Zadar Dalmatia
Travelouge Zadar - Croatia 2026
Travel information
Zadar has a small but excellent international airport and is served by regular flights from a number of airlines during the summer months. The expansion is now (June 2026) almost complete and has been well planned. When you see your luggage spinning round on the carousel as soon as you’ve quickly disembarked from the plane and entered the arrivals hall, you can be sure that the organisation is first-rate.
There are bus services from the airport to Zadar. However, once there, you’ll need to change buses again to get to Marina Dalmacija, if that’s where you’ve chartered a boat.
The marina is huge. With over 1,000 berths, it is the largest in Croatia. But anyone who thinks they can manoeuvre freely when mooring or casting off will find that this is not the case, at least from Pier 6 onwards. The mooring lines severely restrict the exit, so careful manoeuvring is essential. For onlookers, it certainly makes for exciting harbour spectacle.
Marina Dalmacija in Sukošan
There’s a supermarket near the marina entrance. I prefer to do most of my shopping on foot, though the charter jetties are nearly a kilometre away. Admittedly, that’s a bit of a walk. The showers and toilet facilities are excellent and are usually more than adequate for the crowds of charter guests. Naturally, you can expect it to get a bit busy on Fridays from 5 pm onwards. The same goes for the petrol station, should you happen to have used up your diesel. Check-in works really well; there are enough staff on hand to make boarding a breeze. You do have to get used to that typical Croatian charm, which can come across as a bit brusque at first glance. But beneath that lies genuine warmth and friendliness.
Asta Yachting
Phone: +385 98 332 165
E-Mail: office@asta-yachting.hr
A very professional manner, helpful staff, a thorough briefing and well-maintained yachts. That’s how I came to know Asta Yachting, and I can highly recommend booking through this company.
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Itinerary
Ugljan
From Sukošan, you have the choice of sailing north or south. The wind often blows from the north due to the Bora. We take advantage of this to test our yacht’s upwind capabilities and set off for the northern tip of the island of Ugljan. On the way, we take the opportunity to sail very close to the Sea Organ in Zadar. You can usually hear the impressive sounds from on board and sail very close to it. Some sightseeing boats make use of this facility, but access is generally free. We do want to give holidaymakers on shore a chance to have a look at our sailing yacht.
A few tacks later, we pass the northern tip and head down towards the little village of Muline. There are plenty of moorings outside the peak season, and there’s also plenty of space in the next bay over, if you don’t plan to visit the village or one of its lovely restaurants. The view of the sunset is a wonderful way to round off our first day of sailing.
The first real highlight is just round the corner, especially for the crew members who love snorkelling: the wreck of the freighter Michelle, which sank in 1983, near the village of Veli Rat. Particular attention is paid to the anchoring manoeuvre. Much of the seabed is covered in seagrass. I have often emphasised how important the protection of this vital part of our natural environment is to me. And I am constantly annoyed by thoughtless, even foolish, anchoring manoeuvres that destroy this treasure.
To ensure we don’t behave quite so recklessly ourselves, choosing a free patch of sand – or, better still, pebbles – isn’t actually that easy. It helps if the helmsman and the person throwing the anchor work well together. We venture very close and take a look beforehand to see how the numerous other boats are positioned. The wind plays an important role, but it’s even more important to take the current into account. The yacht quickly ends up facing a different direction to what the wind direction would suggest.
From where I’m standing on the boat, I can just make out the wreck; two small funnels are still sticking out of the water. The views enjoyed by the snorkellers are certainly much more impressive. Stefan has shared a photo taken by his drone: simply fantastic!
After breakfast, it’s time to weigh anchor and set a course north-west, navigating between the various islands. This, of course, is only possible if the anchor has held. There aren’t many bays where you can really drive your anchor into the seabed. Often, after the shallow layer of sand – which still looks inviting from on board – you come across stony ground. I enjoy watching protracted anchoring manoeuvres, where the crew seem to think they have to wind the anchor in at over 2,000 revolutions. Guys, this isn’t going to work. The only thing that’ll happen is that you’ll disturb the underwater creatures, destroying their front garden – or, worse still, their home. My tried-and-tested method is to lightly snag the anchor on a rock or something similar (without snagging the flunke under a massive boulder!) and then: chain, chain, chain. Of course, the weather can sometimes throw a spanner in the works. If severe weather were on the cards, I probably wouldn’t do it that way either. But these days, the weather forecasts are so good that you have a pretty good idea of what’s going to happen overnight. I don’t need to secure the anchor every time as if it had to withstand 50 knots of wind when the sea looks like a duck pond at night.
After spending the night in a secluded anchorage, we’re now heading south. Whilst the harbour at Sali has always been my go-to place for charging the batteries and, if necessary, stocking up on water, this time we’ll have to look elsewhere. As lovely as Sali is, I find it hard to accept that even on the same day, a berth cannot be reserved or guaranteed. Every time, I get a grumbling reply about how crowded everything is and that we really ought to be at the harbour by 2 pm. The weather is fantastic, the wind is propelling us along beautifully – what on earth am I supposed to be doing in a harbour at 2 pm? Especially when there are such breathtaking things to experience as mooring at a former submarine bunker shaft.
So far, I’ve only had a quick peek down into the dark shaft during a brief pass by this spot – but this time I want to moor. It’s deep enough; a small motorboat has moored right at the front of the jetty, making manoeuvring difficult. I don’t care at this moment – if they’re so inconsiderate, we needn’t worry about giving the crew a fright. We didn’t put out the fenders, just to be on the safe side. Or rather, given the spur-of-the-moment decision, it hadn’t even crossed our minds. The Bavaria CR 50 is very easy to control despite having twin rudders; as is so often the case, the bow thruster can stay off – it should work just fine that way.
The condition of the old tyres used as fenders isn’t quite as good as we’d thought, so we hastily fit the white fenders after all. Or rather: …the fenders that are STILL white. But it can all be taken off again.
The trip down the shaft is accompanied by the squeaking of numerous bats. It’s a fascinating place, even though the military and the navy don’t really hold much appeal for me. Nature has long since made the most of this site.
Well, now we’ll have to find somewhere else to stay for the night, as Sali Harbour is fully booked at 3 pm, according to the information we’ve received. Well, you can have my back then… A quick look at the Navily app reveals that there’s a small mooring by a restaurant in the village of Luka. How convenient – that’s exactly where we are right now. A quick phone call to Pansion Alen and our spot is already booked. My enquiry as to whether we can moor with our draught of over 2 metres is also met with a positive response. In fact, we have plenty of water beneath the keel, even though the nautical charts we’re using give cause for concern. The information is probably out of date; our depth sounder shows a water depth of well over 4 metres.
Pansion Alen
Phone: + 385 - 99432 3444
E-Mail: info@pansionalen.com
Davor helps with mooring, there’s a power supply, it’s a lovely, unspoilt little village with a shop just a short walk away, and good, reasonably priced food with a view of the yacht. And the joy of coming across a pod of dolphins in the Uvala, swimming around the yacht – magical!
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A cold front moving through, bringing plenty of rain, is preventing us from setting sail this morning. We should be able to set off around midday, though, and it’ll stay dry. What’s more, the front has left us with a fair bit of wind. Perfect for that real sailing feeling, with the boat heeled over and plenty of speed.
Dugi Otok with nature resort Telašćica
Before reaching the buoy field in Telašćica National Park, you have to sail through the narrow channel known as Prolaz Mala Proversa. Whilst searching online to find out what this channel is called, I came across a note stating that sailing through it is prohibited.
I haven’t spotted any such note on the nautical charts; presumably, such a restriction isn’t shown there either. The material available is mostly out of date anyway. Unfortunately, the photo I took shows that our sails are set. But I’m sure the engine was running at the time! In that case, it’s no longer sailing.
We then head north again towards Uvala Mir. The mooring buoys are already in place and, at the end of May, the prices are still reasonable. As of 2026, mooring at a buoy in the low season costs 40 euros for a charter boat of the usual size.
During the peak season, which begins as early as June, this price rises to 90 euros. It’s a steep price, especially as some of the buoys are positioned so close together that our 50-foot yacht bumped into an unoccupied buoy during the night. One can only imagine what it will be like once the holiday season is in full swing. For 90 euros, however, one would expect the buoys to be spaced out more carefully.
A trip ashore and a visit to the national park are highly recommended. Whilst the salt lake, Jezero Mir, is relatively unspectacular, the walk along the cliffs – which rise over 100 metres above sea level – offers a magnificent experience. There are many spots from which to enjoy a stunning sunset.
The Kornati Islands
The route to the island of Vrgada takes us through the Kornati archipelago. This must once have been a truly impressive group of islands. Unfortunately, the former tree cover was cleared over several periods. Due to its exposed location, the fertile soil is likely to have been blown away by the wind, so that it is now said that trees will never be able to take root there again. What remains are barren, rocky islands reminiscent of a lunar landscape. Unusual, yes; impressive, perhaps – but I much prefer lush vegetation. Perhaps it’s the lack of wildlife that means it doesn’t quite do it for me.
For me, the navigational challenge is far more fascinating. Naturally, we cannot sail on a half-wind course past the islands and small rocky outcrops that protrude more or less from the water. We must have a tailwind, always running the risk of having to perform a patent jibe. And, of course, in the narrowest passages we encounter passenger ferries.
But after two hours’ sailing, we are able to set a half-wind course, with the wind blowing from the north-north-east. And blow it does! After passing the Orpat hill, which rises to 109 metres, we are hit by fierce gusts. As the state of the sea suggests we should reduce our sail area, we reef the sails.
After a few minutes, however, it becomes clear that the wind is becoming more steady and that reefing isn’t strictly necessary after all. There’s a sailor alongside us on the same course, and that regatta buzz is back. With a clever choice of course, we manage to briefly take the wind out of his sails and overtake him, but – you have to give him credit for this – he didn’t let himself be left behind and gradually closed the gap. Unreefing now could cost us our position – in fact, it certainly would. And with charter boats, you never know how long a regatta like this will last, as there’s no finish line.
Before he catches up with us again, there’s a right-of-way situation involving a boat crossing our path; he navigates it with unnecessary caution and is therefore forced to slow down. A short while later, he turns round, so we can feel like winners. Our destination, Vrgada, isn’t far away now either.
Vrgada
The area in front of the small harbour at Vrgada, situated below the tiny island of Artina, is normally marked with buoys. However, so early in the season, these have not yet been laid out. The anchorage is very sandy and offers excellent holding by Croatian standards. You just need to watch out for the concrete blocks on the seabed that support the buoys.
I’ve never actually set foot on the island before. The Hakuna Matata Bar has a magical appeal for the kids. But I’ve discovered that there are reasons for adults to visit this place too. It’s just the spot for a quick sundowner before the bar, situated right by the water, closes.
A short walk through the village and the surrounding countryside is very pleasant. And there are plenty of restaurants to choose from for dinner as well.
Restaurant Bracera
Phone: +385 2337 1094
A lovely view of the anchorage, good food and friendly people. This is the perfect place to round off the last evening of a lovely sailing trip.
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The final leg is upon us: the return journey to Sukosan. We pass many yachts with their sails furled as we sail past Biograd na moru. Apparently, tacking northwards is too strenuous for them. The Bora tends to blow from the north here, but there is still plenty of room for sailing and tacking. And we don’t want to let the last day go to waste like this.
Just one more quick stop for a swim, then it’s off to the D-Marin Dalmacija petrol station to return the yacht without any hassle.
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