|
Croatia Yacht
Charter
By
Ken Jones
 Croatia
is situated on the Adriatic Sea, opposite Italy, in the Northern
Mediterranean. With a history going back over a thousand years, it
first appeared on the political map of Europe in 1992, following the
break up of Yugoslavia after a bloody civil war.
Weather - The climate is typical of the Mediterranean and
provides for pleasant holidays throughout the year. The best season
for sailing in Croatia is early summer with good winds in May and
June mainly from the S/SE. Mornings tend to be calm with the wind
increasing later in the afternoon to around 15 - 20 knots. The
months of July and August see calmer conditions which is OK for
those who don't mind motoring. Summer temperatures average between
26 to 30°C and the sea temperature in summer is about 25ºC.
Sailing Area - Starting in the
north
Croatia Yacht
Charter - The
Brioni Islands - Formally the summer residence of President
Tito, these islands were closed to the general public. Today they
are open but the facilities are a bit rundown, as little money was
spent on their upkeep following the death of the President. The
group of islands consists of 2 larger ones and 12 smaller ones. They
were given National Park status in 1983. The largest island is Veli
Brijun, just is 2km from the coast. It is very green being covered
with vegetation.
Croatia Yacht
Charter -
Cres & Losinj islands - Covering nearly 400 square km, Cres is
the second largest island in the Adriatic. It is grouped with Losinj
and another 28 smaller islands. The harbour of Mali Losinj is said
to be the most beautiful in the entire Adriatic. Cikat bay, which is
well known for its beach and good windsurfing, is the tourist
centre. While the town of Veli Losinj is much quieter. Cres Town is
also popular and is reminiscent of an Italian village due to the
fact that for several centuries it was ruled by Venice. The island
of Susak is well worth a visit. The population speak their own
dialect, which is not easily understood by other Croats. And the
women often dress in a colourful costume, a short, multicoloured
dress, red leggings and a white blouse.
Croatia Yacht
Charter -
Krk is the largest island in the Adriatic, covering 405.78
square km, and is also one of the most populous islands.. It is very
busy with tourists being by bridge to the mainland. It is not the
most beautiful or the greenest of the islands. The main towns are
Baska,
Krk town itself, Malinska, Omisalj, Punat and Vrbnik.
Krk Town is famous for the Cathedral of St. Mary.
Croatia
Yacht Charter - Rab island is one of the
greenest islands in the Adriatic and probably one of the most
magical. It is has beautiful sandy beaches and is covered with pine
forests.
Rab Town, the main resort, is full of medieval buildings, built
under Venetian rule in the 13th century. The old town walls are
still visible in some places.
Croatia Yacht
Charter - Pag is the second longest
island in the Adriatic. It has little in the way of vegetation due
to strong wind of Bora. In spite of this Pag has a lot of charm. It
is well known for its lace making and the Pag Town is beautifully
preserved.
Croatia
Yacht Charter - Primosten, on the coast, is one
of the most popular resorts on the Adriatic coast and boasts the
best of Croatia from yesterday, stroll the narrow, cobbled streets
of the old town centre set on a small, hilly peninsula and today,
the Hacienda all night disco is just a 10 minute taxi away.
 Croatia Yacht
Charter -
The Kornati islands - 140 islands make up this archipelago and
it covers an area 300 square km. The majority of the area is a
National Park, designated so because of it's numerous coves and
crystal clear blue waters. It was described by astronauts as having
the bluest water on earth seen from space .It is truly beautiful.
George Bernard Shaw said of the island group "On the last day of
Creation God desired to crown His work, and thus created the Kornati
islands out of tears, stars and breath." Most of the area belongs to
the people of Murter island who come to look after the olive groves,
vineyards and orchards. They in stay cottages during the
agricultural season but there is no permanent population. Hramina is
a private marina on Murter Island with good facilities including a
choice of restaurants.
Croatia
Yacht Charter - Dugi Otok is home to the large,
beautiful bay at Telescica. The small fishing town of Sali here is
famous for summer events celebrating local folklore with a fun
donkey race and a procession of illuminated boats. Brbinj higher up
on Dugi Otok is a quiet, sheltered stop surrounded by pine woods and
olive groves.
The city of
Split is a UNESCO world heritage site famous for the Palace of
the Emperor Diocletian.
Visit Skradin on the mainland
and venture up-river to the famous
waterfalls at Krka.
Croatia Yacht
Charter -
Brac is the largest island in Central Dalmatia and the third
largest in the Adriatic. It is also one of the sunniest with 2,700
hours per year. Brac is renowned for its agricultural products,
figs, olive oil, nectarines, wine and other fruits. However the main
export is the famous Brac stone from which many buildings in the
world have been constructed, including the home to the presidents of
the United States of America, The White House in Washington DC Bol
is said to have the most beautiful beach in the Adriatic. Other
resorts include the Golden Horn (Zlatni Rat), Milna, Sumartin,
Supetar and Sutivan.
Croatia Yacht
Charter -
Hvar is the fourth largest island in the Adriatic and is even
sunnier than Brac. There is however enough rain to keep the island
green and to maintain the beautiful fields of lavender, marjoram,
rosemary, sage and thyme together with the vineyards. In the spring
Hvar smells like a herbalist shop. The lavender oil is the island's
major export. The main resorts are Hvar Town, Jelsa, Stari Grad,
Sucuraj and Vrboska. Hvar boasts the country's oldest public theatre
dating from 1612.
Croatia
Yacht Charter - Vis - At 24 miles from the
mainland this is the most westerly of the larger Croatian islands.
Vis is the oldest established town in Dalmatia founded in 397 BC.
The island was major base for British troops during World War II.
After 1945 it was closed to the public the Yugoslav military and
reopened in 1990. Some of Croatia's finest wines are produced there,
such as Plavac and Vugava. The two main towns are Vis Town and
Komiza. Vis is especially peaceful and relaxing.
Bisevo is home to the famous
Blue Caves and this is the perfect snorkelling spot
Croatia Yacht
Charter - Korcula is known for its dense
forest. Marco Polo, the famous adventurer, was born on Korcula, and
his house still there. Korcula known as "Little Dubrovnik", Vela
Luka and Lumbarda are the main resorts.
On the mainland, Ston, is one
of the most beautiful fortified towns you are ever likely to see. It
is famous for its many cultural monuments and impressive defensive
walls. The local restaurants serve delicious dishes of oyster and
other fresh seafood. Spend the afternoon on it's sandy beach lined
with olive trees.
Mljet is 23 miles west of Dubrovnik and is the southern most of
the larger islands. The western half of the island is a
National Park and over two-thirds of the island is forested
with. According to legend, Odysseus fell in love with the island and
stayed there for seven years. You will find numerous good anchorages
and
sandy beaches on the southern coast, the best of which is
Saplunara
Croatia
Yacht Charter - The
Elafit islands -
Kolocep,
Lopud and
Sipan - In ancient times these islands were home to a large deer
population and take their name from the Greek word elafos, meaning
deer. There are in fact six islands in the group and it is reputed
the most skilful mariners came from here. Once again the islands are
very beautiful and are a must visit.
Lopud is little more than two hills which are connected by a
beautiful valley. Follow the footpath through to the bay called Sunj,
a round white sand beach perfect for a swim.
Croatia
Yacht Charter -
Dubrovnik is an
immaculately preserved 13th century fortified city. Ancient walls
surround the old town enclosing a fascinating mix of Renaissance,
Gothic and Baroque architecture. Tall ramparts and towering spires
rise dramatically from splendid squares packed with colourful bars,
markets and restaurants. The whole city is a UNESCO world heritage
site.
Food and Wine - Croatian cooking is typically Mediterranean with
fish, shellfish, fresh vegetables and olive oil taking centre stage.
Varieties of fish include dog's tooth, gilthead, grouper, mackerel,
sardines and sea bass. You will find cuttlefish, octopus and squid,
lobsters, mussels, oysters and shrimps. These are presented grilled
or in stews and risottos. The local smoked ham is very good. Lamb is
also highly regarded, especially baked on an open fire. There are
some interesting local dishes, some found on individual islands, to
be sought out or avoided. Take Vitalec as an example - lamb's offal
wrapped in lamb gut and spike-roasted, not everbodys idea of
culinary heaven. Regions with a plentiful supply of fresh water, the
Neretva valley, Trilj and the Cetina basin, are well for their frog,
eel and river crab dishes. Pag and Dubrovnik produce high quality
sheep's cheese. Pag's is known as Paski-Sir, a hard, distinctively
flavoured cheese. The unique flavour comes from the method of
rubbing the cheese with olive oil and ash before leaving it to
mature; in addition, the sheep eat a diet that includes many wild
herbs such as sage. Dalmatian desserts are good too. The most usual
ingredients include almonds, eggs, honey, local fruit, dried figs
and raisins. Try Orehnjaca, a sweet bread with walnuts or poppy
seeds. Palacinke are pancakes usually served with jam or chocolate.
Dalmatian wines have been regarded highly since ancient times.
Famous wines include Babic from Primosten, Dingac and Postup from
the Peljesac Peninsula and Plancic from the island of Hvar. There
are also good local brandies and liqueurs
Article Source:
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ken_Jones
|
