, our final destination. We had one last lunch onboard with our fabulous chef who everyone adored! He truly went above and beyond this week making us such thoughtful and delicious meals. Everyone lovingly called him “Chefy” and he told us all about his cats while baking us homemade chocolate chip muffins…he was the best!! We will miss you Chefy!
When we arrived in Split, we did a quick orientation walk around the old town.
That night, we had our farewell dinner at Chefy’s restaurant in town. We ended the trip with a fun night out at Shotgun Shooters Bar and some late night pizza.
Day 8: Goodbyes!
We had a final farewell breakfast onboard before disembarking the ship.
Thank you so much to everyone who made this week so special! I loved getting to travel with each and everyone of you. Hope to see you all again very soon!!
To join a group trip, check out the “Travel With Me” section!
Past group trips include: dog sledding in Minnesota, Southwest USA, Sail Croatia, backpacking the Superior Hiking Trail, Christmas in NYC, Iceland, Morocco, Turkey, Ireland, and more!
