Life’s a beach on luxury sailing trip around the stunning Croatian coast

IT’S often been said that in life it’s the journey that matters, and not the destination.

But when your journey is on a beautiful yacht gliding down the coast of Croatia – and your destinations are some of Europe’s most historic cities like Split and Dubrovnik – both are equally as important.

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I spent a week on cruise control aboard the deluxe MV Aquamarin where a pristine cabin, delicious meals, local beers and wines and a tight-knit crew became my second home for a week.

The family-run vessel, a floating boutique hotel, was designed by captain Nicolai in 2017 with his mum even helping out with the warm and welcoming interiors. A mother’s touch never fails to impress.

There’s a sun deck to top up your tan, several swim stops to enjoy plunging into the exhilarating waves – and a hot-tub to enjoy a sundowner before dinner.

We travelled on the Katarina Line vessel from Opitija in the north to Dubrovnik in the south – taking in half a dozen stops along the way.

While you can often feel anonymous on giant cruise ships, on the 140ft Aquamarin I got to know all the crew member’s first names – especially the bar staff Ante and Ivo!

Nothing is too much trouble and they will even pop out while in port to get anything a guest asks for.

On our trip, a lack of tomato juice for Bloody Mary’s was no problem – they got FRESH tomatoes from a local shop and made their own.

While two of the journey’s destinations – Split and Dubrovnik – need no introduction, it was the lesser known spots that I’ll remember most.

The swimming stop at Divna Bay was quite remarkable – the turquoise sea and pebbled beach was beyond beauty. No wonder the word Divna means ‘wonderful’ in Croatian.

Then there was the overnight stay on the stunning island of Korcula, known as ‘Little Dubrovnik’, a hidden gem.

The town, reputed birthplace of explorer Marco Polo, was way ahead of its time when it came to embracing the natural power of nature. It’s built in a fishbone pattern with straight roads to the west – to give a cooling breeze during the summer – and curved roads to the east, to protect from the icy blast in the winter.

We dined at the Adio Mare (konobaadiomare.hr) where I loved the locally caught John Dory, octopus and tuna carpaccio. Wow!

Another lesser known stopover was Zadar, Croatia’s oldest city, with the ‘best sunset in the world’ – according to none other than Alfred Hitchcock.

A tour of the ancient city is now complemented by the enthralling harmony of the unique ‘sea organ’.

The music is created by pipes of different lengths embedded under the sea – but with the ends left open on marble stairs above. As the waves ebb and flow, so does the tubular bells-type sound that is simply unforgettable.

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Dinner at the salubrious Kornat (restaurant-kornat.hr) was stunning beef carpaccio and pork dishes.

For foodies, the stop at Bibich is one to highlight in the diary (bibich.superbexperience.com). The restaurant, set in the winery, made the legendary late chef Anthony Bourdain exclaim ‘Holy s***, that’s good’ repeatedly. I second that!

We enjoyed four wines, two white and two red, with a flights-style tapas selection including cured cheese, olive tapenade and Krka smoked trout.

The fish was caught from the river nearby – a waterway that opens out into the little-known, but absolutely amazing, Krka waterfalls. The seven-strong cascade zig-zags through the countryside and is the highlight of the National Park that surrounds it.

The falls are dotted with former mills and a 15th century Franciscan monastery.

Of course, it’s not all about scenery and history – there’s plenty of fun to be had on your trip.

Split, on the Dalmation coast, saw me come face-to-face with two Roman centurions in a palace as we wandered round the stunning city.

The palace, originally designed as a retirement home for Emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century, left me open-mouthed at the opulence.

Luckily the centurions were game for a laugh and didn’t seem too concerned they had given a Scotsman two swords to wave around.

We then gorged on a gastronomic extravaganza at Trattoria Tinel (trattoria-tinel.com). The surf and turf experience left us with barely any room for pudding – it was a struggle but we managed it in the end.

For more fun, the pirate ship ride with our very own Croatian ‘Jack Sparrow’ took some beating. We took an indigenous vessel through the Neretva valley with our jolly host – who delighted in singing local sea shanties while dishing out the free liquor.

The valley used to be a haven for pirates in olden times and the unique history has now been turned into a bonkers hour-long ride down the river.

After we managed to get back on board the Aquamarin in Metkovic, the pirate theme continued with traditional music on board at the Captain’s Dinner. Bring your glad rags for this – while the dress code on board is casual, this is the night to dress up.

The final stop on the trip was Dubrovnik, probably the most famous of all Croatian tourist spots.

It was already a must-visit for cultured travellers but the city has seen an explosion of interest after Game of Thrones was filmed there.

A walk around the city walls is a must to appreciate the ornate and intricate layout of the city that’s been a UNESCO world heritage site for decades.

We also took the cable car up Srd Hill to appreciate the Old City from height surrounded by the glittering Adriatic (dubrovnikcablecar.com).
Our final dinner of the trip was in the sensational Posat, just outside the old city walls (posat-dubrovnik.com)

The restaurant boasts ‘the best view in Dubrovnik’ with a clear view of the sunset from its raised position. But looking up is hard to do with the stunning selection of dishes on offer.

It specialises in seafood – with the maitre’d bringing round the day’s selection of fresh fish to your table to help you decide what one to go for. Lobster, bream, snapper – it was all there..

We ended up having a selection chosen by the chef including scallops and king prawn, followed by meaty John Dory – the thickness of a doorstop.

Then as quickly as it had begun, I waved goodbye to my floating home and the crew and fellow passengers that had become family.

It’s no wonder the Romans and Greeks have been sailing the Croatian coast for 2500 years, with such wonderful scenery and experiences on offer.

This is one journey I plan to repeat again and again.

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