Saturday 14 November 2009

The week I spent sailing the Adriatic with Sail Croatia this summer was unforgettable – dropping anchor in aquamarine waters off remote islands, taking part in impromptu diving competitions from the top of the boat, stuffing myself silly on the enormous meals cooked fresh on board, dancing the night away at ‘cave bars’ and beach parties on the islands of Korcula and Hvar, and sleeping under the stars on the top deck, waking to the sun blazing an orange trail through a cloudless sky. It was such a chilled time, I think the toughest decision I had to make was which bikini to wear each day!

From Dubrovnik to Split, we skirted the Croatian coastline on a wooden sail boat – imagine warm sapphire waters giving way to beaches with fine, white sand, and emerald mountains occasionally zigzagged with precarious-looking dirt roads. Our trip took us to a handful of islands sprinkled along the coast – from the ‘party island’ of Hvar and the beach resorts of Korcula, to the pristine national park on Mjlet, famous for its lake. No matter where we were, there was always loads of swimming, sunbathing, tasty local food and cold beer!

Our phenomenal crew were just amazing – they were completely in tune with the mood on the boat (there were 26 of us on board) and went out of their way to ensure everyone had a fantastic time. They would check in with us about when and where we’d like our swim stops, ensure we had loads of lilos, inflatable pool toys and snorkelling gear to keep us occupied during our time in the water, and kept us fuelled with a creative and seemingly endless supply of food (including tiramisu!). The night of the captain’s BBQ was a favourite for most people – more grilled meat and fish than any of us could eat and unlimited quantities of the captain’s famous plum brandy (consumption of which led to a sleep-in and quiet morning of reading on the top deck for most!).

My time with Sail Croatia was definitely the best I’ve had while on a tour and I’d go again in a heartbeat!