Overview
A colorful blend of old Europe, Croatia's coastline reminds guests of an ancient, beautiful world. ROW Adventures boasts this epicurian voyage for small groups to explore the steep coastal mountains, golden strands of beach, and small islands towns all while anticipating each island or coastal area's local cuisine! As you sail along the shores, walk through historical paths and savor age-old wines, you'll find yourself asking, "Why haven't I visited Croatia before?"
Available Activities:
At A Glance
- Trip Duration: 12 days
- Intensity: Easy
- Season: June-September
- Begins in: Split or Dubrovnik
- Ends in: Split or Dubrovnik
- Closest Airport: Split or Dubrovnik, Croatia
Details
A Taste of Croatia – An Epicurean Voyage
ROW Adventures has been conducting tours in Croatia since 1988 and is delighted to unveil this new culinary-focused trip made possible by the patient cultivation of friendships we’ve made along the way, as well as thorough research of each islands topography and trails. The variety of food and wine in Croatia is astounding and the goal of this trip is to mix walking, sailing, history and authentic Croatian food and wine in equal doses. What truly makes it special is that you’ll get an authentic taste of each island or coastal area’s particular cuisine. It may be a subtle difference (like different flavors of olive oil) or something unique, such as sea-salt preserved capers from a remote light house. During the day we’ll walk off our bounteous repasts with walks through ancient fields lined with stone walls where olive trees, grape vines, lavender and grains grow tenaciously in the dark red dry soil.
Across the sea from Italy, influenced by years of Venetian and Ottoman occupation, Croatia is a land of dramatic limestone mountains of craggy beauty. Among the islands and captivating old cities, is some of the finest cuisine in the world. In Italy, they say that the fish and shellfish on the Croatian side of the Adriatic Sea are better, because the bottom is mainly rocky, unlike the Italian side, where it tends to be muddier. And as Rebecca West remarks in her historic and monumental travel book published in 1941, "Black Lamb and Grey Falcon," people in this part of the Balkan peninsula "cook lamb and suckling-pig as well as anywhere in the world," especially in the hills behind the coast, where sage, thyme and basil grow in lush, perfumed profusion. Tastes of Turkey also are evident in dishes such as like burek, a flaky pastry filled with cheese, delicious when fresh and hot and a remnant from the centuries of Ottoman occupation of the interior.
Croatian wine, once celebrated, is staging a comeback with small producers creating flavorful wines in a variety of styles. There is Posip, a crisp, chalky, flowery white made from the same grape as Hungary's furmint, and Plavac Mali, a dense, chewy red, full of pepper and blackberry notes, which is a cousin of California's zinfandel. There is the legendary Grk from the island of Korcula, Dingač and a fortified wine called prošek.
We invite you to wander with us on this sensational taste of Croatia!
Itinerary
A Taste of Croatia – An Epicurean Voyage
Day 1 – Depart the USA.
Day 2 - Arrive in Split or Dubrovnik (depending on date of departure) and check into your hotel.
Day 3 - In the morning you are met by our guide for a brief orientation meeting, followed by a guided walking tour of Split. Split is an active town with a colorful street market, friendly cafes and a traditional bayside promenade. About 1:30 PM we transfer to the yacht in the harbor for our first lunch and to get settled into our cabins. We may begin our journey to the Island of Brac or stay in Split harbor.
Tonight’s dinner focuses on food from the mainland B,L,D.
Itinerary Note: The exact itinerary is subject to weather conditions and may vary. Wind conditions are quite variable, but the seas are usually calm. In order to maximize the time available for explorations we normally travel under motor power. While the sails may go up once or twice, this should not be considered a sailing trip but rather a cruise on a motor-sail yacht.
Day 4 - Split to Starigrad. As we cruise to the southwest, we stop on the island of Brac, famous for its white limestone which has been quarried for centuries. While here we meet Zoran Zvecanj, he and his brother give us a personal tour. At the end we can support their endeavors further through the purchase of their own olive oil and wine that springs from the soil of the village some two miles away.
We hike back to the sea for lunch and a swim in a beautiful bay. Then in the latter afternoon we continue to Starigrad on the island of Hvar.
After dinner on the boat, we walk to the private home of Davor Osjak for a private wine tasting. B,L,D.
Day 5 - Starigrad to Vrboska and on to Town of Hvar. We start the day with a visit to Vroboska, a charming town with narrow streets, ancient churches and houses, situated at the head of narrow bays surrounded by lovely pine forests and vineyards.
After this visit you may choose to return to the yacht for a leisurely two hour cruise to the town of Hvar, or go on a five hour hike over the mountains from one side of the island to the other. . After the hike we reunite with the yacht and anchor in a quiet bay for the night and another Epicurean feast. B,L,D.
Day 6 – This morning we visit the medieval port town of Hvar. The ancients considered Hvar one of the “Isles of the Blessed”. Flower-filled gardens, palms, lemon and orange groves add a fragrance lovely enough to match the visual appeal of this sun-drenched island beauty. Depending on the weather, we may sail to Vis in the afternoon – or enjoy a trip to a lavender field. B,L,D.
Day 7 - If we didn’t make it to Vis yesterday, we’ll try today. It is about a two-hour sail and our cruise may take us to the town of Vis, or direct to the beautiful blue grotto on the island Bisevo, just a few miles off away. It was only opened to tourism in 1989 and is still well off the beaten track.
One of our finest hikes takes place on Vis, traveling from the center of the island through the remote and abandoned village of Dragovid and ending at the coast. As well, before we leave this Adriatic paradise, we visit one or two of the best wineries on the island. B,L,D.
Day 8 - Vis to Korcula. More exploration of Vis and with cooperating weather, we begin the journey south to the island of Korcula. We may stop on the northern end and visit Vela Luka and the interior town of Blato.
The town of Korcula is one of the most dramatic medieval walled towns of Europe. We are joined here by our Korculan friend and guide Zivan Filippi, a professional translator by trade, who shares his unique knowledge of the town’s rich legacy.
After dinner, here or on Hvar, we will invite some of our friends who sing “klapa” which is a form of a cappella singing usually done by a group of four to six men. It is most lovely and a very special treat during this trip. B,L,D.
Day 9 - Korcula –Orebic. In the morning we have a short cruise to the mainland where we take a three-hour hike on a trail that provides dramatic views back over the island of Korcula. We then head to a small winery on the Peljesac Peninsula. This is a bountiful wine-growing region and the well-known California-Croatian vintner Mike Grgich has many acres planted here. We will visit winemaker Branko Dajic from the village of Trstenik to enjoy his award-winning wines.
Tonight we enjoy our last meal on the yacht, with wines from the region and yet more surprises. B,L,D.
Day 10 – We depart the yacht early morning and travel south, stopping first at Mali Ston where oysters and mussels are raised in profusion. We stop for a tour of the oyster beds and a chance to visit with some of these sea farmers. A couple more hours of driving gets us to Dubrovnik where we check into our local hotel.
In the afternoon you'll have free time to walk the city walls and explore on your own. In the late afternoon we recommend a climb to the ancient city walls to watch the sunset over the red tile roofs of town. Dinner is on your own and we provide a list of outstanding choices. B., L.
Day 11 – This morning we are joined by our local Dubrovnik guide to explore the backstreets and several museums. We finish by late morning and you’re free to enjoy the town, relax at a nearby beach or walk on the island of Lokrum. In the early evening we meet for our last gastronomic feast! Overnight Dubrovnik Area Hotel. B.
Day 12 - Continue your travels, or travel home. We recommend a visit to Zagreb, capital of Croatia and can make any and all arrangements you might want, including hotels, tours, etc.
Full Itinerary
ROW Difference
The ROW Difference in Croatia
- ROW has been running yacht trips in Croatia longer than any other US or Canadian adventure travel company with experience spanning over 20 years
- Trips are limited to just 16 guests
- Smaller yachts mean a more intimate and personal trip experience
- We provide a dedicated trip leader who will be with you for the entire journey
- All of our guides are local. They all love to share their country's beauty, culture and history with guests.
- All of our guides are bilingual
- Our itinerary is designed to provide as much or as little activity as preferred, visit as many points of interest as possible while still maintaining the balance between relaxation and discovery
- We visit the more off the beaten path locations thus avoiding the crowds
- While on the yacht all of your meals are included accompanied by local wines and beers in reasonable quantities
Responsible Travel
We are proud that our Croatia yacht trips strive to conserve the environment and benefit the local economy of the towns and islands we visit along the Adriatic coast.
- We stay, where possible, in smaller locally owned hotels at the beginning and end of our trips. When onshore we eat in local restaurants. On the yacht we eat meals prepared from locally sourced ingredients
- We charter Croatian owned and crewed yachts
- We employ local Croatian guides
- Our trips offer an excellent opportunity for our guests to interact with locals, providing a strong cultural emphasis
- We encourage environmentally friendly practices on the yacht, changing bedlinen only once on the trip, recycling where possible. We are working to educate the crew and encourage guests to consider the impact of everything they do - e.g. providing a central drinking water source for guests to fill personal water bottles rather that hand out individual plastic bottles every day
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