6-day Sailing Itinerary from Biograd
Being located pretty much slap bang in the middle of the archipelago means that there’s plenty of choice when sailing from Biograd – and one of the big choices needs to be made at the start of the week as to whether you’re heading south to Skradin, north to Zadar, or as far West as you can get. This itinerary heads south, but there are a few places we would’ve loved to take you to in other directions – sadly we simply don’t have the number of days we’d need to get around it all!
The route takes in the natural beauty of the waterfalls at Skradin, sailing through the unique landscape of the Kornati National Park, and the super cute towns of Jezera, Kaprije and Sali. We stop each night in a marina, but you can always anchor down in a nearby bay if you don’t fancy going ashore, or if you want to sail further or shorter than our route.
This is just a 6-day itinerary because often you won’t be able to do any meaningful sailing on the first day of your charter (after you’ve checked in, got all your provisions, etc…). if you’re planning your own itinerary, you should note that you’ll need to be back in the marina on the Friday night (the day before you check-out) as the charter owners like to check on their boats the night before the changeover. You’ll still sleep on the boat, but you won’t be able to sail prior to checking-out on the Saturday morning.
This itinerary is 117 nautical miles, which should mean travelling at a leisurely 20 nM a day or so, which, with a yacht going on average 5-6 knots, should only be 4-5 hours of sailing per day. There’s obviously more hours of daylight than that, which you can then choose to spend exploring your start or end point in greater depth (or doing the shopping) or stopping en-route when you spot somewhere you’d like to go to eat or for a swim.
If you are following this route, it will be cheaper to buy a pass for the Kornati National park at the office at Marina Kornati now than if you have to pay a ticket inspector out at sea (they do check, and add about 50% to the price). They tend to have inspection boats out in the early evenings, so the unwritten rule is that you only need to pay for the days when you will be in the park after 4pm – so you should only need a one day pass for this itinerary.
Day 1. Biograd to Jezera (via Lovers Island) – 25 nM 
Wake up, make sure everyone has a good breakfast, stow all your luggage below, and then we’re ready to slip the lines and get on our way. Biograd is one of the bigger charter bases in Croatia, so it’s likely you won’t be alone as you set sail out of the marina and over the horizon.
The first days route is 25 nautical miles and should see you sailing in practically every direction for at least a short spell. The prevailing wind should be whooshing past you from the sea towards the land, so you should be reaching up and down the coastline.
Our journey starts with a quick detour north of Biograd to sail once around Lovers Island for good luck – this is a practically perfect heart-shaped island which was only discovered after the invention of Google Earth. Nowadays, it is a tourist destination and hundreds of happy couples get engaged there every year! Legend has it that if you throw a euro overboard near the island, you’ll be lucky in love soon…
After checking out the island and sorting out your love lives, we’re going back the way we came, beyond Biograd and heading South-east along the coast-line to the island of Murter, and, further round, the village of Jezera.
There’s a marina in Jezera a short walk from the old town, or you can try and snag a spot near the fishermen in the harbour and literally hop off your boat into the old town, which is built around the harbour and boasts a decent range of restaurants and bars. There’s also a decent-sized supermarket (since we’re still technically attached to the mainland by road) if you’ve forgotten to get anything.
Day 2. Jezera to Skradin – 21 nM 
From Jezera, we’re heading further South-east and trying a bit of in-land sailing. It sounds unusual, but it’s pretty much the same, but with narrow channels to navigate down. Again, we should be reaching down the coast-line, then running with the wind as we pass the gates towards Sibenik, and reaching and running again to get to Skradin. Passing under a road-bridge in a yacht is a bit surreal, but it’s all part of the drama.
Skradin is a small village with a few shops and bars and a relaxed atmosphere. There’s plenty of tourists because this is near the famous national park of Krka, home of the Krka falls – a series of seven waterfalls which cascade down the local hillside both mesmerizingly and magnificently. Google them to see what they’re all about, but they are worth a look.
It’s possible to walk or cycle to the waterfalls, but it’s easiest to get there by taxi-boat – check out the signs and timetables next to the pontoon at the centre of the village. There’s a small entry fee for the national park, and the walk around all the waterfalls will take you about an hour and a half if you don’t dawdle. But then, you are on holiday, and there’s a café and a few ice-cream sellers...
If you arrive in time, head there in the afternoon, but if not, don’t panic – you can always go tomorrow morning.
Day 3. Skradin to Kaprije – 21 nM 
Leaving Skradin, head back down the channels to Sibenik and back out to sea. You’ll likely be tacking and beating into the wind as we head further west, dodging the islands as you work your way across, over and down to find the village of Kaprije which is nestled quietly out of the way of the wind.
The village has a population of 143, the majority of whom are involved in growing vines and olives on the island. That said, there’s still five or six places to head to for a bite to eat or a drink, plus a couple of shops, an ATM and a church. There’s even a few holiday apartments here which are advertised for people who simply want to get away from it all.
It’s a tranquil village to spend the night, and the local wine is worth a try!
Day 4. Kaprije to Piskera – 18 nM .jpg "Piskera")
If you enjoyed the tranquillity of Kaprije, you’re in for a treat at the next marina, Piskera. The marina was built on an uninhabited island in recent years to make it easier for sailors to explore the Kornati islands, so the only people who you’ll find there are people who have arrived by boat. Nowadays the marina also boasts a shop (which is a little over-priced, but heck, you’re in the middle of nowhere?!) and a bar/restaurant with great views back across the marina.
Sailing-wise, you’re heading in a westerly direction, beating into the prevailing wind for starters, then reaching up towards Piskera. Enjoy weaving through the islands – some have beaches, bays or even bars, where you can stop to draw your breath and to enjoy the scenery. Incidentally, if you're heading to stay overnight in Piskera, then the Kornati park fees are included in the mooring fees there, so you don't need to buy a ticket for the National Park (or if you do, you'll end up paying it twice).
This is also dolphin and sea-turtle territory, so keep an eye out (and a camera handy) for those, just in case!
Day 5. Piskera to Sali – 17 nM 
From Piskera, we’re continuing to weave our way around the islands as we sail north-westerly. All of the 89 islands that make up the national park are uninhabited, and the area was designated a national park in 1980 to protect the 537 species of plants and 750+ species of animals in the area. The area also has a sea-bed with coral reefs, oysters and waters teeming with sea-life.
Sailing North-west should mean that you’re reaching against the prevailing wind, and tacking to avoid the islands or to find places to shelter, swim or play. You are allowed to hike on the islands, and you’ll get good views at the top of each island, but the heat normally makes hiking pretty unbearable.
At the top of Kornati island (the biggest in the archipalego), we’re heading east to follow the eastern coast of the island of Dugi Otok, where we’re spending the night back in the (relative) civilisation of the fishing village of Sali.
Sali has been a fishing village for over 1,000 years, and it is, naturally, all built up around the harbour. They have a supermarket here, as well as waterfront bars and restaurants, and even a specialist ice-cream shop. The locals swear that their olives are the best that you’ll find in the Mediterranean, on account of them growing on olive trees that are over 700 (yes, seven hundred) years old.
Day 6. Sali to Biograd – 17 nM 
Alas. It’s already the last leg of the itinerary, and, hopefully with a crew that are super-relaxed and super-happy, it’s time to head back to Biograd.
Despite being on roughly the same latitude as Sali, Biograd is in a south-easterly direction from here, as we have to sweep under the island of Pasman, and then back up. That should mean it’s a broad reach across the prevailing wind across the channel to Pasman (and stopping at the beach Vrgada if you have time to spare), before sweeping northwards to Biograd.
Once near the marina, you’ll come to the fuel berth on your starboard side (or, more likely, you’ll come across a somewhat disorganised queue of other charter yachts and catamarans who are waiting to get to the fuel berth, which you should join). After refuelling, take the boat back to where you found it a week ago and there should be someone there to help you moor up.
Someone will come and inspect the boat, but you’ll complete the full check-out tomorrow. If you haven’t yet visited Biograd town, there’s a strip of bars and restaurants along the waterfront which will be rammed with sailors tonight who you can swap stories with or dance with.
If you have time tomorrow, Zadar town is a short bus-ride away and the whole of the old town is a UNESCO world heritage site – check out our destination guide for Zadar if that sounds like a place you’d like to see.
Finally, you’ll be on your way home. Hopefully you’ve had a really memorable week in the sunshine, you’ve seen some sights that you’ll remember for years to come, and you’ve had a lot of fun with the rest of your crew. Have a safe flight, and thanks for sailing with PlainSailing.com. Maybe in a few weeks or months, you can come and visit us and start planning your next sailing adventure!
Biograd has optimal temperatures throughout the main sailing season - from May to September it is usually somewhere between 20 and 25 degrees, which means it’s warm enough to spend the day in shorts and t-shirt and to get a mild tan, but not so swelteringly hot that you’ll find the heat overbearing or have to spend the day dashing between patches of shade. Even during winter, the weather is mild enough to still make sailing pleasant.
