7 days cruising the Adriatic coast from Tivat to Split

Superyacht captain Craig Martin, is a huge fan of Croatia for a family orientated vacation. Here he shares a sample itinerary of how to make the most of a luxury yacht charter in Croatia.

1. Sunset cruise to Kotor

Arrive into Tivat airport and meet your captain who will escort you to your yacht. Once you are settled on board, lines will be slipped and you will take a short scenic cruise to a pretty anchorage in the Bay of Kotor for an afternoon of water sports and relaxing.

If you would like to stretch your legs after your flight maybe take the tender ashore to walk around the walls of the city. If you are feeling a little more adventurous you can do a short hike up Mt Lovcen towards an ancient monastery, which offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Bay of Kotor.

In the evening take a sunset cruise and eat dinner underway as you head towards Gruz Harbour for clearance into Croatia. The cruise is 50nm and will take approximately 4.5 hours.

This morning you will wake in a beautiful secluded bay on the island of Sipan, one of Croatia's hidden gems. The waters are beautiful, clear and calm here and idyllic for water sports of all types. You can remain here until late in the afternoon and then relocate to Dubrovnik.

Once anchored a tender will be ready to take you ashore to stroll around this beautiful city to explore its cobbled stone streets, stairways and alley ways. All this exploring can create a thirst so why not meander towards Caffe Bard where a table will be reserved for you to have a couple of cocktails. This bar built into the cliff and town walls offers incredible views over Lokrum Island and beyond and is the best place in Dubrovnik to watch the sun go down. When ready, the tender will collect you and bring you back for dinner on board.

Awake this morning to find yourself at anchor in the beautiful nature reserve of Polace on the island of Mljet. The yacht will be secured to the rocks and set up so that you have your own private “swimming pool” for another day of water sports and family fun. There is an option to do a tour ashore to see the nearby national park and swim in the inland lake, where you can find a local café to frequent if you get peckish.

Late in the afternoon you will cruise across the channel to Korcula and tie up for the evening. Korcula is famous for its clear warm water and seafood. It is a perfect opportunity for a sea food feast — either ashore in one of the many excellent restaurants or prepared to your liking on board by your personal chef.

You will depart early this morning to cruise to the island of Hvar — best known for vineyards, olive groves and lavender fields. The yacht will drop anchor on the way in the Pakleni islands for some water sports before relocating in the afternoon/evening. Tonight the yacht will anchor off Hvar near the little island of Galesnik which offers amazing views of the town. There is an option to rent this small island to hold a private function and also possible to arrange tastings of local wine and gastronomical delicacies. Alternatively take the tender ashore to explore this lively town.

This morning you will relocate to the island of Brac and arrive in time for breakfast. On the way you can beat the crowds and have an early morning swim off the beautiful sandy spit at Bol before continuing on towards Lovrecina.

Lunch will be eaten underway today while the yacht relocates to the mouth of the Cetina River. The beautiful town of Omis lies just a short tender ride up the river and only a further few miles further inland is the popular picnic spot called Radmanove Milinice. Here you can sample some traditional peka (bread cooked on an iron lid) or perhaps enjoy a gourmet afternoon tea picnic prepared by the chef and served by the crew.

Today you will cruise to anchor for the day in a secluded bay on the island of Solta, one of the best anchorages in Croatia. This quiet bay is ideal for family time and is only a short evening cruise to tie up in the UNESCO listed town of Trogir — the most well preserved Romanesque-Gothic town in central Europe. It is a lovely town to walk around and explore and very worth a visit. Superyachts can moor on the main promenade so you are in the heart of the town and close to all attractions.

This morning the yacht will make the short cruise over breakfast to the town of Split for disembarking. You will arrive in sufficient time to take a stroll along the magnificent promenade while the crew packs for your departure. Transport will be arranged by the captain for your transfer to the airport and a member of the crew will escort you to assist with luggage.