Sailing the Zadar archipelago and Telašćica: 7 days
The Zadar archipelago is a maze of green islands on the doorstep of the largest marina on the Adriatic. Legs are short, mostly 8 to 18 nautical miles (nm), and the channels between the islands keep the sea calmer than the open Adriatic. A typical week loops from Sukošan past Zadar's Sea Organ to Ugljan, Iž and Dugi Otok, with the white-sand bay of Sakarun and Telašćica Nature Park, then back via Kukljica or the Pašman channel.
Where to charter a yacht for the Zadar archipelago?
The main base is D-Marin Dalmacija in Sukošan, about 20 minutes from Zadar, which calls itself the largest marina on the Adriatic coast. Its boats are listed on our page for yacht charter in Zadar. Further south on the Pašman channel, compare charter yachts in Biograd na Moru, and see every region on the Croatia page. You can book on Ship O'Hoi, bareboat or with a skipper. Charter weeks usually run Saturday to Saturday. To sail bareboat, the skipper needs a licence the charter company accepts: see our guides to the boat licence in Croatia and the ICC certificate. If nobody in your crew has one, hire a skipper or book a crewed yacht.
A 7-day sailing itinerary from Sukošan
Distances are rough chart estimates. Plan each day with charts, a pilot book and the morning forecast. From Biograd, sail the same loop starting with the last leg.
Day 1–2: Sukošan to Ugljan past Zadar's waterfront
Approx. 8 nm. After Saturday check-in, most crews sleep in the marina. On Sunday, sail north-west to the tip of Zadar's old town, where architect Nikola Bašić built the Sea Organ: stone steps into the sea whose hidden pipes are played by the waves. His Greeting to the Sun, 300 glass plates, lights up after dark. Within 300 m of the coast the limit is 8 knots. Cross the channel to Olive Island Marina in Sutomišćica on Ugljan, next to Preko. Tip: walk up to St Michael's fortress above Preko for the view over the archipelago.
Day 3: Ugljan to Iž
Approx. 14 nm. Round the northern tip of Ugljan, an island of over 200,000 olive trees, and head south-west to Iž. Overnight in Veli Iž, where 115 m of quay are set aside for visiting boats. Tip: Iž is known for its pottery, and in summer the Feast of Iž crowns a "King of Iž" who arrives by boat.
Day 4: Iž to Sakarun and Božava
Approx. 18 nm in total. Cross to Dugi Otok, about 45 km long and only 1 to 4 km wide, and follow it north-west to Sakarun: white sand, pine trees and water only 3.5 m deep 250 m from the beach. The tourist board says the bay has mooring buoys for a lunch stop. In the afternoon, return along the coast to Božava and overnight in the harbour, which has quay space for visiting boats with water and power. Tip: reach Sakarun before noon in summer.
Day 5: Božava to Sali
Approx. 17 nm down the north-east coast of Dugi Otok. Refuel at the boat fuel station in Zaglav, just before Sali. Sali is the island's main village, with a fishing tradition recorded since the 10th century and a harbour master's office. Overnight in the harbour, where the berth fee includes the shower block. Tip: walk into Saljsko polje, a botanical reserve with olive trees up to 700 years old.
Day 6: Sali to Telašćica Nature Park
Approx. 9 nm. Telašćica, at the south-east end of Dugi Otok, holds six islets and 25 small beaches; the park calls it the largest and safest natural harbour in the Adriatic. Buy your boat ticket in advance (see the rules below) and pick up a mooring buoy for the night. The quay in Mir cove has only 40 m of berths. From Mir, walk to the salt lake Mir, fed by the sea through underground cracks, and to the cliffs, which rise 161 m out of the sea. The Grpašćak visitor centre, in an old Austro-Hungarian fort on the highest cliff, looks across to the Kornati islands. Tip: arrive by mid-afternoon in summer to find a free buoy.
Day 7: Telašćica back to Sukošan
Approx. 13 nm to Kukljica, then approx. 7 nm home through the Ždrelac passage; or approx. 25 nm round the south of Pašman. Kukljica, an old fishing village on Ugljan with plenty of quay for visiting boats, makes a good lunch stop. The quickest way home is the narrow Ždrelac passage between Ugljan and Pašman, under a road bridge: check the charted clearance against your mast height first. If your mast is too tall, skip Kukljica and sail round Pašman and up the Pašman channel, where ferries cross between Biograd and Tkon. Most yachts must be back at base on Friday evening.
Variation: Molat, Silba or Olib
With a spare day, head north from Božava. Molat is approx. 6 nm away, with visitor berths at Lučina, Brgulje and Zapuntel. Car-free Olib and Silba are approx. 15–17 nm away; on Silba, climb the Toreta, a 19th-century tower with an outside spiral staircase. Kornati National Park, just south of Telašćica, deserves days of its own; see our Kornati guide.
| Leg | Distance | Overnight | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sukošan – Zadar – Ugljan | approx. 8 nm | Olive Island Marina, Sutomišćica | Sea Organ, St Michael's fortress |
| Ugljan – Iž | approx. 14 nm | Veli Iž harbour | Pottery island, Feast of Iž |
| Iž – Sakarun – Božava | approx. 18 nm | Božava harbour | White-sand Sakarun bay |
| Božava – Sali | approx. 17 nm | Sali harbour | Fuel in Zaglav, ancient olive grove |
| Sali – Telašćica | approx. 9 nm | Mooring buoy in Telašćica | Salt lake Mir, 161 m cliffs |
| Telašćica – Kukljica – Sukošan | approx. 20 nm (25 nm round Pašman) | Sukošan (base) | Ždrelac passage or Pašman channel |
Rules and safety in the Zadar archipelago
Telašćica Nature Park. Every visitor needs a valid ticket for each day in the park; the boat ticket is priced by length. Rangers sell tickets in the park, but buying online at least a day ahead is cheaper. A one-day ticket is valid until noon the next day, and a three-day ticket covers both Telašćica and Kornati National Park. Tickets can't be cancelled. Inside the line from cape Pod Poljica to cape Gubac the limit is 10 knots, and 5 knots in the bays of Mir, Tripuljak, Kruševica, Kučimul, Magrovica, Pod Dugo polje, Pasjak and Jaz. Fishing, spearfishing, collecting shellfish, fires, litter and climbing the cliffs are banned, and rangers fine on the spot. Details are in the park rules and on the ticket page.
Harbours. In the county port authority's harbours, visiting boats berth in order of arrival and pay a berth fee plus tourist tax.
Coast, beaches and anchoring. Under Croatia's navigation safety regulation, boats under 15 m must keep at least 50 m from the coast except to enter port, anchor or moor, and do no more than 8 knots within 300 m of the coast, in narrow channels and near ports. Don't anchor within 150 m of a natural beach or within 50 m of a marked beach's rope line, or where the chart prohibits it, and don't tie shore lines to plants. Drop the anchor on sand rather than seagrass.
The Ždrelac passage. In the Mali Ždrelac passage, boats coming from the north-east have right of way; the limit is 8 knots, no overtaking, keep to the starboard edge. Boats of 15 m or more sound a long blast and call the traffic service on VHF first. Anchoring, sailing and fishing are forbidden in the passage.
Ferries. Jadrolinija runs from Zadar to the islands, including Sali and Brbinj, and ferries cross from Biograd to Tkon. Keep ferry quays clear.
Winds. The Croatian weather service DHMZ describes the bura as a gusty north-easterly that is strongest under the Velebit mountains, just north-east of Zadar. Its record gust is 248 km/h, measured at the Maslenica Bridge. It is most common in the cold season, but a summer bura can still cause trouble at sea. Jugo, from the south, is steady and strongest in the channels. On a typical summer day a north-westerly sea breeze, the maestral, sets in during the day and a land breeze blows at night. Read the DHMZ Adriatic forecast, with its gale warnings, every morning.
Licence and paperwork. You need a recognised licence to skipper a bareboat yacht or drive any rented motorboat, however small the engine, plus a VHF radio certificate for bareboat. An ICC valid for coastal waters is accepted; with a hired skipper you need none. The charter company registers the crew list and the boat's owner pays the navigation safety fee (vignette). More in our guide to Croatia's sailing rules and fees.
Best time to sail the Zadar archipelago
The season runs roughly from April or May to October. Telašćica's visitor centre is open from 1 April to 1 November, and park tickets cost more from June to September than in May or October. According to the park, the sea reaches about 23 °C in summer. The bura is stronger and more frequent in the cold part of the year, so allow a spare harbour day in spring and autumn, and never plan the Ždrelac passage or an exposed anchorage when a bura warning is out.
FAQ
Can you sail from Zadar in one day to Telašćica?
Yes: roughly 20 nm from Sukošan if your mast clears the Ždrelac bridge. That is a long day; a week lets you see the islands on the way.
Can I do a day sail from Zadar?
Yes. Preko on Ugljan is a few miles across the channel, so a sail past the Sea Organ and back fits into one day. Without a licence, book a skipper.
Do I need a ticket for Telašćica if I only sail through?
Yes, every visitor needs a ticket for each day in the park. Buy it online at least a day ahead, or from the rangers, where it costs more.
Is the Zadar archipelago good for a first bareboat charter?
Yes. The legs are short, there are many harbours and the channels are sheltered. Watch out for the bura, and take the Ždrelac passage seriously.
Where do I get fuel on Dugi Otok?
At the fuel station for boats in Zaglav, just north of Sali.
Planning a longer trip? Read our guides to sailing the Kornati islands and the Šibenik archipelago and Krka.
