Kornati National Park by Sailing Yacht: Tickets and Route
Kornati National Park is a maze of bare stone islands with sheer cliffs facing the open sea, only about 7 nm from Murter. A week from Murter or Biograd gives you four nights inside the park: on park buoys at Levrnaka and Kameni Žakan, at anchor off Lavsa and in ACI Piškera. You need a boat ticket for every day in the park, and may stop overnight only in designated bays.
Where to charter a yacht for Kornati?
The closest bases are on Murter island, in the town of Murter and in Jezera, and on the mainland at Biograd na Moru and Drage. For all bases along the coast, see our Croatia page. Charter weeks usually run Saturday to Saturday. To sail bareboat you need a licence the charter company accepts (see boat licence in Croatia and the ICC). If you would rather not skipper yourself, book a skipper or a crewed yacht. Charter yachts from these bases can be booked on Ship O'Hoi, either bareboat or with a skipper.
A 7-day sailing itinerary from Murter
The loop starts in Murter or Jezera. From Biograd or Drage the first and last legs are a few miles longer. Distances are rough estimates, so plan every leg with official charts (ACI recommends HHI 101, 300-32, 100-20, 100-21, MK-14 and Plan 512) and a pilot book.
Day 1–2: Murter – Vrgada – Žut
Approx. 12–15 nm, depending on your base. After Saturday's handover, cross the Murter Sea to car-free Vrgada, whose sandy Pržina beach lies in the shallow St Andrew's bay on the south coast, then continue west to Žut. ACI marina Žut lies just outside the park boundary and has 15 anchoring buoys. Tip: at the time of writing, ACI had temporarily closed the Žut piers until further notice, while the buoys, reception and restaurant stayed open. Check ACI's notices first.
Day 3: Žut – Levrnaka (Anica bay)
Approx. 6–8 nm direct. If you detour out through the Mala Proversa passage and into Telašćica, it is approx. 15 nm. Anica bay on the north side of Levrnaka is one of the most sheltered spots in the Kornati, and the Murter tourist board describes it as safe in all winds. The park has 18 buoys here for boats up to 16 m and 4 for boats up to 26 m. Lojena bay on the same island has another 13 buoys. Tip: Telašćica is a separate protected area. A combined 3-day ticket for Kornati and Telašćica is sold only on the mySea portal. See our Zadar archipelago and Telašćica guide.
Day 4: Levrnaka – Mana and Rašip cliffs – ACI Piškera
Approx. 8 nm. Sail down the seaward side of the chain to see the "crowns", the cliffs that face the open sea. ACI names the ones on Mana and Rašip as the most beautiful. ACI marina Piškera lies between Piškera and Panitula Vela. It is well protected from the bura, less so from southerly winds, and has a restaurant and a small grocery store. Tip: the regular daily berth fee at ACI Piškera includes the park ticket, valid for the day you arrive and the next day until 19:00. ACI warns that the north-west approach between Panitula Vela and Piškera is shallow and full of reefs.
Day 5: Piškera – Lavsa
Approx. 2 nm, a lazy day. The bay on the north coast of Lavsa is one of the safest shelters in the park, according to the Murter tourist board, and anchoring and overnighting are allowed there. Ashore, walk only on marked paths, because all the land in the park is private. Tip: water at ACI Piškera is available only from 8 to 10 a.m., so fill up before you leave.
Day 6: Lavsa – Kameni Žakan
Approx. 4 nm. Head south-east past Ravni Žakan to the buoy field at Kameni Žakan, which has 15 buoys for boats up to 16 m and 3 for boats up to 26 m. Tip: buoys are free with a valid ticket. Each one is marked with the maximum boat length. Tie on by the bow and let the yacht swing.
Day 7: Kameni Žakan – Opat/Smokvica passage – Murter
Approx. 10 nm to Murter or Jezera, and approx. 15–17 nm to Drage or Biograd. Leave the park through the southern entrance between Cape Opat and the island of Smokvica, then cross the Murter Sea back to base. Check what time your charter contract wants the yacht back in base. Tip: the Murter Sea looks gentle, but the local tourist board warns of sudden wind shifts and strong currents.
| Leg | Distance | Overnight | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murter – Vrgada – Žut | approx. 12–15 nm | ACI Žut buoys (outside the park) | Pržina beach on Vrgada |
| Žut – Levrnaka | approx. 6–8 nm (15 via Telašćica) | Park buoys, Anica bay | Shelter in all winds |
| Levrnaka – Piškera | approx. 8 nm | ACI marina Piškera | Mana and Rašip cliffs |
| Piškera – Lavsa | approx. 2 nm | Anchorage, Lavsa bay | Lazy swimming day |
| Lavsa – Kameni Žakan | approx. 4 nm | Park buoys, Kameni Žakan | Southern Kornati |
| Kameni Žakan – Murter | approx. 10 nm | Home base | Opat/Smokvica exit |
Rules and safety in Kornati National Park
The park has its own ordinance. These are the rules that matter on a yacht.
- Boat ticket for every day. Every visitor needs a valid ticket for each day inside the park. The price depends on your boat's length, on whether the day falls in the high season (June to September) and on where you buy it. Tickets bought before you enter the park cost less than those sold by park staff inside. Buy in advance from the official Kornati NP webshop, Parks of Croatia, the mySea portal, commission sellers or the ABA reception in Murter. The park's mobile reception boats sell only 1-day tickets. A 1-day ticket is valid until 12:00 the next day, a 3-day ticket until 12:00 on the fourth day and a 5-day ticket until 12:00 on the sixth day. Tickets are for a fixed date and cannot be cancelled; the date can be changed once per season by email until 12:00 the day before. Current figures are on the park's ticket page.
- No-go zones. Boats and visitors are not allowed in the four strict protection zones. These are around Purara islet with the Klint and Volić reefs (a sea belt of 1,200 m), Mrtenjak (100 m), Kolobučar (250 m) and Mali and Veliki Obručan (200 m).
- Where you may spend the night. You may sail anywhere outside the strict zones, but you may anchor and stay overnight only in the bays the park designates. They include Stiniva, Statival, Lupeška, Tomasovac–Suha punta, Šipnate, Lučica, Kravljačica, Strižnja, Vruje, Gujak, Opat, Smokvica, Ravni Žakan, Lavsa, Piškera–Vela Panitula, Anica on Levrnaka, Podbižanj and Koromašna. The park has 164 eco-friendly buoys at 16 sites, free with a ticket, and a buoy map. The park aims to put buoys in all its designated bays and ban free anchoring completely, so use a buoy where there is one. In the small Kornati harbours, residents and property owners have priority on berths.
- Speed and noise. The speed limit is 8 knots throughout the park. Night quiet runs from 23:00 to 06:00.
- Fishing, diving and nature. The ordinance bans fishing in general, and always in the anchorage bays, strict zones and dive zones. The park does sell its own fishing licence, which you need on top of the ticket, so ask the park before you fish. Spear guns and firearms are banned. Scuba diving is allowed only in organised groups with a park permit. Do not pick plants, collect marine life, light fires outside marked places or stack stones.
- Supplies and emergencies. Stock up in Murter or elsewhere outside the park. Out of season you cannot buy food inside the park at all. In an emergency call 112. The nearest first aid posts are in Murter and Sali, the nearest hospital is in Šibenik, and the diving-accident centre is in Split. The Šibenik harbour master's branch office in Murter uses VHF channels 10 and 16.
- Licence. In Croatia you need a recognised licence to drive any rented motorboat or to skipper a bareboat yacht, however small the engine. For bareboat you also need a VHF radio certificate. An ICC valid for coastal waters is accepted, and with a hired skipper you need neither.
Bura, jugo and maestral
According to the park, the bura (from the north-east) is the most frequent wind in the Kornati, blowing about a fifth of the year. The jugo (from the south-east) is the strongest, and the maestral (from the north-west) dominates in summer. The Croatian met office DHMZ describes the bura as gusty, strong and long-lasting, and the jugo as steady and strong, strongest in open channels. Anica bay is sheltered in all winds and Piškera is good in a bura. In a bura, ACI advises the north side of Žut. Check the DHMZ Adriatic forecast every morning.
Best time to sail Kornati
The park is open all year, but the season for yachts runs roughly from April to October. ACI Piškera and ACI Žut open from 1 April to 31 October, and most taverns in the park open only in the high season. Park figures show warm days (25 °C or more) from May to October. Strong winds (force 6 or more) blow on about 37 days a year, most often in December, and October is the wettest month. The high-season ticket band runs from June to September, so a trip in May or October costs less in tickets. In spring and autumn, allow for bura days.
FAQ
Do I need a ticket if I only sail through Kornati National Park?
Yes. The park says every visitor needs a valid ticket for each day inside its boundaries. Buy it before you enter, because that is cheaper than buying from a park boat.
How much is the Kornati boat ticket?
It depends on your boat's length, the season and whether you buy before entering or inside the park. See the official price list on np-kornati.hr. Your berth fee at ACI Piškera includes the ticket for the day you arrive and the next day until 19:00.
Can I anchor anywhere in the Kornati?
No. You may anchor and stay overnight only in the park's designated bays, and nowhere in the four strict protection zones. Where there are park buoys, use them.
How far is Kornati National Park from Zadar?
The park gives about 15 nm from Zadar and Šibenik, and about 7 nm from Murter.
Where can I get fuel and water?
Plan fuel before you enter. ACI lists the nearest fuel station about 12 nm from Piškera and about 8 nm from Žut. Water at ACI Piškera is available only in the morning, so fill your tanks before you leave base.
Continue planning
Heading further south, to Krka and the Šibenik islands? See our Šibenik archipelago and Krka guide. Before the handover, go through what to bring on a yacht charter.
