Croatia Kayaking the Dalmatian Coast

Arrive in the ancient city of Zadar that dates back to Roman times and check into your pre-booked hotel room just off the waterfront. Stroll along the water to the gates of the old walled city and visit the Roman forum – the largest on the eastern side of the Adriatic. Explore the city’s magnificent Romanesque churches and Venetian fortifications and be sure to visit the famous “Sea Organ”.

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll meet your guides for a trip orientation and then board the van and head for the ferry to the island of Dugi Otok. The ferry ride winds its way through the pine-scented islands of the Zadar archipelago. On Dugi Otok, you’ll have your first paddling session of the trip at the secluded and exquisitely beautiful Sakarun beach. After paddling, you’ll wind your way down the island to the rustic village of Zaglav and our hotel for the night. Dinner is in a traditional restaurant at the water’s edge.

Starting in Telašcica Bay, a nature park with dramatic cliffs that plunge down into the sea, you will venture into the 140 islands of the Kornati Archipelago that are spread before you. Both a National Park and a proposed UNESCO World Heritage site, the Kornati is the densest archipelago in the Mediterranean. Setting course to the south along the west edge of the island group, you’ll island hop with breaks to stop and swim until reaching a guesthouse on the remote island of Levernaka Otok, which will be your base for the next several days. Protected channels and warm, crystal clear water in an amazing range of turquoise hues make kayaking the Kornati a singular experience. Around every point there is a new vista with a distinctive play of light on stark landform reflected on water. Ashore, short hikes take you through ancient olive groves or to the ruins of a Roman fortress. The few residents of the archipelago still follow the rhythm of life at the water’s edge and you’ll join them for meals of incredibly fresh seafood prepared in traditional style. Days in the Kornati start with golden light on the islands and end with a glass of wine, simple food, and a blazing red sunset – pure pleasure.

After breakfast the group transfer by private boat from Zut to Biograd and then continue on to the medieval village of Skradin at the entrance to Krka National Park. After a visit to Krka’s famous Stradinski Buk waterfall for a hike and a swim, you’ll have lunch in Skradin and have time to explore this picturesque town that dates back to Roman times. Following the Krka River to the Adriatic, you’ll arrive in Šibenik, one of the oldest native Croatian towns on the Adriatic. Charming Venetian style buildings are evidence of the long influence of Venice in Dalmatia, while three fortresses suggest the town’s long strategic importance. We will visit Saint James Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site, before dining in a waterfront restaurant.

From a marina in Šibenik, you will paddle down the Krka estuary stopping to visit the imposing St. Nicolas Fortress that once protected the entrance to the city. Crossing the channel towards Prvic Island, there is a sunken ship eerily visible in the clear water before we enter the village harbor of Prvic Luka, our base for the next days of kayaking. This tiny village of red-roofed stone houses is the laid back essence of the Dalmatian Coast.

Paddling island to island through clear turquoise water, stopping at pocket beaches to swim, and stroll through small villages for refreshment is the idyllic reality of kayaking in the Croatia. The Šibenik Archipelago offers a seemingly limitless opportunity for exploration and enjoyment. 

Leaving Prvic Island, you’ll kayak back to Šibenik by way of Zlarin Island. Known as the “golden island” for its unspoiled beauty, Zlarin is famous for coral jewelry. Arriving in Šibenik at the marina, after our last paddle of the trip, there will be time to shower and change before heading out for a special meal in the medieval center of the city.

With an early start, the group sets off first to the UNESCO World Heritage site of the ancient port of Trogir and then on to Spilt and the Roman era Diocletian Palace, another UNESCO site. After lunch in the old town of Split, the trip will wrap up at the city’s central station from which onward travel is easily arranged.