Croatia is Europe's next cruising hot spot, and Australians are hooked

With its sublime beaches, fascinating Old Towns and incredible national parks, the appeal of Croatia’s islands and coast is undeniable.

Anyone who has travelled in Croatia will be in on the secret – the beaches are sublime, the Old Town streets fascinating, national parks incredible and then there are the festivals. It seems many are wise to the 101 reasons or more to visit the country’s Dalmatian coast, because foreign tourist arrivals increased by 10.2 per cent in October 2024, compared with a year earlier.

My experience sailing in Croatia has made me eager to discover more. On Viking’s excellent eight-day Venice, the Adriatic and Greece itinerary, we walked the walled city of Dubrovnik, which Lord Byron dubbed the “pearl of the Adriatic”.

Game of Thrones filming sites were pointed out, city gates admired, and the Sponza Palace toured. Due to the weather, our port call into Split was changed to charming Zadar, a Roman-era city on the northern Dalmatian coast with incredible aural and visual art installations and shops full of maraschino cherry liqueur.

For a more in-depth sailing in the country, there is a range of enticing small-vessel options. Luxury small-ship operator Unforgettable Croatia is popular with Australians for three reasons, according to chief commercial officer, Graham Carter.

“First, our cruises offer guests the ability to swim straight from the back of the yacht in crystal-clear bays,” he says.

Due to the weather, our port call into Split was changed to charming Zadar, a Roman-era city on the northern Dalmatian coast.

“Australians come to Europe for its culture and history and our cruises visit no fewer than four Unesco World Heritage Sites on our seven-night cruise. Australians also love to have fun and let their hair down. The intimate nature of our cruises with just 36 guests means it’s a very relaxed and often jovial atmosphere on-board.”

Unforgettable Croatia will add to its fleet in 2025 with the launch of a sixth vessel. Like the other yachts, the Aretis will be 52m long with 19 cabins. She will sail on seven-night departures between Dubrovnik and Split from June to October.

It’s easy to see the appeal of these sailings. “We place a significant focus on the dining element of our cruises, as we know our largely Australian, American, and British clientele like to dine well,” Carter says.

Sail Croatia has an exciting Ultra Flotilla Week in July, which coincides with the electronic fiesta Ultra Music Festival in Split.

“And we include offerings such as premium water sports, fascinating on-board lectures, food, and wine tasting presentations, all excursions and free wi-fi as standard in our cruises.”

Sail Croatia, a company offering ship and yacht experiences, has an exciting Ultra Flotilla Week in July which coincides with the electronic fiesta Ultra Music Festival in Split. It will be a party on water as six yachts, each holding up to 10 guests, will depart in convoy from Split and explore the islands of Brac, Hvar and Vis along the Dalmatian coast over seven nights, before returning to Split in time for the first night of Ultra Music Festival.

Along the way, there’s the chance to dance at nightclubs, zip-line through the Cetina Canyon, snorkel or just loll in the water on a paddleboard. Each yacht is led by a professional skipper and guests can learn the ropes as they journey along the coast.

Originally published as Croatia is Europe's next cruising hot spot, and Australians are hooked