Island Hopping in Croatia

Being a country situated along the Adriatic Sea, Croatia is home to some beautiful beaches and islands, something you don’t want to miss while visiting. There is an extensive ferry system which allows you to island hop inexpensively and quickly. This is a great option to see the neighboring islands, but the sailings are limited in the off-season; that’s why we chose a cruise.

As I mentioned in earlier posts about Croatia, we took a seven day cruise on a small ship to take in the beauty of the Dalmatian Coast. We chose Katarina Line Cruises for our island adventure, and were not disappointed.

Captain Tom and his crew were all entertaining and made our week extra special. For just €1,000 per person for seven nights, we received a full breakfast buffet (eggs, fruit, veggies, pastries, toast bread, breakfast meats), a three course lunch (starter, main, dessert), our en suite cabin and a knowledgeable cruise director, Robert, who guided us on hikes, walking tours, and more. There were 30 of us on the ship, with two of us being pescatarian, but Chef was more than willing to accommodate our dietary wishes. Even though it was their first week out for the season, everything ran smoothly.

We boarded the ship at 1:00 on a Saturday in April and were treated to a three course lunch as we sailed to our first stop, the beautiful village of Makarska.

There was a settlement here as early as the 2nd century BC, as it was an important stop along the Amber Road. It was also a major port with links to the Mediterranean. Today, this village claims to have some of the best beaches in Croatia, along with a lovely promenade lined with cafes and shops.

Shortly after arriving, the gangplank was lowered and we could join Robert for a walking tour, or explore on our own. We were free to come and go until it was time to leave the next day. We wandered through this beautiful town, had dinner and delighted in the amazing sunset.

Makarska is made even more stunning with the Biokovo Mountains soaring in the distance.

Our next stop was Mljet National Park. After we docked in Polače, we enjoyed an easy hike over relatively flat terrain to board a small passenger ferry to take us to the tiny island of St. Mary’s. This island is the home of an ancient Benedictine Monastery, built by monks belonging to the St. Abbey of Mary’s of Pulsano order.

Built in 1151 on the ruins of a previous church, this small Romanesque style church should not be missed. It was extended in the 15th and 16th centuries to include walls to prevent pirate attacks. About two thirds of this area (over 10,000 acres) became a national park in 1960.

After our hike, we boarded the ship and cruised to Slano to dock for the night. Located just 22 miles (37 km) from Dubrovnik, this small town dates back to prehistoric times. Over the centuries it was inhabited by Greeks, Romans and was part of the Dubrovnik Republic by the 14th century. Today it is a popular place for tourists as it is located on a quiet bay ideal for swimming.

The next day the seas were quite rough, but we made it safely to Dubrovnik. Until this point, we had beautiful weather, but due to the storm, we had to cancel our next stop and spend an extra day in Dubrovnik; dang. 😉

There’s still more to share about our island hopping adventures in Croatia, so check back next week for another post.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia