Suggested routes through the Adriatic and the Indian Ocean, from your embarkation base to the anchorages worth the detour. A starting point, not a fixed schedule.
Pick a region to see our suggested routes. Every itinerary is a starting point you can shape around your own pace, the weather, and what you most want to see.
Trogir is a great base for all three of these because it sits right in the middle of the Dalmatian coast – close enough to Split’s airport for easy embarkation, but far enough from the crowds that you can slip out of the marina and be at anchor within the hour. All distances below are worked out for a cat cruising at roughly 8 knots, so you get a realistic feel for how long each leg actually takes under sail.
Sailing days 1–6, back in Trogir on the evening of Day 6, inspection and check-out on Day 7.
Day 1 – Trogir to Maslinica, Šolta (10 nm, about 1.5 hrs) Easy first afternoon. Maslinica is a small harbour on the western tip of Šolta with a scattering of little islets right offshore – a proper soft landing for your first night before the longer days ahead. The Martinis Marchi castle overlooking the bay has been turned into a boutique hotel and makes for a nice sundowner spot.
Day 2 – Maslinica to Komiža, Vis (30 nm, about 3.75 hrs) This is one of the longest open-water crossings of the week and it’s worth every mile. Vis was closed to foreign visitors for decades when it was a military base, which is exactly why it still feels so untouched. Komiža is the fishing town on the western side – narrow stone streets, a strong fishing tradition, and none of the polish you’ll find elsewhere.
Day 3 – Komiža to Hvar Town (about 28 nm / 3.5 hrs, via a detour past the Blue Cave) Swing past Biševo on your way out for a look at the Blue Cave – the light show inside at midday is genuinely worth the small detour. Then it’s on to Hvar Town, all baroque stone and superyachts, with a 13th-century fortress looking down over the harbour. You’ll sail right past the Pakleni Islands as you come in, so there’s still a nice view of them even without an overnight stop there this time.
Day 4 – Hvar Town to Korčula Town (about 32 nm / 4 hrs) The other big crossing of the week. Korčula’s old town sits on a small peninsula and is often called “Little Dubrovnik,” minus the crowds – its fishbone street layout was designed centuries ago to funnel sea breeze through the town and keep the wind off the main street. Marco Polo is said to have been born here, and the locals are more than happy to tell you about it.
Day 5 – Korčula to Postira, Brač (30 nm, about 3.75 hrs) Postira is a working fishing village on the north side of Brač, best known as the birthplace of the writer Vladimir Nazor and for the local pršut and cheese you’ll find in the little konobas along the harbour. A nice, low-key contrast to Hvar and Korčula before you head back.
Day 6 – Postira to Trogir (18 nm, about 2.25 hrs) Sail back into Trogir with plenty of the day still ahead of you, so there’s time for a last swim stop before the boat goes in for its inspection.
Day 7 – Technical inspection and check-out. Boat stays at the marina; guests disembark in the morning as normal.
Sailing days 1–6, back in Trogir on the evening of Day 6, inspection and check-out on Day 7.
Day 1 – Trogir to Rogoznica (12 nm, about 1.5 hrs) An easy embarkation-day sail up to Rogoznica, a sheltered little town built around a horseshoe bay. It’s a good diving spot too, with a couple of wrecks nearby if anyone on board is into that.
Day 2 – Rogoznica to Zlarin (about 20 nm / 2.5 hrs, via the Šibenik channel) Route this one through the Šibenik channel for the scenery – it’s a dramatic narrow passage between limestone cliffs. Zlarin itself is known as the “golden island,” historically famous for coral diving and jewellery, and it’s completely car-free, which makes for a very peaceful evening walk.
Day 3 – Zlarin to Kornati (Piškera) (about 22 nm / 2.75 hrs) This is where the scenery changes completely – bare white rock, deep blue water, and barely any vegetation. Piškera has a small marina and restaurant and is a good base for a day spent weaving between the park’s islets and channels.
Day 4 – Kornati (Piškera) to Murter, via Telašćica Bay (about 28 nm / 3.5 hrs) Detour south to Telašćica Bay on Dugi Otok on your way out of the park – it’s a nature park in its own right, with cliffs on one side dropping 160 metres straight into the sea and a saltwater lake on the other. Murter is a proper sailing town, low-key and full of working boatyards.
Day 5 – Murter to Primošten (18 nm, about 2.25 hrs) Primošten was originally a small island connected to the mainland by a causeway, and the old town still has that fortified, huddled-together look. It’s also become known for its vineyards – the Babić grape grown on the stony slopes nearby produces a distinctive local red worth trying at dinner.
Day 6 – Primošten to Trogir (12 nm, about 1.5 hrs) Short sail back to base, in good time before the boat’s inspection.
Day 7 – Technical inspection and check-out. Boat stays at the marina; guests disembark in the morning as normal.
Sailing days 1–13, back in Trogir on the evening of Day 13, inspection and check-out on Day 14. Twelve different stops over twelve nights – enough time to properly cover mid-Dalmatia on the way down, spend real time on the quieter southern islands, see Dubrovnik itself, and come back along a different route so nothing repeats.
Heading South
Day 1 – Trogir to Milna, Brač (15 nm, about 1.9 hrs) Milna sits in one of the best natural harbours on Brač, tucked in and well protected – historically that’s exactly why it became an important stop for merchant ships. Pretty pastel houses climb up from the water and it’s a gentle way to start a long trip.
Day 2 – Milna to Hvar Town (22 nm, about 2.75 hrs) Onto Hvar’s harbour, dominated by the Spanish Fortress above town and the Franciscan monastery along the waterfront. Whatever you think of the nightlife, the setting itself is one of the best on the coast.
Day 3 – Hvar Town to Korčula Town (about 35 nm / 4.4 hrs) The longest passage of the trip so far, straight down to Korčula’s old town – fishbone streets, the cathedral, and the (disputed but fun) claim to be Marco Polo’s birthplace.
Day 4 – Korčula to Lastovo (22 nm, about 2.75 hrs) Lastovo is genuinely remote – it was a closed military zone until the 1990s and still gets a fraction of the visitors nearby islands do. The whole island is a nature park, the old town climbs a hillside in tiers, and the chimneys on the traditional houses are famously shaped like little crowns.
Day 5 – Lastovo to Mljet (Polače) (25 nm, about 3.1 hrs) Mljet is one of the greenest islands in the Adriatic and much of the western half is a national park built around two interconnected saltwater lakes. Polače has Roman ruins right on the waterfront and makes a good jumping-off point for a day exploring the lakes by dinghy or bike.
Day 6 – Mljet to Šipan, Elaphiti Islands (22 nm, about 2.75 hrs) Šipan is the largest of the Elaphiti Islands and about as peaceful as it gets – olive groves, old stone summer villas built by Dubrovnik nobility centuries ago, and barely any traffic of any kind.
Day 7 – Šipan to Dubrovnik (12 nm, about 1.5 hrs) Short approach to Dubrovnik. Nothing really needs explaining here – the city walls, the Old Town, the marble streets – it’s worth a full day or two at anchor before you turn around.
Heading Back North
Day 8 – Dubrovnik to Pelješac (Trstenik) (22 nm, about 2.75 hrs) Trstenik sits right in the heart of the Dingač and Postup wine country, some of Croatia’s best red wine appellations, grown on impossibly steep slopes facing the sea. Ston, famous for its oyster beds and its enormous defensive walls, is a short trip away too if you fancy a detour.
Day 9 – Pelješac to Šćedro (28 nm, about 3.5 hrs) Šćedro is a tiny, largely uninhabited island just south of Hvar – no real town to speak of, just a couple of quiet coves and excellent snorkelling. A good, calm night after Dubrovnik’s buzz.
Day 10 – Šćedro to Komiža, Vis (20 nm, about 2.5 hrs) Back to Vis, but on the return leg this time – Komiža’s old fishing harbour and its long tradition of the “falkuša,” the traditional wooden fishing boat once used for the crossing all the way to Italian fishing grounds.
Day 11 – Komiža to Bol, Brač (30 nm, about 3.75 hrs) Bol is home to Zlatni Rat, the famous shifting-sand spit that’s probably the most photographed beach in Croatia, and it’s also one of the best windsurfing spots on the coast if the maestral is blowing in the afternoon.
Day 12 – Bol to Maslinica, Šolta (17 nm, about 2.1 hrs) Second-to-last night at Maslinica on Šolta – small, sheltered, and a calm way to wind down before heading back to base.
Day 13 – Maslinica to Trogir (10 nm, about 1.25 hrs) Easy final sail back into Trogir marina, in good time before the boat goes in for its inspection.
Day 14 – Technical inspection and check-out. Boat stays at the marina; guests disembark in the morning as normal.
Both routes start and finish at Eden Island Marina on Mahé, working through the granitic inner islands at an easy pace, with the longer loop pushing north to the remote seabird reserves.
Sailing days 1–5, back at Eden Island on the evening of Day 6 (the last sailing day doubles as the return leg), inspection and check-out on Day 7.
Day 1 – Eden Island to Ste Anne Marine National Park (4 nm, about 30 min) Barely a sail at all, which is the point on embarkation day. Ste Anne park is a scatter of small islands just off Victoria, with decent coral and clear, calm water – Moyenne Island in particular has a nice story, a British journalist bought it in the 1960s and spent the rest of his life turning it into a private tortoise sanctuary before donating it to the nation.
Day 2 – Ste Anne to Praslin (Anse Volbert / Côte d’Or) (about 28 nm / 3.5 hrs) The big crossing of the week, straight across open water to Praslin. Anse Volbert on the north coast is a long, gently curving beach with a proper little village strip behind it – a good spot to stretch your legs and get a feel for the island before heading inland.
Day 3 – Praslin to La Digue (about 4 nm, a short hop) Short crossing to La Digue, which still runs almost entirely on bicycles and ox-carts rather than cars. Anse Source d’Argent, with its huge pink granite boulders and shallow turquoise water, is one of the most photographed beaches on earth for good reason – go early before the day-trip boats from Praslin arrive.
Day 4 – La Digue to Curieuse Island (about 3 nm, a short hop) Curieuse is a national park in its own right and home to several hundred giant Aldabra tortoises that roam completely free – you’ll likely have one wander right up to you on the boardwalk. It was also once a leper colony, and the old doctor’s house near the jetty is worth a look.
Day 5 – Curieuse to Silhouette Island (about 34 nm / 4.25 hrs) Back across open water, this time to Silhouette – the third-largest island in the granitic Seychelles and one of the wildest, with a jungle-covered interior and peaks over 700 metres. La Passe, the only real settlement, is tiny and relaxed, with good snorkelling right off the beach.
Day 6 – Silhouette to Eden Island (about 20 nm / 2.5 hrs) Final sail back to base, with plenty of the day left over once you’re in – this leg replaces what used to be an extra stop at Port Launay, so it’s a slightly longer final passage than a typical return day, but still a comfortable one.
Day 7 – Technical inspection and check-out. Boat stays at the marina; guests disembark in the morning as normal.
Sailing days 1–12, back at Eden Island on the evening of Day 13, inspection and check-out on Day 14. Twelve different overnight stops – enough time to properly explore Mahé’s own coastline before heading out, spend real days around Praslin and La Digue, and push north as far as Denis Island.
Day 1 – Eden Island to Ste Anne Marine National Park (4 nm, about 30 min) Same easy start – anchor near Moyenne and Round Island for a gentle first night.
Day 2 – Ste Anne to Beau Vallon Bay, Mahé (about 15 nm / 1.9 hrs) Around the northern tip of Mahé to Beau Vallon, the island’s most popular beach and a good spot for an evening ashore – plenty of beach bars and it’s one of the better sunset spots on the island.
Day 3 – Beau Vallon to Port Launay Marine Park & Thérèse Island (about 8 nm / 1 hr) Down the west coast to Port Launay, backed by granite hills that drop almost straight into the sea. Thérèse Island just offshore has some of the best snorkelling on this side of Mahé.
Day 4 – Port Launay to Silhouette Island (about 10 nm / 1.25 hrs) Over to Silhouette, still one of the least-developed of the inner islands thanks to most of it being national park. Worth the walk up to Mon Plaisir plantation house if you’re feeling energetic.
Day 5 – Silhouette to Praslin (Anse Volbert / Côte d’Or) (about 34 nm / 4.25 hrs) The longest crossing of the trip, straight out to Praslin’s north coast and the long sweep of Anse Volbert beach.
Day 6 – Anse Volbert to Baie Ste Anne, Praslin (about 8 nm / 1 hr) Round to the other side of the island for a change of scene, and handily placed for a visit inland to the Vallée de Mai – a UNESCO World Heritage rainforest and the only place on Earth where the coco de mer palm grows wild, producing the largest seed of any plant in the world.
Day 7 – Baie Ste Anne to La Digue (about 5 nm, a short hop) Over to La Digue for the famous granite boulder beaches, best explored slowly by bike once you’re ashore.
Day 8 – La Digue to Curieuse Island (about 3 nm, a short hop) Back to Curieuse for a full day among the giant tortoises and mangrove boardwalks.
Day 9 – Curieuse to Grande Soeur, Sister Islands (about 10 nm / 1.25 hrs) Grande Soeur is one of the “Sister Islands,” a quiet, sparsely developed island northeast of La Digue with excellent diving on the surrounding reefs and none of the crowds you’ll find back around Praslin.
Day 10 – Grande Soeur to Denis Island (about 24 nm / 3 hrs) North to Denis, a small privately run coral island that sits right on the edge of the Seychelles Bank. It’s mostly known as a fishing and diving lodge, but yacht visitors are welcome to anchor and come ashore for lunch or a walk out to the historic lighthouse.
Day 11 – Denis to Aride Island (about 15 nm / 1.9 hrs) Aride is the northernmost of the granitic islands and one of the most important seabird sanctuaries in the Indian Ocean – it holds the world’s largest colony of lesser noddies among several other species. It’s a strict nature reserve, so you’ll anchor in the lee of the island and go ashore only with the resident wardens, but it’s worth arranging in advance.
Day 12 – Aride to Cerf Island, Ste Anne Marine Park (about 30 nm / 3.75 hrs) Long crossing back south to Mahé, landing in the Ste Anne park again but on a different island to where you started – Cerf has a couple of good restaurants right on the beach, a nice way to mark the last night aboard.
Day 13 – Cerf Island to Eden Island (about 6 nm, a short final sail) Short sail back into the marina, in good time before the boat goes in for its inspection.
Day 14 – Technical inspection and check-out. Boat stays at the marina; guests disembark in the morning as normal.
A couple of practical notes: Aride and Cousin Islands are strictly managed nature reserves and landing requires prior arrangement through their conservation trusts, so it’s worth sorting that ahead of the charter rather than turning up on the day. Denis and Grande Soeur both have working jetties and welcome yacht guests, but it’s still good practice to radio ahead. As with Croatia, none of the overnight stops repeat across either itinerary, and both now factor in the extra day the boat needs back at base before check-out.