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 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 Dalmatian coast paddle experience heading out from the village of Veli Rat and crossing to the island of Veli Lagann where you’ll first kayak over and then have the opportunity to snorkel the shipwreck of an Italian merchant ship that ran aground and sank in 1984. The clarity of the warm water makes snorkeling comfortable and the appeal of being able to explore a wreck at snorkel depth is undeniable. Paddling back you’ll land at the rustic village of Verunic and our guesthouse hotel for the night. Dinner is in a traditional restaurant at the water’s edge.

Today you’ll set off by kayak from the secluded and exquisitely beautiful Sakarun beach and paddle down the coast of Dugi Otok where the vestiges of ancient terracing are visible on the green hills above the shoreline. Heading offshore to the you’ll land on Mezanj island and have a chance to swim and snorkel the warm turquoise waters and explore the island on foot. Returning to Sakarun beach and after a last swim return to the hotel to change before crossing to Veli Rat for dinner.

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
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.

Catching an early ferry back to Zadar, we continue 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 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. 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. 

Today you’ll kayak the Šibenik fjord, an impressive rock gorge, and visit the charming village of Zaton. After arriving back in Šibenik and wrapping up 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.