Sailing in Croatia: An Amazing Experience!

Occasionally, your expectations are completely blown away, and you encounter something so incredible that you can’t believe how fortunate you are to experience it. For four days this past week, we sailed the pristine waters of Kornati National Park in Croatia with Funky Tours. Sharing this adventure with the kids, while cruising on such a beautiful vessel with an amazing crew, exceeded every expectation we had.

Our vessel was a 43-foot Lagoon catamaran named Aeternum, and we were only the second group ever to sail on it. Instead of a new-car smell, our cabins had that unmistakable new-boat smell. Our captain, Alem, and our host, Adnan, who told us to call him Hajji, both from Bosnia, were outstanding. The breakfasts and lunches Hajji prepared were delicious, and his desserts were scrumptious. What made the experience even more special was that, aside from Alem and Hajji, the seven of us were the only people on board.

Last year, when Lela suggested a family vacation, I started researching cruising options in Croatia. The internet is an amazing tool for planning a trip, and that’s how I discovered Funky Tours. I first communicated with Ema from Funky Tours in October while Jane and I were in Munich, which made exchanging emails a little easier since we were in the same time zone. I presented the kids with the choice of either a three-night or seven-night sailing adventure, and we decided that three nights would be just right as it gave us the opportunity to explore Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik.

Our journey began on Tuesday when we were picked up in Split and driven 90 minutes to the marina where our adventure would begin. After arriving at Marina Tribunj, we headed into Tribunj Old Town for lunch since we had a few hours before departure. Eventually, we met Alem, who escorted us to the boat. The seven of us were absolutely blown away when we got the “first look”. It was even more impressive than we had imagined. We settled into one of the four cabins (each with its own bathrooms) stowed our bags, and soon set sail. Soon after we launched, we celebrated Lela and Avery’s graduation from medical school.

After about an hour on the water, we anchored for our first swim. Everyone jumped off the front of the boat, and the water was perfect.

A couple of hours later, we docked in Skradin. After enjoying sunset drinks on the rooftop deck, we had a wonderful dinner hosted by Hannah and John at Konoba Dalmatino.

Following dinner, we returned to the boat, played card games, enjoyed a few drinks, stayed up far too late, and laughed our heads off.

Wednesday morning, we took a boat into Krka National Park, famous for its beautiful cascading waterfalls. About two-thirds of the way through our hike, the skies opened and rain poured down in buckets. We were completely soaked and couldn’t wait to get back to the boat for hot showers and dry clothes.

Because of the storm, our departure from Skradin was delayed by a couple of hours. As we waited out the rain, Hajji prepared a delicious lunch of butternut squash soup, beet and feta salad, and a chicken and mushroom dish followed by ice cream drizzled with olive oil for dessert. Before long, the weather cleared and we were underway once again.

On our way to our next destination, Šibenik, we stopped at a floating oyster stand where fresh oysters were delivered directly by boat to our catamaran. By the time we arrived in Šibenik, the rain had passed. We spent about an hour exploring the historic old town before continuing on to Zlarin.

On Zlarin, we watched locals play bocce ball and wandered around the island before heading to a pizzeria where Kyle hosted dinner. Back on the boat afterward, the atmosphere was a bit quieter after Tuesday’s late night. We played cards for an hour or so before calling it an early evening.

The sun returned on Thursday and we did a little island exploring before enjoyed another outstanding breakfast prepared by Hajji. With blue skies and a steady breeze, it was the perfect day for sailing. It was also ideal for getting back in the water, so we made good use of the paddleboard and snorkeling gear. We also had an awesome lunch that Hajji prepared of bolognese, cabbage salad, and a special ice cream dessert.

Later that day, we anchored off the small island of Smokvica Vela, where we had a drink before Hajji led us on a hike to watch the sunset. After the hike, we enjoyed yet another fantastic dinner at Piccolo, dining family-style on red snappers that had been caught fresh that morning.

We closed down the restaurant after midnight and continued the festivities back on the boat, playing drinking games before all of the guys and Lela jumped into the water at 2:00 a.m.

Friday morning was understandably mellow after our wild Thursday night. The sails were back up, making it the perfect setting for naps on the various decks of the catamaran. Because it was windy and noticeably cooler, we skipped swimming that day.

We returned to the marina at 4:30 p.m. and said our goodbyes with big hugs and heartfelt thanks to Alem and Hajji, who had been absolutely outstanding hosts.

The entire four-day catamaran adventure ranks among the best travel experiences I’ve ever had. We can’t recommend Funky Tours highly enough, and if you have the chance to sail with Alem and Hajji, you’re in for something truly special.