Sunday
Boarding in Dubrovnik (port Gruz) from 11:40 am - 1:00 pm. Soon after we shall set sail for Zaton Veliki or Slano, a picturesque fishing town that lies north of Dubrovnik in an isolated cove which is at the same time a perfect natural port. Before tying up to the dock in one of these two places, we shall drop anchor in a cove on the Elafitis in order to go swimming. Guests arriving later by plane will be transported to Slano or Zaton Veliki and will board the boat in the evening.
Monday
We will sail along the mountainous peninsula of Peljesac (the highest peak is St. Ilija at an altitude of 961m) and head towards the island of Korcula in order to take a swimming break. Korcula’s historical nucleus is one of the most beautiful in Dalmatia and because of its many fortresses is often referred to as “Little Dubrovnik.” In ancient times the island was often referred to as “Black Island” because of the dense pine forests that stretch across the entire island.
Tuesday
One part of the island has been declared a national park – two saltwater lakes (the larger lake contains a small island with a former monastery) which are connected to the sea by a single, narrow channel. You will have an opportunity to visit the National Park (admission to the park includes a boat ride to the monastery and is approximately 13€, payment on the spot). Finally, we will set sail towards Cavtat, a small town 20 km south of Dubrovnik.
Wednesday
After breakfast, and once we have taken care of the formalities regarding customs, we will raise anchor in Cavtat and sail for two hours until we reach the southernmost tip of Croatia, leaving Croatian waters in the direction of Montenegro. We will enter Kotor Bay, which is encircled by high mountains and is 25 km deep into the mainland. After passing border control in the town of Zelenik, we will sail further into the Bay and arrive at the small island of „Gospa od Skrpjela. “ This is a manmade island using rocks buried under the reef. Cultural monuments include a Baroque church that was built in 1630 with more than 70 oil paintings dating back to the 17th century and a museum with Greek and Latin inscriptions as well as weapons and drawings depicting Perast seafarers dating back to the 16th and 19th century. Only a few minutes away by boat is the small town of Perast, where we will dock and spend the night. Due to the developed ship building and trade industry Perast experienced a boom during the 17th and 18th centuries. The Perast fleet numbered as many as 100 ships.
Thursday
We will continue our sail towards Kotor, which is situated at the end of the Bay. Unique city walls surround only a small triangular nucleus and in the background Mount St. John (260 m). The city walls are 5 km long, 3-15 m wide and up to 20 m high. After docking in the port in Kotor, we will be greeted by our tourist guide who will take us on a full-day excursion in order to show us the beauty of the “land of black mountains." From Kotor, we follow the hair-pin bends to Lovcen, with a view of the entire bay. We will stop in a place called Njegusi which is known far and wide for its smoked ham. Here we will have an opportunity to snack on smoked ham, sheep cheese, freshly baked bread and a glass of red wine – Vranac. We shall then drive towards Cetinja, the former capital city of Montenegro and the residence of Montenegrin kings. During our sightseeing tour, we will visit the castle of the Montenegrin king Nikola. You will be surprised by the importance of his diplomatic relationships and the fact that he was referred to as the “Father-in-law of Europe.” He knew exactly how to marry off his beautiful daughters to the European royal courtyards. We will then head towards the coast and take a short break for taking pictures at the peak of the small island of Sveti Stefan, the former pirate’s nest and today an exclusive hotel and from there to Budva, the most important tourist destination on the coast of Montenegro. There will be time for sightseeing in the historical nucleus of the city which was completely destroyed during the earthquake of 1979 and was not fully rebuilt and renovated until the later part of the 1980s. You will then have enough free time to stroll through the city, go for coffee or eat ice-cream. If you remember to bring your bathing suit we highly recommend going for a swim at the beautiful Mogren beach, only 5 minutes away from the downtown area of Budva. We will then return to the boat, have dinner at around 8 pm and spend the night in the port in Kotor.
Friday
After breakfast you will have the opportunity to go for a walk along the small streets of the historical nucleus of Kotor, a city with a long maritime tradition that at one time competed with Dubrovnik. At around 10 am there will be a customs check since we will be departing from Kotor and Montenegro. After a four-hour sail, we will arrive in Cavtat. Following another customs check, we will head towards one of the nearby coves where we will stop for a swimming break before continuing our journey towards the Elaphite islands. Overnight stay on one of the following islands – Sipan, Kolocep or Lopud.
Saturday
After dropping anchor one last time in the cove so that we may go for a swim, our sailboat will take us to the port in Dubrovnik during lunchtime (30 minute walking distance from the historical nucleus of the city or a bus ride with a bus stop not far from where our boat will be. The bus departs every 15 min, the bust ticket is 10 kn, and the last bus departs at around 2:00 am). After lunch our tour guide will take us a on a sightseeing tour of the city (a bus ride, payment on the spot). You will have enough free time afterwards to take a stroll on the famous promenade known as Stradun and enjoy the city walls and numerous other cultural points of interest. Dinner and overnight stay on the boat.
Sunday
After breakfast we shall disembark around 9 am.
