“Like the French Riviera, only 50-years ago,” is a phrase you’ll often hear describing the Dalmatian Coast. Word likely uttered by those that have seen it by boat rather than from an actual hotel, the Dalmatian Coast has become a darling of the yachting scene with charming islands that lend themselves well to day-long moorings and overnight sailings. Most of these journeys begin in Split, a place you’ll rarely hear people rave about even with its incredible Roman ruins that could be so much more.
From Split it’s a short sailing to Brac with its Zlatni Rat beach and burgeoning après-beach scene at places like Auro that peak come July. Just past it is Hvar, the glittery island where more than a few itineraries have fallen behind. Restaurants like Gaixa have elevated the local food scene in recent years while charming bars like Divino linger in coastal pine forests a stroll away from the dock. By night, the riva comes alive with residents that have endured fascists, communists and now unapproachable capitalists that disembark their floating palaces for dinner at Gariful that’s just a few steps away from Carpe Diem before docking on their boats and sailing onto Vis or nearby Palmizana where Meneghello is more than worth another anchor.
Dubrovnik is enjoying a continued resurgence as backdrop to TV’s Game of Thrones, which is best appreciated upon first approach at sea. By day visitors survey the fortified walls of the city or find more hedonistic pursuits atop a lounger at its Eastwest Beach Club. By night the streets of town come to life in cinematic lights as swifts swarm from above and the occasional opera singer serenades from an alleyway. Restaurants like 360 attempt new attitudes towards Croatian cuisine while most others make you happy you have a full kitchen staff back on the boat.
