Sibenik

On the more remote islands, you will be refreshed by exceptionally clear water and divine tranquillity. If you're an adrenaline junkie, don't miss a speedboat trip. There are also several Big Game Fishing bases around Sibenik.

If you are of a calmer nature, you can go to the islands famous for collecting red corals and seaor take a bike trip along the well-maintained cycle paths, or follow in the footsteps of the famous inventor Nikola Tesla.

This area is suitable for beginners, families with children and experienced sailors. Novice sailors will especially appreciate the easy navigation, moderate winds, plenty of safe moorings with muring. Experienced sailors can take a longer cruise to Kornati and enjoy the divine tranquility of the more remote uninhabited islands.

Sibenik is the oldest town on the Adriatic coast. The ancient town of Sibenik is surrounded by walls and four majestic fortresses - St. Michael's, St. Nicholas, St. John's and Šubičevač Fortress. The forts were built to defend against Turkish invasions. The Turks reached the walls, but never conquered the town. The fortress of St. Nicholas protected the town from the sea, the other three from inland. Each fortress is unique and offers a magnificent view of the sea and the surrounding islands.

The most majestic and the oldest is St. Michael's Fortress (once also known as St. Anne's Fortress). The fortress was built around the year 1000. V 11. It was the seat of the famous King Peter Krešimir, who founded the first Croatian Castrum Sebenici (today's Šibebik), a castle and city fortification, a safe haven for the city's inhabitants. The protection came in handy because the locals practiced piracy, which displeased the neighbouring states. There was an escape route (the road of rescue) from the castle that would allow the townspeople to flee to the sea in the event of the greatest danger, or allow the townspeople to escape behind the castle walls in the event of an attack from the sea. The road is an extraordinary historical monument. It is 40 metres long and carved into the steep cliffs (28 metres difference in height).

The sea fortress of St. Nicola is also worth a visit. It has a keyhole shape and many secret passages. The fortress has extraordinary acoustics and in the summer it often hosts concerts (a pleasant experience even for yachtsmen who can listen to the music directly from the boat). Until recently, the fortress was only accessible from the sea (yachts and pleasure boats are moored in the dock below the cave).), but nowadays there is a nicely groomed bicycle path leading to it (a 4.4 km long path from Dumboka Bay, along the St. It is located along the shoreline of the Dumbo River, along the St. Anthony's River, up to the fortress).

When sailing from Sibenik, head further up the Krka River. About 2 NM beyond Sibenik you will see shellfish farms before and after the bridge. You can buy excellent mussels from the fishermen for about 20 kuna/kg and they will still advise you on how to prepare them properly.

The beautiful old town centre is filled with stone houses, small squares, staircases, passageways and a tangle of winding streets. The city's most prominent landmark is the UNESCO-protected St. James Cathedral. The Cathedral of St. James is built entirely of stone and decorated with 34 lion heads or 72 life-size portrait busts. During the Serbian aggression in 1991-1992, the cathedral was hit by an artillery shell that flew through the roof, landed in the middle of the cathedral, but fortunately did not explode. The cathedral stands on the main square (Trg Republike Hrvatske), which was once known as Gentlemen's Square.

For centuries, the square was the centre of social life. In 1750, the first Šibenik café was built here. The most beautiful and important historical buildings are located around the square. There is the town hall, many palaces (Rossini, Divinić, Pellegrin and other gothic palaces), churches (the most beautiful are St. Nicholas, St. Barbara and St. Francis), monasteries, galleries and the Sea Gate. Next to the town hall, a staircase leads through ancient courtyards and squares to the old town.

Restaurant tips in Sibenik: Pelegrini, Marineo (expensive, Croatian and Mediterranean cuisine), konoba Dalmatino (Croatian and Mediterranean cuisine).

Marinas in the vicinity of Sibenik

• Marina Mandalina - a luxury marina which is the only marina in Croatia to have been awarded the highest quality (five gold anchors from the British Yacht Harbour Association and five anchors from the Croatian Ministry of Tourism). This marina is designed mainly for megayachts with a length of 30-140 meters (80% berth). The marina offers 429 berths, water and electricity connection, free WIFi connection, modern showers and toilets, technical service and a yachting equipment shop.
• Marina Solaris - nice, mostly occupied marina offers 246 moorings (depth 1-1.5 meters, max. up to 12 metres), water and electricity connection, showers and toilets, WIFI connection, technical service and yachting equipment shop. Other services: supermarket, ATM, laundry, playground, diving centre, ice boxes, bike and scooter rental, parking. The marina is located in a nice and well protected bay (hidden from all winds). Near the marina is the newly opened Solaris Water Park! It is located between the Kids Andrija hotel and the Jakov hotel. Admission for children from 0 to 3 years is free, from 3-5 years 40 Kuna and for children from 6 years 100 Kuna. Admission for an adult is also 100 Kuna.
• Sibenik City Harbour - customs port, there are several muriga berths at the city quay, the fee for berths is 20 Kuna/m for boats up to 15 metres and 25 Kuna/m for boats 15-19 metres. If you stay only until 4pm, the tariff is half. Water connection is available. There is a petrol station near the marina.

In July and August, temperatures in the area reach 25-32 °C, with sea temperatures of around 24 °C. In the summer, the wind around Sibenik is a steady maestral (daily breeze). The wind is variable in the morning, in the afternoon it is usually from the SE direction and the nights are calm. The maestral usually starts blowing around 10 o'clock and reaches 5-20 knots in the afternoon. At sunset it dies down again.

The Maestral is considered a good-weather wind because it maintains cloudless, blue skies and a comfortable temperature at sea. It can also blow a bura (NE) or a jugo (SE), but the probability is low. These winds blow mostly in the winter and spring months.

Golden island, green island or coral island. This is the name of a small rocky island, which is famous for diving and collecting red coral. The harvesting and processing of coral was known as early as the 15th century and was the island's biggest source of income. During the Venetian rule, the locals used up to 17 boats for harvesting. They always went to sea at night to avoid being spotted by the Venetians. They considered the underwater wealth theirs and concealing the catch meant condemnation to galleys (hard slave labour or rowing on galleys). Before setting sail, there was always a ceremonial procession of boats, which ended with a blessing.

Life on the small island has always been linked to the sea, and apart from collecting coral, the inhabitants were engaged in fishing, gathering sea mushrooms and salt. Today, the island has a small museum and a workshop where coral is processed and cut by hand. Coral jewellery can be purchased. The museum is located in the town of Zlarin. The museum can be reached through ancient stone streets.

There are no cars on the island and it is divinely quiet. Yachtsmen will especially appreciate the untouched nature and the exceptionally clear sea. This sunny island is scented with rosemary. Cypress, pine, fig and olive trees grow here. The sea around Zlarin is also suitable for sport fishermen.

Larger bays:

• Zlarinska luka (north), Magarna (nice bay and anchorage, there is also a beach), Vodena Njivica, Veleš, Platac, Lokvica and others.

Where to anchor in Zlarin

• Nice marina Zlarin, there are buoys and moorings with water and electricity connection, WIFI, grocery store, ATM and several restaurants (the restaurant by the main pier has good draft beer). Punta and Mjesto beaches are close to the marina.

A pleasant island with several fishing villages. Extremely clean sea (according to measurements the cleanest in the Adriatic) provides ideal conditions for snorkelling and underwater photography. On the west coast there are two nice pebble beaches. Lovers of good food will also find something to enjoy. Local restaurants always offer fresh fish and traditional Croatian specialties. The largest villages and ports on the island are Prvić Luka and Sepurine.

In the village of Prvić Luka there is a nice Marian church and a museum of the universal genius and inventor Frausto Vrančić (he was involved in the use ofuse of tides for energy, construction of parachute, windmills, air turbine, etc.). Some life-size models of his inventions are on display here.

Where to anchor and restaurants on Prvic Island

• The port of Prvić offers 17 muring berths with water and electricity connection, buoys, WIFI connection, showers and toilets, a shop and a bakery. There are several restaurants near the marina. In south-easterly winds it is very difficult to reach the harbour.

If you want to please your children, sail to Logorun Island. There are eight donkeys living in a reserve on the island. The donkeys are very friendly and hear your name. You can feed them, pet them or go for a ride.

The name of the island of Kaprije is derived from the name of the caper plant, which is widespread here. Its tiny green buds pickled in a special brine are a popular delicacy. Capers have a beneficial effect on the immune system and are also good against coughs. They are also a natural cleanser, as they are diuretic.

The island is quite rugged. Yachtsmen especially appreciate the calm, clean sea and nice bays. It is possible to anchor in the fishing port of Kaprije. There are several mooring berths (depth 2-7 meters), water connection (available only in the morning, max. 100 liters) and electricity, WIFI, waste container and ATM. There are about seven restaurants, a pharmacy and a post office on the waterfront. There are several mooring buoys.

There is a ban on anchoring in the whole bay! There are strong gusts in the harbour during the yugo and buoy. You can anchor in the bays of Vanjska, Remetic, Medoš (there is a restaurant), Jedinjača or Nozdra Mala (there are several restaurants and buoys). There is nice swimming on the island of Kakan (opposite the port of Kaprije). There is also very nice swimming on the nearby island of Obonjan.

It is the smallest of the Sibenik archipelago. This inconspicuous flat islet is famous for collecting sea mushrooms. In addition to fishing, the locals have taken up diving for sea mushrooms. According to legend, the monk Antun of Crete taught them this skill around 1704. The mushrooms were first collected by harpoon from boats. Later, as the sponges dwindled in the shallows, divers had to step in.

The use of sea sponges for human consumption has an ancient tradition. Even in ancient Rome, people marveled at its miraculous powers. The sponge was used, for example, to treat thyroid diseases (one gram of sea sponge contains the same amount of iodine as 130 litres of sea water). Soldiers put the sponge under their armour to protect themselves from abrasion, and also used it to treat warwounds (they noticed that the sea sponge greatly promotes and accelerates the healing of various wounds) or for cleaning helmets. You can learn more about the collection and use of the sea sponge at the local museum. You can also buy the best quality sponges here.

This craft has been preserved on Krapanj to this day. Divers catch around 4,000 kilos of mushrooms a year, which are exported to the whole of Europe. The substances contained in the mushroom have antiviral, anticancer, disinfectant and antiseptic properties. This also accounts for its wide range of uses. They are mainly used in the treatment of acne, skin cleansing, treatment of skin injuries, for scars and stretch marks (the healing effects of due to their high content of salts, minerals and iodine), massage, sauna, pharmaceuticals and medicine.

The National Park and the Krka River Falls offer one of the most impressive natural scenes in Croatia. The fairytale natural environment is permeated by the moist air from the sea. The National Park covers an area of 109 km2 and surrounds almost the entire course of the Krka River. The Krka rises in Knin and flows into Skradin. It flows through a karst landscape and splinters into rapids, cascades and waterfalls. Travertine cascades (stepped waterfalls) are among the world's unique features. The largest of the seven cascades are the Manojlovac Cascades. Their total height is 60 metres and the main waterfall falls from 32 metres. The waterfalls are at their most powerful in spring, but they offer a nice spectacle at any time of the year.

The national park has five entrances.

How to get to Krka Falls by boat

For sailors, it is best to dock at the ACI marina Skradin and board the boat of the Krka NP Administration, which will take visitors to the Skradinski buk waterfall. The ride takes about 25 minutes. The boat goes there every full hour (until 5 pm), back at half past. Tickets to the park can be purchased at the Krka NP Information Centre in Skradin or at the Skradinski Buk reception. The boat ride is included in the ticket price. The price of the basic ticket is 110 Kuna per adult and 80 Kuna per child (7-18 years). Boat trips to Roški slap waterfall, Visovac lake and the monastery are charged at 40-60 Kuna per person.

The most interesting and most visited stretch of the river is at the Skradinski buk cascade. On the 800-metre-long stretch, the river falls to a depth of 45 metres over 17 travertine terraces (200-400 metres wide). You can admire the waterfalls, cascades and blue-green streams from the lookout points or wooden bridges located on the landscaped trail.

At the top of the Skradin Cascade there are reconstructed water mills and farm buildings. They have a 19th century appearance but are built on a much older foundation. An ingenious system runs between the houses to make the most efficient use of the flowing water. There is still a working mill (millstones driven by water wheels grind grain and corn), a milling plant (a simple water-powered device to softenwashing machine) and a natural washing machine (a large stone tank into which water still swirls from below, whirling the clothes as in a washing machine). The mills were of great economic importance in the past. In the 13th-15th centuries, all towns from Istria to Dubrovnik milled grain here. They prospered even during the Turkish wars and Venetian rule. The mills were a source of income for Sibenik until the introduction of steam and electricity. Sibenik was one of the first European towns to have this since 1898. The first modern hydroelectric power plant was the work of the ingenious inventor and native Nikola Tesla.

Other attractions of the national park are the Roški slap waterfall (an eight-metre high waterfall, one of the most beautifulmost beautiful sites in the national park, starting with small cascades - poetically called silver necklace and ends with a large waterfall, the upper part of the waterfall is an impassable wilderness, in the left part stands complex of several water mills), Visovac Lake with an island and a Franciscan monastery (a church and monastery from the 15th century). century, there is a beautiful library with valuable books, manuscripts and first editions), the Rošnjak waterfall (surrounded by It is surrounded by 200 metres high rocks that form a breathtaking canyon), the Orthodox monastery of St. Archangel (under the church there are ancient Roman catacombs). These places are regularly reached by boats from the dock above Skradin waterfalls (Lozovac entrance). Boat trips are not included in the price of the basic ticket. You have to pay an extra 40-60 Kuna per person for each one.

If you're looking for a real adrenaline rush, take a day trip to go Big Game Fishing. You'll be able to compete with some big ones, up to 60 kilos. The catches are mostly tuna, albacore, sailfish, swordfish, sea bream, amberjack and the occasional blue shark. All of these predatory fish put up a lot of resistance, even the smaller 20-pound tuna will give you a hard time! :-)

You go by a fast and well-equipped boat (fish detector, state-of-the-art fishing gear) to the open sea. Experienced captains will be happy to share their secrets with you, reveal the best locations and fishing techniques. For a one-day charter you pay 400 EUR for 8 hours for 6 people. Specialized agencies for big fish fishing are based in Murter. The area around Murter is the most suitable for Big Game. We recommend Artena and Megabite. Special regulations apply for Big Game fishing in Croatia and a permit is required, which costs 120 Kuna per day.