Sailing from Dubrovnik: Elaphites, Mljet and Montenegro
Sailing from Dubrovnik gives you a compact week with short legs: the city walls and Lokrum seen from the water, the three inhabited Elaphite islands a few miles offshore, the saltwater lakes of Mljet National Park and the old harbour town of Cavtat. A realistic loop covers roughly 95 to 105 nautical miles, with one long day to Mljet and back and short hops the rest of the week. With the right paperwork you can also add the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, about 20 miles beyond Cavtat.
Where to charter a yacht for a Dubrovnik sailing week?
Charter yachts for this area are based around Dubrovnik; see the yacht charter boats in Dubrovnik, or compare every base on our Croatia yacht charter page. Charter weeks usually run Saturday to Saturday. To skipper bareboat you need a licence the charter company accepts (see boat licence in Croatia and the ICC); otherwise hire a skipper or book a crewed yacht. Charter yachts from local bases can be booked on Ship O'Hoi, bareboat or with a skipper.
A 7-day sailing itinerary from Dubrovnik
The loop below assumes a Saturday check-in and a return to base at the time in your charter contract. All distances are approximate: plan every leg with up-to-date charts and a pilot book, and switch days around to suit the wind.
Day 1: Check-in at the base
Most crews spend the first evening at the base, stocking up and doing the safety briefing. Overnight: for example ACI marina Dubrovnik in Komolac, about 6 km from the old town, open all year and with a fuel station and a grocery store. Tip: the approach runs up a river inlet between 170 and 400 m wide; past Rožat it becomes narrower and shallower, with 3 to 5 m of water, so take it slowly.
Day 2: Old town, Lokrum and Koločep (approx. 12–14 nm)
Motor down the inlet (approx. 3 nm to the mouth at Cape Kantafig), round the Lapad peninsula and run along the city walls to Lokrum, the green island in front of the old harbour. Lokrum is a protected reserve: every visitor needs a ticket, including those arriving by their own boat, and the short mooring stretch on the island's quay may be used for a maximum of one hour. Then cross west to Koločep, also called Kalamota, the Elaphite island closest to Dubrovnik and known for its sea caves. Overnight: at anchor in a bay sheltered from the forecast wind; the harbour quay at Donje Čelo is reserved for ferries and local boats. Tip: no smoking, fires or drones on Lokrum, and nobody may stay on the island after the reserve's last boat has left.
Day 3: Lopud and Šunj to Šipanska Luka (approx. 9–11 nm)
Lopud is car-free, with a Franciscan monastery above the village. Its best-known swim stop is Šunj on the south-east side, the most famous sandy beach in the Dubrovnik area, with shallow water. Anchor well off the shallow head of the bay, clear of the swimmers' buoy line. In the afternoon sail on to Šipan, the largest Elaphite island, and into the long bay of Šipanska Luka. Overnight: at anchor in the bay, or on the town quay, where a stretch is set aside for commercial berthing; keep clear of the passenger-boat berth. Tip: Šunj is completely open to jugo, so leave at the first sign of a south-easterly.
Day 4: Šipan to Mljet National Park, Polače (approx. 19–22 nm)
The first open-water leg runs west along the Elaphites and across open water to the north coast of Mljet. The national park covers almost a third of the island, at its western end, with two deep saltwater bays, Malo jezero and Veliko jezero, and a Benedictine monastery on St Mary's islet. Overnight: Polače, where the park allows berthing at the quay and anchoring in Luka Polače bay. Tip: you need the park's entrance ticket for the vessel from the moment you enter park waters; it covers the boat only, not the lakes.
Day 5: Polače to Pomena and the lakes (approx. 5–6 nm)
A short hop leaves the day for the lakes. Footpaths link both Polače and Pomena with Malo and Veliko jezero, and the visitor ticket includes a boat trip to St Mary's islet. Overnight: Pomena, with berthing at the quay or anchoring in Lokva bay and towards the islet of Pomeštak. Tip: only rowing boats may enter Malo jezero, and visitors are carried on Veliko jezero only by park-authorised boats, so leave the dinghy behind.
Day 6: Mljet back past the Elaphites to Cavtat (approx. 40–45 nm, or split it)
This is a long day, so start early, or break it with a night back in the Elaphites and shorten the rest of the week. Pass Šipan, Lopud and the old town again and cross the wide bay of Župa to Cavtat, the ancient Epidaurus, set on a peninsula around a well-protected bay. Overnight: Cavtat harbour, where the town also has a harbour master's branch office; the port assigns berths. Tip: Cavtat is sheltered from bura and jugo, but westerly and south-westerly winds can raise a sea inside the harbour.
Day 7: Cavtat to the base (approx. 10–12 nm)
Sail back along the coast, past the old town and Lokrum one more time, and up the inlet to Komolac to refuel and check in. Tip: Rijeka Dubrovačka is one of the places the Croatian met service names as a known bura spot, so expect stronger gusts in the inlet than out at sea.
The Montenegro option: the Bay of Kotor
From Cavtat the entrance to the Bay of Kotor is roughly 17 to 20 nm further south-east, and the old town of Kotor at the far end of the bay is about 12 to 15 nm further in. Leaving Croatia by yacht means crossing the external Schengen border, so you must clear out at a maritime border crossing (Dubrovnik all year, or the seasonal crossing in Cavtat) and then leave Croatian waters by the shortest route. In Montenegro, clear in at a port with border control: the Montenegro tourist board lists Zelenika, the Port of Kotor, Porto Montenegro in Tivat, Kumbor-Portonovi and, in season, Budva. On the way back you clear in again at a Croatian border crossing. Most charter contracts limit where you may sail, so ask the charter company before you plan it; it can tell you about crew lists, fees and the papers you need. Realistically the detour needs at least two extra days, so it fits best in place of Mljet.
| Leg | Distance | Overnight | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check-in | – | ACI marina Dubrovnik (Komolac) | Provisioning, briefing |
| Base – Lokrum – Koločep | approx. 12–14 nm | Anchorage off Koločep | City walls from the sea |
| Koločep – Lopud – Šipanska Luka | approx. 9–11 nm | Šipanska Luka bay | Šunj sandy beach |
| Šipan – Polače (Mljet) | approx. 19–22 nm | Polače quay or bay | Mljet National Park |
| Polače – Pomena | approx. 5–6 nm | Pomena quay or Lokva bay | Saltwater lakes, St Mary's islet |
| Pomena – Cavtat | approx. 40–45 nm | Cavtat harbour | Old harbour town |
| Cavtat – base | approx. 10–12 nm | Base | Last swim, check-in |
Rules and safety around Dubrovnik
- Mljet National Park: visiting vessels need an entrance ticket for the vessel; the fee depends on boat size and length of stay. Anchoring is allowed only in designated areas, for example off Polače and Pomena, and is banned in a list of bays including Zaklopita, Bijela and Liskanje. The speed limit is 5 knots within 150 m of the coast. Avoid seagrass when anchoring, and do not discharge wastewater, oily water or toilets.
- Lokrum Reserve: a ticket is required for every visitor, whether you come on the official ferry or by your own boat. The reserve's code of conduct bans fires, smoking, drones and leaving the marked paths.
- Near beaches and speed: do not anchor within 50 m of the fence of an organised beach or 150 m of the shore of a natural beach. Within 300 m of the coast, in narrow channels and at the approaches to harbours and anchorages, the limit is 8 knots (navigation safety regulation); inside Mljet National Park it is 5 knots within 150 m of the coast.
- Fees and papers: Croatia requires a navigation safety fee (the vignette, via the Ministry of the Sea's eNautika service) and a tourist tax for boaters; charter companies normally handle these and the crew list. Our guide to Croatia sailing rules and fees has the detail.
- Licence: in Croatia you need a recognised licence to skipper a bareboat yacht or drive any rented motorboat, however small the engine, and a VHF radio certificate for bareboat. An ICC valid for coastal waters is accepted; with a hired skipper you need neither.
- Weather: the DHMZ marine forecast for the Adriatic is published in English and other languages. DHMZ describes jugo as a steady, strong south-easterly that is more frequent and intense in the Middle and South Adriatic, while bura is gusty and blows from the north-east.
Best time to sail from Dubrovnik
The sailing season runs roughly from April or May to October. Mljet National Park opens daily from spring, and Lokrum closes to visitors in winter, so check both official sites for the current dates. According to DHMZ, summer on the Adriatic is dominated by stable, clear weather with a sea breeze by day and a land breeze at night, broken now and then by cold fronts that bring stronger wind and thunderstorms. Bura and jugo are more frequent and stronger in the colder months, and spring brings frequent, sudden changes, so in April, May and October keep a spare day in the plan. Summer thunderstorms from the west are also the one thing that makes Šipanska Luka uncomfortable.
FAQ
How far is it from Dubrovnik to Mljet by sailing yacht?
From Šipan to Polače on Mljet is roughly 19 to 22 nm, and from Mljet straight back to Dubrovnik about 33 to 36 nm. That is why the loop visits Mljet in the middle of the week.
Can I sail from Croatia to Montenegro on a charter yacht?
Only if the charter company allows it. You clear out at a Croatian maritime border crossing such as Dubrovnik or Cavtat (seasonal), clear in at a Montenegrin port of entry such as Zelenika or Kotor, and repeat the process on the way back. Ask the charter company about the formalities.
Can I moor at Lokrum overnight?
No. Lokrum is a reserve, nobody may stay on the island after the last reserve boat has left, and the short mooring stretch on the quay allows a maximum of one hour. See the island from the water, or go ashore for a short visit with a ticket.
Which Elaphite island is best for an overnight stop?
Šipanska Luka on Šipan, a long bay at the north-west end of the island, is the most sheltered of the three. Lopud's Šunj bay is perfect for a daytime swim, but it is open to jugo.
More sailing guides for South Dalmatia
If you have one-way options, the Split to Dubrovnik sailing itinerary covers Hvar, Korčula, Lastovo and Mljet in a single week. For a loop further north, read our guide to sailing from Split to Hvar and Brač.
