C R O AT I A
Sail the beautiful turquoise waters of Croatia’s Dalmatian coast and explore some of the best destinations the Mediterranean has to offer. Swimming, snorkelling and sunbathing at pristine beaches, exploring fascinating archaeological sites, browsing in bazaars and dining in restaurants serving delicious local cuisine are among the many pleasures of sailing with Escape Yachting in Croatia.
Travel through history during your 7 day sailing holiday. Sail as an individual, a couple or a group of friends and family on board a luxury yacht. Your sailing holiday with Escape Yachting gives you plenty of time for relaxing, whilst also providing the opportunity for fascinating shore excursions, sampling local food and wine and exploring the stunning historic old towns of Dubrovnik and Hvar Town. Gourmets relish the memorable meals on deck and in traditional taverns ashore and discover new wines from the slopes they sailed past that day. Sailors revel in the reliable winds often building in the afternoon to provide perfect sailing conditions. Naturalists are awed by the stunning beauty of Lastovo and the eerie blue glow inside the Blue Grotto. Hedonists find unspoiled coastline and crystal-clear water that beckons you in. Jump right off the yacht and swim ashore or snorkel marvelling at the underwater kaleidoscope. Everyone relaxes in spectacular surroundings and slips into ‘island time’ from the moment you arrive until long after you return home. Sail away with us and we promise you will find your own piece of paradise where fun times and unforgettable moments with family and friends endure.
Your holiday is led by a skipper and crew who know this destination well and are there to take care of your every need, in an atmosphere of complete relaxation, comfort and style. Your holiday includes a fantastic modern, luxury yacht; great meals on board and ashore; the opportunity to swim and snorkel; shore excursions to explore the local area and immerse yourself in the lively culture, ancient history and welcoming atmosphere; and many extras. Sail as an individual, a couple, a family or a group of friends. Reserve a whole boat to yourselves to enjoy a uniquely rewarding experience together! If a full yacht is more than you need, book your own cabin on board for a holiday where you meet new people, whilst still enjoying your own privacy.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
When We Say All Inclusive - We Mean It
Luxury, modern catamaran with plenty of space to relax Spacious, private en-suite cabin Experienced skipper and crew with local knowledge All meals included and freshly prepared Every other night we include a meal in a restaurant ashore We cater for special dietary requirements All drinks on board and in restaurants Return transfers between the airport and the marina All cruising taxes, customs and immigration fees Yacht fuel, moorings, bedding, towels, water and ice Fully insured yacht and crew No credit card fees - even for American Express
EXPLORE. DREAM. DISCOVER. YOUR VOYAGE THROUGH HISTORY Join us in Dubrovnik after your direct flight from the UK. We meet you at the airport and bring you to the yacht for a refreshing cocktail, as you kick back and relax.
Your itinerary takes in the most popular destinations in Croatia, including the historic city of Dubrovnik, as well as the islands of Korcula, Vis and Hvar. For nature lovers, there are the Blue Caves and Mljet National Park with its saltwater lakes and woodland. During your sailing holiday, you have the opportunity to visit villages and ports to take in the culture and traditions of the Adriatic islands.
“We never had to lift a finger for the entire trip and just relaxed and enjoyed the scenery.� Elly
Your Relaxation Zone On deck, there are separate areas to relax, from the trampoline at the bow to the helm on the upper deck, to the aft cockpit. Stretch out and sunbathe on deck, take the helm and help sail the yacht, or relax with a good book in the shade - the choice is yours!
Your Private Oasis Your comfortable guest cabin, with a double bed, has plenty of natural light and ventilation. Your own private en-suite bathroom with toilet and shower. The saloon enjoys great 360 degree views through picture windows and opens up into one big space, perfect for open-air living.
Saturday Fly into Dubrovnik and transfer to the marina, where your crew will welcome you on board your luxury yacht. Enjoy refreshing cocktails before dinner in a local restaurant.
Sunday After breakfast, you depart Dubrovnik and head out onto the shimmering Adriatic Sea. After a stop for lunch and a swim, you sail to Korcula, the birthplace of Marco Polo.
The island of Korcula claims to boast more legends, tales and monuments than anywhere else in Dalmatia. The ancient Greeks called Korcula ‘The Black Island’ because of the dense, dark forests that cover the island and it is still one of the greenest of the islands in the Adriatic. You arrive in the centuries-old beautiful Korcula Town, one of the best preserved medieval cities in the Mediterranean, which resembles nothing so much as an over-sized sandcastle jutting out into the sea. It’s a medieval walled city that was occupied by the Venetians more or less continuously for eight hundred years from the tenth century on. They left their distinctive mark on the culture and architecture of the town, which you can explore at your leisure.
Monday This morning you set sail for Scedro, an island with few inhabitants and a well protected bay where you anchor in Uvala Manastir, a very attractive sheltered anchorage for lunch and a swim. After lunch, you sail on to the island of Hvar. As you approach, you will notice the warm, fresh scent of lavender and pine. The chic harbour town is one of the Adriatic’s best preserved historic towns and has long been known as the St Tropez of Croatia! You moor for the night at Palmizana, surrounded by thick pine forests.
“We have never had a holiday where we haven’t had to think of a thing and it was such a wonderful treat to spend a week with Escape Yachting in Croatia. From the moment we stepped off the plane, Matthew, David and Hamish took care of everything. The boat itself was amazing, a large catermaran with plenty of space for everyone to relax. Our cabin was really comfortable and en-suite too. Hamish prepared delicious lunches on board whilst anchored in some beautiful bay or other. Somehow, David’s sixth sense always knew when to ask if you’d like a drink and he could produce an incredible selection of drinks and cocktails from the tardis of a cocktail bar on board. Dinners, which were included in the price, were ashore on whatever island we had come to and we ate in all sorts of wonderful restaurants carefully selected and booked ahead by the team. Croatia itself is an amazing country and we certainly saw the best of it. We sailed out of Trogir which is near Split and we visited the islands of Solta, Hvar, Paklinski, Korcula and Brac. An amazing way to get a taste and feel for the country. We have never enjoyed a holiday so much, huge huge thanks.” Lou
Tuesday Today you head for the island of Vis, which looks like paradise, but was only opened to foreigners in 1994 as it was the military headquarters for Marshal Tito. As a result, Vis is basically untouched since the 1970s and has retained almost all of its varied historic architecture. The island offers interesting sites including submarine docks, gun towers like “Navarone� and tunnels kilometers long through the hills.
You arrive at the Blue Grotto, one of the best known natural beauty spots in Croatia, because of the glowing blue light that appears at certain times of day. After exploring the cave and enjoying lunch, you sail for the town of Vis with its long promenade with a number of good restaurants offering fresh fish and lobster. We recommend restaurant Kaliopa where all the tables are spread out in a romantic and beautiful garden filled with palm trees and flowers. The evening festivities kick off at Fort George, an old fort built in 1813 by the British Royal Navy. Here you enjoy the fresh ocean breeze while ordering a drink at the bar and overlooking the boats at anchor in the bay.
Wednesday You sail towards the tiny, densely forested and stunningly beautiful island of Lastovo, one of the islands where time seems to have stopped. We head for the hidden bay of Zaclopaticsa (a bay with an unforgettable sunset) where we anchor for the night and to enjoy dinner in a traditional Dalmatian tavern.
Thursday Today’s destination is Mljet, the greenest island on the Adriatic. It’s believed Odysseus’ cave is situated under the village of Babino Polje. One-third of the island is a National Park, characterized by two deep bays which are called lakes due to their narrow passages to the open sea (Veliki and Malo jezero; the Great Lake and the Small Lake). The salinity of the water in the lakes is bit lower than in the sea, due to intake of fresh waters. There is a tiny island in one of the lakes called Melita with a 12th century Benedictine monastery.
Friday After breakfast, you depart for Dubrovnik. Enjoy the beautiful views along the way towards ‘the heaven on earth’ – as described by the writer George Bernard Shaw You arrive in the late afternoon, ready to take in the vast cultural and historic heritage of Dubrovnik. Take a walk through the famous Stradun – both a street and a square, a promenade inside the city walls. You can also walk around the walls.
Saturday After breakfast, it is time to say goodbye to your crew and disembark the yacht to transfer to the airport or to your local hotel to enjoy the weekend in Dubrovnik before flying home on Sunday.
“We had tremendous fun sailing, stopping somewhere beautiful for lunch, touring the stunning islands, soaking up the sun on deck and all being together for drinks and nibbles before dinner each night. I think we all truly relaxed over the week, a real break away from everything.� Jo
As you arrange your own flights, you could tag on a stay in a hotel in Dubrovnik before or after your sail! The choice of airline and hotel is yours!
WEATHER
The climate of the Croatian coast is ideal. With blue skies and consistent warm weather it is one of the sunniest coastlines in Europe. Water temperatures average 22ยบC. Winds are generally reliable, from a north-westerly direction, and range between 5 and 20 knots, occasionally reaching 25 knots in the afternoon.
YOUR YACHT
Escape Yachting sails some of the newest and most innovative sail and power monohull and catamaran yachts in the charter market, all of which are professionally maintained and offer you great comfort and plenty of space. Your private, double cabin stateroom comes with en-suite toilet and shower. During your holiday, you can get involved with sailing the yacht, under the guidance of your professional crew, or just sit back and relax. The choice is yours!
Ask us about sailing holidays to other stunning worldwide destinations: The Caribbean, including the Grenadines Europe: Channel Islands, France, Italy and Greece South East Asia: Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Borneo, the Philippines and Hong Kong Canadian Pacific: sailing from Vancouver up coast of British Columbia to Desolation Sound Wherever you go, you will enjoy a holiday of a lifetime!
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION Please email us at reservations@escapeyachting.com for dates of our shared charter trips. For private, exclusive groups please contact us with your preferred dates. The price of your sailing holiday is only £250 per person per day, and includes: • • • • •
Accommodation sharing a double en suite cabin. Individual guests are invited to contact us to discuss single supplements and other options. All meals and drinks, as described in the brochure and on your confirmation. All-inclusive is breakfast, lunch and dinner with local beer, spirits or house wine, snacks and pre-dinner cocktails. Return transfers from the airport or your local hotel to the yacht. Cruising taxes, customs and immigration fees whilst on the yacht. Yacht fuel, mooring fees, bedding, towels, water and ice.
The price of your sailing holiday does not include: • • •
Travel insurance Personal expenses – drinks and meals ashore, laundry, visa and passport charges, vaccinations, activities or excursions (where not included on your confirmation). Gratuities for your skipper and crew.
DOCUMENTATION After you have reserved your date, you will be sent your booking form and payment information. After we have received your booking form and deposit (or full payment if less than 8 weeks before departure) you will be sent your holiday confirmation. WEATHER The wind and sailing conditions described in this brochure give you a guide of the conditions to expect. Please bear in mind, however, that conditions can vary. VISAS AND PASSPORTS Whilst we are able to provide basic advice to our guests regarding passports and visa requirements, you should check with the appropriate embassy or the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (www.fco.gov.uk) for the exact requirements and advice for your chosen holiday and date of travel. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct passport and visas to gain access to any country included in your holiday. If you fail to do so, we have no liability to you for any cost, loss or damage which you suffer, nor will we refund you the cost of any unused portion of your holiday. In some cases, countries will refuse entry to people who have criminal records. Should you be concerned about this, please check with the embassy of the countries to which you will be travelling. The lead name on the booking is entirely responsible for ensuring that all members of the group have the correct and valid documentation for travel. We cannot accept responsibility for any failure to comply resulting in costs or fines being incurred and we advise to check if you have any queries.
HEALTH We are able to advise on mandatory health requirements; however, we are not medical experts. It is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain proper and detailed medical advice at least two months prior to travel for the latest health requirements, recommendations for your destination and any costs. Where you do not do so and either are not allowed to enter any country, or suffer personal injury or death as a result, we have no liability to you for any cost, loss or damage which you suffer nor will we refund you the cost of any unused portion of your travel arrangements. Guests with existing medical problems, pregnant women and anyone who has recently visited other countries should check requirements with their GP. When assessing whether your sailing holiday will go ahead we use information and advice from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other relevant government bodies. It is your responsibility to acquaint yourself with the travel advice provided by these government bodies. At the time of publishing this brochure no compulsory vaccinations were required for British Citizens visiting any of the countries featured in our sailing holiday programme, however some precautions may be recommended for travel to some of our destinations. We strongly recommend that you refer to the NHS travel health website www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home or consult your GP. All expectant mothers should carry a medical certificate confirming the stage of pregnancy and fitness to travel. Please check your travel insurance policy for any restrictions. DISABLED TRAVELLERS We are not a specialist disabled holiday company, but we will do our utmost to cater for any special requirements you may have. Due to the nature of a sailing holiday and the facilities on a yacht, guests who require support or advice prior to booking, should please contact us by email on reservations@escapeyachting.com or telephone 01202 313607.
MINIMUM AGE There is no minimum age for children on our sailing holidays, but please contact us by email on reservations@escapeyachting.com or telephone 01202 313607 prior to booking as some of our sailing holidays are only for adult guests. LUGGAGE Aside from your airline luggage allowance, you are limited to what you can store in your cabin and we recommend you use a collapsible bag for ease of stowage on board. CURRENCY & CREDIT CARDS International credit and debit cards are widely accepted throughout Croatia. The local currency is the Kuna but Euros are also widely accepted locally. There are banks and ATMs on most islands, but not all. SPECIAL REQUESTS Any special request, including special dietary requirements, must be advised in writing well in advance of departure. We will make every reasonable effort to make arrangements for you. CLOTHING On board the yacht and, generally, throughout Croatia, casual attire is acceptable during the daytime and smart casual is usual in the evenings, especially at restaurants ashore. For advice or further information please contact us by email on reservations@escapeyachting.com or telephone 01202 313607.
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