Why a sailboat cruise of Croatia is a hit with young travellers - Scotland on Sunday Travel

A whistlestop Adriatic sea sailing tour of Croatia’s beaches, night life and history.

A Sail Croatia ship. Pic: Sail Croatia/PA.

Holidays as a young-ish adult for me come with three requirements: can I relax, can I try something new, and can I have some drinks and a good time along the way?

With its well-shaken cocktail of rich history, sun-drenched coastline, options for both adventure and mellow, party-loving people, it doesn’t take long on my first visit to Croatia to realise the Mediterranean paradise ticks all my boxes.

My quest is to decide if all those Sail Croatia television ads are telling it like it is and whether this – a cruise – really is the best way for young holidaymakers to get stuck into Croatian day and night life.

A harbour in Stari Grad, Croatia. Pic: Alamy/PA.

My partner and I booked Sail Croatia’s Explorer trip, billed as “best suited for couples, young professionals and ‘young at heart’ travellers” and our week of tranquil days and raucous evenings on the Explorer proves just the right level of party for this 30-year-old.

My partner and I are setting off on the Salve Di Mare, a 49-metre, steel-hulled sailboat fit to carry 40 guests along the Dalmatian coast from Split to Dubrovnik and back, with prices starting at £749 per person for seven nights.

The boat is pleasant, with soft wood furnishings, a wide sun deck of loungers on its roof and even a Jacuzzi behind its prow. We are welcomed on board by a Croatian crew who serve a three-course lunch in the vessel’s gilded bar and dining area – a daily meal which, along with a buffet breakfast, is included in the price.

There’s a broad range of ages on board, all adults but a mix of young couples, older retirees and many, many Australians.

Ziplining across Cetina, Croatia. Pic: Sail Croatia/PA.

Complete with a large double bed and warm shower, our room has everything we need and our first stop that evening is Makarska, a port town a short journey from Split, known for its beaches and nightlife, where we enjoy a pizza and a €4.10/£3.50 Karlovacko Croatian beer or two.

As a country driven by tourism, prices in Croatia are comparatively expensive but rarely close to the London prices I’m used to. Though, as our boat’s Croatian guide reminds us, cash is king so make sure you have some Euros.

The following morning, it’s time for our first swim stop. Daily dips into the azure waters of the Adriatic sea become the highlight across the journey. Diving off the back of the boat in a series of idyllic coves, the calm, cool Croatian sea could be bottled as the ultimate hangover cure.

The island of Hvar is our next destination, a long narrow island where we first stop in the fortified town of Korcula. Out for dinner, we enjoy some Grk wine, a €7/£6 a glass white local to the region with a hardy but sweet flavour.

Dubrovnik. Pic: Alamy/PA.

On our third day we’re already hooked by this lifestyle, dipping into place after beautiful place and enjoying getting to know fellow sailors from all over the world. But it’s our next stop where perhaps I would like more time to linger.

Dubrovnik is a magical city, with an old town of polished marble streets which you could easily get lost in and enjoy for a week or more, but our whistlestop walking tour is a wonderful toe-dip into what’s on offer.

The history of the 13th-century old town is deeply rich, while the castle walls are eminently recognisable as the filming location for King’s Landing from Game Of Thrones. The guide’s lessons that stay with me include that the people of Dubrovnik once used the elbow as a unit of measurement, and there is a bar by the steps where Cersei Lannister walked naked in shame during the city’s famous HBO show, which serves “shamejito” cocktails and “shameburgers”.

The walking tour ends with one of the most idyllic beers I’ve ever had, in a lively bar carved into a cliff beneath the city’s walls as the sun sets over the sea.

Diving from the Salve Di Mare into the Adriatic Sea on a Sail Croatia Explorer trip. Pic: Edd Draycott/PA.

That evening we head to a club called Dancelectric – a cavernous stone hall within the castle walls. With lights, thumping European music and historical setting, it’s a bit like a rave in the Tower of London – what’s not to like?

After another brain-clearing dip in the ocean next morning, we’re off to to the island of Mljet for a cycle through the national park, one of the boat’s optional excursions, where we dodge sea urchins for a dip in the park’s salt lakes and a beer on a miniature island.

The next day we’re in the town of Hvar, with a walk to the nearby fortress and superb night life. After a meal of black risotto with mussels and clams, we enjoy margaritas and rakia shots with a side order of cheesy music in a buzzing bar by the marina.

The ancient town of Stari Grad follows, where wine tasting tours are available as a €30/£26 optional excursion. I opt for a trip to the beach before a few glasses of rose watching the sunset over the dock.

Suddenly, it’s our penultimate day and our big, adventurous optional excursion – ziplining across Cetina, one of Croatia’s largest canyons. Flying through leafy scenery at a dizzying height, the €80/£69 add-on is worth it for the views as much as the adrenaline – which you could also seek from bungee jumping and river rafting options.

Back in Split after a week of sailing, hours of swimming and socialising, I ask our sailing guide, Vicko Ledina, what makes his country – and this waterborne way of seeing it – so special.

“Rome or the Amalfi Coast can be overcrowded,” he says. “In Croatia, you can breathe, always find that table for two and enjoy silence. And once you board a boat, everything opens up for you.”

I have to say, I agree.

How to plan your trip

Sail Croatia’s seven-night Explorer cruises, departing weekly from Split and Dubrovnik, start from from £749pp (two sharing), including breakfast, lunch, wifi plus Captain’s dinner. Departures between April and October (sail-croatia.com; 020 4525 7534). Flights extra.