Croatia holidays from 2022
The Season 2023
Our 2023 season was defined by our decision to move the boat from Central Dalmatia to Istria. After ten seasons we felt we had seen most if not all we wanted, and increasing crowding of bays, harbours and marinas by ever more charter yachts, flotillas and skippered charter made our experience less enjoyable.
Furthermore, it should be our catchup on the Northern Adriatic, Istria in more detail and the Kvarner islands.
The boat’s year started with Tarilian being stored under scaffold in a climate controlled “balloon” at Marina Dalmacia Sukosan for re-finishing and painting works to finally complete her exterior refit. Further information is found on the Tarilian page at Final painting program.
In late March I visited Sukosan, flying in via Zagreb, and also drove to Novigrad to check out our new annual berth I had booked at Marina Nautica.
On May 15th and 16th I did a transfer trip to Novigrad together with a helper, we stopped overnight at Mali Losinj.
OUR FIRST STAY
On June 7 Jane and I fly to Pula and arrive at Novigrad for our first stay.
During the next days we explore Novigrad and do a first short trip to nearby Mirna cove, anchor outside Lanterna holiday village. Anchor holds well but picks up a lot of mud.
Our first exploration of Istria leads to the Briuni islands on June 22nd, via a lunch stop at Vestar cove. There is a ban for private boats to access the inlands apart from the approach to the only harbour and marina on the main island, Veli Briuni. You need to book a berth in advance, it isn't cheap but well managed. Most tourists to the islands come by boat for the day from Fazana. We are lucky to stay and have dinner at the fine harbour hote.
Veli Briuni is a beautiful place for walking and sightseeing. The nature park is well organised for tourism. There are Roman remains and also ruins from the Byzantine period, owing to the special and strategic position of the islands.
Instead of taking one of the suggested tours we chose our own path and walked to several main sights. It was a sunny day and getting hotter, distances are not so short, so having a bicycle or taking a tourist train ride might be worth considered.
All in all, our visit to Briuni was a nice and cultured experience, well worth doing if you have not been there.
Later in the afternoon we move back to the mainland and to Marina Veruda in Pula, only 9 nm away where we will stay for a couple of days.
Veruda is a large long established yacht and charter marina stretched out along a protected bay, where there are many other moorings as well. The Veruda area is on the outskirts of Pula and touristically highly developed with several hotels and further developments planned in the surrounding area. Catering facilities for boaters are not close at hand, there is only a tiny shop in the marina, you can either walk to a small local market in the adjoining village or take a car to one of the larger supermarket in town.
There is a large restaurant in the centre of the marina by piers 9-10.
We are in a visitor berth at pier 1, right by the marina office. Veruda is one of the preferred yacht bases by owners coming by car from Austria, Germany or Italy, who want easy access for sailing to Dalmatia in season. Berthing fees are generally lower than in marinas further south in central Dalmatia.
From Veruda we move slowly back towards NW, and stop for a visit to Vrsar on June 26th , I had reserved a berth for a night at their busy marina.
Vrsar town is situated on a hillside, topped by a tall bell tower of one the many Venetian churches of Istria. It is a picturesque place, looking much like an Italian old town, and deservedly popular with boaters and tourists, hence busy at times. The walk into the village is easy and the climb of the bell tower worthwhile for the views you get of the surrounding islets.
Dinner at the marina restaurant, only steps from our pier, is very satisfactory.
From Vrsar it's back to Novigrad. We stop for an anchor beak at Uvala Bosunja just south of Novigrad.
Relax over the next days, and go out once for a day anchorage at close by Dalja cove. Our return flights have been booked for July 7th.
OUR SECOND STAY
For our second Croatia visit we fly to Vienna, where I kept a car, on the 24th August. Overshadowing memory of the start of the trip and the time in Vienna is hot weather, up to 34 C. Very unpleasant and exhausting when you are not used to it.
Sat 26th we travel to Novigrad by car; the first part of the journey, from Vienna till Llubljana is smooth and fast.
Then massive stationary queues around Ljubljana from 16:00, at the merge of motorways E61(from North) and A2 (from NW) going towards the South (Koper, Italy); delay of 35-40 minutes.
If you didn't expect it, sometimes needing a pee can become a trauma. The nearest motorway station finally reached is crowed and chaotic, toilet maintenance scandalous. Further start-stop delays follow all along the E61, only easing after the turn off of 444 to northern Italy, and eventually clearing after the turn off to Trieste. Eventually arrive at the marina Novigrad 18:15, 7:35 hours after starting.
In season, your choice is between huge queues of trucks on weekdays and excessive holiday traffic on weekends, unless you are prepared to travel at night. Yet, the route from Germany or Austria via Slovenia is shorter than via Zagreb, and it isn't sure that there are no queues on that route as well.
We try to get a table at the Lungomare restaurant next to the marina, but they are full, queues outside at 20:20. Tri Palme confirm similarly. I get us a takeaway pizza at Lungomare. It's Saturday night in late August, still peak season it seems.
The temperature at Novigrad is similar to Vienna, air-con helps but not during the nights when we require quietness. An open-air pop event in town is heard all over the marina. Goes on till after midnight, then continues with softer weird sounds into the early hours. Good that we have got ear plugs.
After this unpleasant start of our stay, the weather changes to thunderstorms and heavy rain on the 28th; we have foul weather for four days.
By Sept 2nd the frontal systems have cleared enough to do a short trip North to explore Umag and berth at the ACI marina for the night. As I found on previous occasions, the marina is useful but the town does not have particularly interesting features compared to other Istrian ports. Back to Novigrad the following day, anchoring at Dalja cove for lunch both ways.
As soon as the weather forecast is promising a good journey, on Sept 9th , we start with a further trip, taking us first towards the new Marina Polesana at the entrance of the Pula bay which opened in the previous year as first part of a nautical tourism project in the former industrial development. Stopped for lunch at Sv.Andrija cove south of Rovinj, 7 buoys now in the bay now but can still anchor.
Next morning we set off towards Cres, with a lunch stop at small low lying Bodulas islet on the outskirts of the Medulin bay.
After crossing the dreaded Bora ridden Kvarner bay in catalogue quality sea conditions arrive Cres town and berth at the ACI Marina pier A around 17:00 hours. Take in a first glance of the town when passing.
The following day we stay at Cres marina and tour the town. The marina is more than one km outside so we take the dinghy to explore.There's more to see on the water than by walking!
The shipyard on the outskirts seems to be well equipped and catering for a good number of large vessels, commercial and private.
Marina Cres is professionally run and we find the restaurant of high quality.
Cres is a pleasant and laid back island town, life seems to be unrushed and tourism less hectic.
The water in the bay is deep and clear. The small craft inner harbour has been extended with walls forming an uncrowded outer harbour.
From Cres we start our return journey to the home berth. Crossing the Kvarner towards the Medulin bay in similarly ideal sea conditions as had when we came.
Once past cape Marlera, we anchor for lunch behind the small Levan islet. It has become popular due to its close proximity to the mainland, there is a large grill/bar and a tourist ferry stops there.
It also attracts less pleasant water users, we experience jetski hooligans showing off and racing meters away from anchored yachts.
This time our berth for the night will again be at Marina Veruda, arrive at 16:50.
The following day we continue our journey back to Funtana, close to the North of Vrsar, again a new place to us. Make an anchor stop at cove Vestar outside the buoy field for small craft.
Funtana is a pleasant smallish marina with only few berth for larger yachts but they can accommodate guests overnight.
The small town is situated on the a slope. All seems to be quite local, traditional and close together, fishing boats, yachts, sports boats, beaches, even camp sites. Restaurants too are found near by the marina without a need to climb up the street towards the centre and church.
The weather has turned cloudy but is still calm. Our final leg to Novigrad is only short, we stop for a long break at anchor in Uvala St.Martin. As most of the shallow coves in this part of the Istrian West the cove is open to Westerlies, and many camp sites are located around it with chained off swimming areas.
Two days later, on Sept 17th we do short end of season day trips later on Sept 17th. We anchor at nearby Uvala Slanik (by Lovrecica), second to north from Novigrad, pleasantly without campsites and swimming chains. The weather is fine for gentle water activities, Jane paddles her canoe and I use it briefly too and take photos of the boat at anchor. Berth back at Novigrad a 17:30.
We drive back to Vienna shortly later and return to London on Sept 23rd with Austrian.
I fly to Vienna on my own on 17th October, and drive to Novigrad to check the boat and carry out a full load sea trial with Reinhard, the Volvo engineer, ahead of planned engine maintenance at the begin of 2024 to identify any issues that may need addressing.
Later in the year, 29 November, Tarilian is taken to shipyard Izola (Slovenia) by Reinhard and his helper Marko, to be lifted and stored ashore for winter and planned maintenance works.
To summarize our 2023 season, we travelled 272 nm during our pleasure journeys, and further 131 nm on transfer journeys, together 414 nm and 58 engine hours.
We explored Istria and made a first journey to the Kvarner islands, other than Losinj, to Cres.
