The perfect anchorage is the reason you charter a yacht in the first place: sheltered, crystal-clear, with a restaurant ashore and enough silence to forget the day. Croatia has more of these than almost any other cruising ground.
Here is a selection of the most beautiful — and what you should know about holding, shelter and timing.
What Makes a Perfect Anchorage
Shelter from prevailing winds, good holding ground (sand over seagrass), clear water and ideally a konoba within tender reach. Check these four points and you’ll anchor with peace of mind.
Kornati — The Barren Labyrinth
Kornati National Park is a labyrinth of over 80 barren islands with secluded bays and simple, excellent restaurants. Note the park ticket and mandatory mooring buoys in some bays.
Vis & Biševo
The furthest inhabited island rewards with exceptionally clear water and bays like Stiniva. Nearby, the Blue Cave on Biševo beckons — arriving early pays off.
Lastovo — The Quiet South
Nature park, dark-sky preserve, hardly any traffic: Lastovo is the quiet insider tip in the south with sheltered anchorages for those seeking seclusion.
Pakleni & Mljet
The Pakleni islands off Hvar combine bay and beach club; Mljet offers some of the most beautiful sheltered anchorages in the southern Adriatic with its salt lakes and national park scenery.
Anchoring with Style
Arriving early secures the best spots, respecting seagrass meadows protects the cruising ground, and a second anchor or shore line provide security in tight bays. Good style here is also good seamanship.
Weaving the Bays into a Route
Individual bays are beautiful — the art is combining them into a coherent week. Our 7-day Split–Hvar–Vis–Korčula route or the 14-day Grand Voyage string together the best anchorages sensibly — with short legs and plenty of time in the water.
Further Reading on Splendid.hr
Practical Anchoring Tips
Before anchoring, check the bottom (sand holds better than seagrass), the wind forecast for the night, and sufficient swinging room from neighboring boats. In tight bays, a shore line or second anchor provides additional security. Those who arrive early secure the best spot — and avoid the evening scramble in popular bays.
Bays by Region
Northern Dalmatia scores with the barren Kornati and the clear waters around Dugi Otok; Central Dalmatia with the Pakleni islands off Hvar and the bays of Vis; the south with Mljet, Lastovo and the offshore Elaphiti islands. This way, almost every leg can be planned around a first-class anchorage.
Request Yacht Charter Croatia
We are based in D-Marin Mandalina (Šibenik) — Croatia’s only superyacht marina. Charter from any Croatian port can be arranged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to pay for buoys in national parks?
In Kornati and Mljet, park tickets and sometimes buoy fees are common — they finance the protection that keeps the bays so beautiful.
When are the bays emptiest?
Early morning and in shoulder seasons (June, September).