Boat hire & yacht charter in Croatia

Hire a boat with or without a skipper in Croatia

SamBoat offers a vast range of boats to hire from 50€/day. Choose from a wide selection of sailboats, motorboats, RIBs, catamarans, yachts, and canal boats. With the best offers, SamBoat helps you to find the ideal yacht hire for the perfect vacation.

Hire a yacht in Croatia

Croatia is a central European country with a long coastline that faces the Adriatic Sea. It is surrounded by countries such as Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is famous for its unique architecture that mixes various styles and its beaches with crystal clear water. You can hire a boat in Croatia and visit the beaches of Hvar. If you want to go further, you can hire a yacht and plan an itinerary to sail in the Istria peninsula which is famous for its Italian influence. There you can find the city of Pula and its Roman amphitheatre.

It is one of the most popular destinations in the nautical world. With its beautiful climate and incredible coasts, this has been a sailor's dream destination for decades. When arriving, you can hire a boat in Croatia at one of the many marinas available. You can choose among sailboats, motorboats, and catamarans in Croatia that allow you to sail with or without a skipper. Depending on your qualifications, you can hire a bareboat or a boat with a skipper if you lack experience or want a stress-free vacation. A Croatia charter will surely top your list of the best sailing holidays you will have. 

Pricing and information about hiring a boat in Croatia

When looking to hire a boat in Croatia, an important thing to know is that the season will dictate the pricing. The sailing season usually starts in May and runs late into October. The highest rates fall during the busiest season, which is typically in July and August. For a catamaran hire in Croatia, you can expect to pay on average 500€ per day and sailboats on average 350€. Outside of these months, you will find the rates to be a bit lower. For motorboats, it is best to have your project in mind. With the many options related to activity and size, you will find motorboats starting as low as 150€ per day. 

It is crucial to know that when booking a bareboat charter in Croatia, you have to be sure to have your license and your VHF certificate. The port authorities require this, so be sure to plan in advance. 

Boat availability in Croatia

If you want to hire a boat in Croatia, you have to book fast. In March, 53% of the boats are already booked. In mid-July and August, this number goes up to 90%. November measures the lowest percentage of boats booked. If you want to book a motorboat for the day, a request a few weeks before will be feasible, but a yacht hire will need to be booked months in advance. It is essential to hire your yacht in Zadar early as possible.

Overview of Croatia

Croatia is the pearl of the Adriatic as it offers plenty of marvelous landscapes. Halfway between Central Europe and the Mediterranean, it offers thousands of islands and more than 6000 kilometers of coastline. While sailing, you are bound to find the beach of your dreams. When you hire your boat in Croatia, you'll be able to explore endlessly while sailing in a pleasant climate.

You can start your vacation in Croatia by renting a beautiful sailing yacht from Pula, on the coast of Cape Istria, which happens to be one of the safest harbors in Croatia. Don't miss the opportunity to visit ancient sites such as the Roman amphitheater. On the other hand, Biograd is located in central Croatia and allows you to sail to the Kornati islands. The islands are calcareous and sparsely populated, ideal for a quiet and pleasant exploration aboard a RIB or a catamaran. Another popular departure point to hire a boat is Hvar, an island situated perfectly on the Adriatic Sea known for being a top vacation spot. 

With more than 1,000 islands and thousands of kilometers of coastline, Croatia is a sailing and boating playground. It started to be a popular boating destination in the 1980s and, since then, only grew in popularity. Needless to say, it is one of the finest destinations in the Mediterranean.

Two other obligatory destinations are Porec, surrounded by green bays, and Rovinj (Rovigno), with its spectacular rugged coastline characterized by stones and rocks, its active fishing port and small beaches which always differ from each other. One recommendation: don't leave Rovinj without having a taste of "fuzi", the typical regional pasta with clam sauce, Istrian ham and "cukerancici", crispy biscuits sprinkled with sugar. If you decide to start your cruise by boat from the center of Croatia, you will have several choices for your port of departure: Zadar, Sukosan, Biograd, Murter and Sibenik. From here, set sail to the fascinating Kornati Archipelago, containing 147 islands and islets in an area of only 15 kilometers. Many islands are scattered within such a small space, which create an ideal place for sailors looking for secret bays. Be sure to see the cliffs overlooking the sea in Donji Kornati and those on Klobucar Island (the highest being 80 meters). The islands are mostly uninhabited, therefore hotels do not exist, but fishermen offer hospitality in their personal homes. Sailing from the bay of Hiljada to Zut is paradise with flat waters, then arrive at Kornat, the largest inland in the archipelago. By locating the buoys floating on the turquoise water, you will also know where the taverns are for a special seafood dish over the water!

From the south, you can reach the islands of southern Dalmatia. Go for a Yacht hire Dubrovnik, with its incredible historic harbour. North up, Hire a boat from Split and you will sail around the island of Korkula, known for its beautiful beaches, such as those near Lumbarda. You can also hire a boat in Trogir and sail on the central Adriatic coast.

Information about sailing in Croatia:

• The winds are rather weak, force 2-3, throughout the summer.
• Croatia is a member of the European Union since 1 July 2013. The remaining validity of the passport applied for is ninety (90) days from the date of the planned end of stay.
• Before leaving for your yacht hire in Croatia, please note that the following documents must be provided:
  • certificate of navigation;
  • Passenger list/crew list;
  • certificate proving the ability of the vessel's driver to carry out duties on board, in accordance with the rules in force in the country of registration of the vessel or the corresponding provisions in force in the Republic of Croatia;
  • insurance against damage caused by third parties;
  • certificate of ownership or authorisation to use the vessel issued by the owner;
  • Licence disc/adhesive sticker, obtainable from the harbour master's office at the port of call (see paragraph below).
• Foreign vessels are required to report to the port master's office at the place of first port in order to carry out the formalities for entry into the country, including the payment of tourist and shipping taxes. In return for this payment, the port authorities issue a one-year licence disc/adhesive sticker, the cost of which is determined in proportion to the type of vessel and the power of the engine. Any type of rowing boats of any type, those less than 2.5 metres in length and vessels with propulsion power of less than 5 kW shall be exempt from the payment of the licence disc/adhesive sticker. For the use of motorboats, including inflatable boats, regardless of engine power, the possession of a nautical licence is mandatory.

When to hire a boat in Croatia?

Croatia is no doubt a hot tourist destination in Europe for sailing and spending holidays. Croatia welcomes its peak tourist season usually from June to August. And the slack season in Croatia is in winter from November to March. Therefore, The best times to visit Croatia are April to May and September to November. Renting a boat during this period, you will perfectly miss the tourist season so that you will enjoy even more a joyful vacation with perfect weather. And in winter. The water will be too cold to go in for swimming.

Boat hire in Croatia

Being a very popular destination, you'll be able to choose among many types of boats available for rent. From motor yachts to smaller boats, choose your vessel for exploring a thousand islands composing Croatia. Head over to Split or Dubrovnik to experience some of the main treasures of Croatia. And do you want to know the best part? It is not compulsory to own a luxury yacht to enjoy what the pearl of the Adriatic sea has to offer. Many of the sailboat hires in Croatia are affordable and that is more than enough is spend amazing sailing holidays. Thanks to Samboat, thousands of boats, sailing yachts and sailboat in Croatia await you.

Speaking of exploring the Adriatic sea and regarding itineraries, Croatia offers a large number of interesting routes. Taking into account the country's size, national parks cover a large part of it and it is absolutely amazing to set sail to at least one of them. It doesn't matter if you are planning to stay for a day or a week on your sailing holidays, there are itineraries for everyone: sailing with your family, day boat hire, yacht hire for a week or even more. Be ready for some mouth dropping scenic views as those places are absolutely gorgeous. The clear crystal water alongside with green islands and the summer's 30°C will make you want to jump straight from your boat to the water and have the time of your life.

Island Hopping in Croatia 

One of the most appealing aspects of sailing around Croatia is the ability to hop around and create an exciting itinerary. With the numerous islands and their diversity, it will be hard to choose just one and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Aside from the obvious islands that are extremely popular to Croatia, you'll find smaller islands that are a little off the radar that will provide hidden escapes. For example, we suggest you explore the Elafiti archipelago off the coast of Dubrovnik. Here you'll experience some of the most unique sights! Another idea is to hire a boat in Rogoznica and sail to the islands that are close; If you rather enjoying the bay, hire a catamaran in Makarska and enjoy!