The small ship that takes you to Dalmatia’s top spots
LADIES! Please! This is an Elegance cruise!’ cries Vedran, our young tour manager, rolling his eyes playfully as eight members of a Californian women’s swimming club drop their bathing suits and dive into the sea.
Emboldened, three more of us strip off and jump in after them.
Splashing about in the altogether, all together, is just one of the bonding moments on a delightfully matey week’s cruise in Croatia, aboard motor yacht Esperanza.
Small enough to get well away from packed beaches on the mainland, Esperanza, with just 17 cabins, takes us to coves on uninhabited islets, dropping anchor in secluded spots which are perfect for impromptu skinny dipping.
Sail Croatia has a variety of cruises ranging from ‘Navigator’ party cruises to our ‘Elegance’ luxury level, for mature holidaymakers who want more space and comfort.
Our cruise among the islands along the Dalmatian coast started in Split, which, since Game Of Thrones was filmed there has become a place of pilgrimage for fans. So this holiday is a balance of sightseeing and escape from the throngs.
Unusually for a cruise, most evening meals are taken ashore at our own expense, but on our first night we are taken to a farm restaurant on the island of Hvar.
Seated at big tables for a feast of cheeses and salamis, followed by peka, a Croatian speciality of slowroasted lamb with glasses of the estate’s own wine, it is a convivial evening getting to know fellow passengers, mostly North American and New Zealander couples. But among the 35 of us there are also solo travellers and families.
In no time we are into a rhythm – sailing after breakfast, sunning ourselves on the top deck, a swim stop from Esperanza’s platform, perhaps a dip in the hot tub, then a three-course lunch. We all opt into the Esperanza WhatsApp group so Vedran can keep us posted on our schedule, and soon we are sharing photos and posting suggestions for drinks or dinner.
At Hvar town we walk from the harbour to the 16th Century Venetian fort, which has sweeping views over red rooftops and superyachts to pine-covered islets.
Dolphins accompany us into the dock beneath the walls of tiny Korcula town, and on Mljet I take a boat across the big lake to little St Mary’s Island, which is almost filled by a Benedictine monastery.
Others hire bicycles and pedal off along forest paths.
Our last day is back in Split where a guided walk takes us through the huge Diocletian’s Palace complex, which has been packed with homes and shops since the fall of the Roman Empire. Captain Mate’s farewell dinner on board is, appropriately, a celebration of new friendships made over amiable adventures at sea and ashore.
Sail Croatia offers seven-night Elegance cruises, round trip from Split or Dubrovnik, from April to October, starting at £1,289pp (sail-croatia.com).