grand voyage
that you have to meander through, river cruise style, to get ashore. While there ends up being only
one off-the-ship swim stop during the week, I am more than happy chilling out on the roomy sun deck soaking up the views under a blanket – the late summer northerly wind, Bura, has some bite.
HISTORY AND NATURE Novice sailors will appreciate the generally calm sea on this particular route, although we encounter the full force of Croatia’s famous wind one evening, which delays our arrival into Korcula. But that’s not going to stop our
fun. The Massimo cocktail bar is at the top of the Medieval tower, and while -adventurous types can stop and drink on the first level, we put personal liability to one side and climb the steep ladder to the top, to enjoy the far-reaching views and cocktails that arrive by pulley. A visit to the lush Krka National
Park in Sibenik is the perfect antidote to an evening of drinking and dining. We start at the Skradinski Buk waterfall – the longest on the Krka River – before venturing along shaded trails. While we don’t spot any one of the 19 species of resident reptiles, there are plenty of endemic plants to brighten up the walk. This diverse itinerary keeps on giving
24 September 2023
ABOVE: Princess Eleganza; Skradinski Buk waterfall, Krka National Park
The lush Krka National Park is the perfect antidote to an evening of drinking and dining
and the island of Rab, only accessible by boat or ferry, is a personal favourite. Rab is often lauded as the best tourist destination in the Adriatic, and it’s easy to see why, with its pristine old town, stunning medieval architecture and ORQJ bVOHQGHU FRDVWOLQH After soaking up the late-summer
sun on a tranquil pebble beach, we hole up at a Balearic-style beach bar on the coastal path and sip sundowners EHIRUHbKHDGLQJbEDFN WR WKH VKLS “Zadar has the most beautiful
SURFODLPHG ە VXQVHWbLQ WKH ZRUOG filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock about the popular Croatian city. This resonates when I see the sultry sky morph from orange to pink for myself one evening from the ship’s top deck – just like a tropical cocktail. But Hitchcock’s favourite sunset
isn’t the only impressive aspect of cruising the Adriatic coastline: there’s plenty to stop you in your tracks, and seeing it from the water makes LWbHYHQbPRUHbVSHFLDO
Sellin tips elling
) Use small ships to attract first-timers to cruising. Their size makes them more intimate and sailings tend to be less formal than traditional ocean and river journeys.
) Smaller ships mean better access to harder-to-reach parts of the Adriatic coast, offering more-authentic, off-the-beaten-track experiences away from the crowds.
) Small ships are a great way to meet like-minded people: sell the benefits of making friends for life.
BOOK IT: APT Travelmarvel’s eight-day Adriatic Coastal Cruise itinerary from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, costs from £2,795 per person, based on an April 26, 2024, departure. Price includes UHWXUQ ठLJKWV IURP WKH 8.
aptouring.co.uk
travelweekly.co.uk/cruise
PICTURE: SHUTTERSTOCK/MARIAMASLOVA
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
