Croatia - Facts

Croatia FAQs

Croatia Facts for Sailors

• Croatia (officially the Republic of Croatia) is located on the eastern side of the Adriatic sea and has borders with Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia, and Herzegovina. It has a very diverse landscape with mountains and highlands along the coast but flat plains in the north.
• Croatia joined the Schengen zone on 1 January, 2023.
• The population in 2019 was just over 4 million and Croatian is the official language.
• The Euro is the currency of Croatia. For specifics see General Info.
• Croatia operates on the Central European Time Zone. See General Info for more details.
• The country has a Mediterranean climate with warm dry summers and moderate wet winters. See Weather below for more details.
• Croatia is one of the prime cruising destinations in the Mediterranean. It is an especially popular destination for Italian motor-boaters, particularly during August, and many marinas are full by mid-afternoon.
• Croatia is now, however, becoming one of the more expensive Mediterranean countries to cruise. Not only is the practice of charging for anchoring close to ports becoming more prevalent (normally 50% of the docking fee), but many bays  are now buoyed with a nightly charge (1.5 times the amount for catamarans). Not to mention the annual license that must be purchased for the boat (and dinghy if over 2.5m/6Hp) and a daily tax when sailing (see Clearance for details). Cruisers report that marinas, restaurants and general repairs are also increasing in price.
• Facilities along the entire Croatian coast are of a very good standard. There are approximately 40 marinas along the coast and as a minimum, they have a 10-ton crane and the necessary frame to lift boats up to that weight. The biggest concentration of boatyards is in the Zadar Sibenik area. For more details on yachting services see Yachting Essentials.
• Split is one of the most popular places to visit, not only because of its UNESCO World Heritage Status, but also because of the very popular TV series "Game of Thrones" which was filmed in many locations in and around the city.