I can hear it now, the sound of the captain saying ‘Pool’s open’, before jumping straight into the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic. Researching this fabulous cruise, I’m thinking how amazing it would be to discover Croatia on a luxury yacht….

I don’t actually need to read the full itinerary, I’m already sold! To see how the other half live, by spending a week in Croatia on a luxury yacht, it doesn’t get much better than this! For anyone who has been following me over the last few years, you will know that I absolutely LOVE Croatia. I spent a week travelling along the Dubrovnik Riviera two years ago, and every little village or cove we found was delightful, not to mention the fairy tale city of Dubrovnik. While Dubrovnik is on most bucket lists, I believe the real beauty lies in the surrounding islands, and the best way to see them, is by boat.

Croatia Tours are offering you the chance to holiday like a celebrity. You will visit the hidden gems of Croatia on board a luxury yacht. The deluxe ‘Maritimo’ holds up to 38 people and has state of the art facilities on board. The spacious sun deck has loungers all passengers, as well as a jacuzzi if you fancy some bubbles while you sail off into the sunset!  Hot and cold breakfasts are served each morning as well as a four course lunch in the afternoon. Seven staff are on hand to cater for your every need, and with 38 being the maximum number of guests on board – no doubt the service will be excellent! Kids are not allowed on this cruise, so you can expect plenty of time to sit back and relax, in calm peaceful surroundings.

Where does it go?

Itineraries vary slightly depending on when you travel but in both cases you will have the opportunity to overnight in the magical city of Dubrovnik. You can enjoy a free guided walking tour or go it alone. Choose to hike the famous city walls of Dubrovnik, or chill out and watch some tombstoners from one of the many cliff bars. For more info check out my Dubrovnik blog.

You will also have the chance to visit many of Croatia’s famous islands.  Explore the salt lakes and National Park in Mljet or take the perfect instagram photo in the lavender fields in Hvar.  Hvar is renowned for being a celebrity hang out. Beyonce, Bono, Tom Cruise and even Prince Harry have all holidayed here. Stop off in the trendy city of Split before over-nighting in Korcula, which is one of the best preserved medieval cities in the Mediterranean. Expect lots of gourmet foods and fine wines in this lively city. Beach lovers will enjoy the famous famous Zlatni Rat beach, also known as the Golden Horn, a natural phenomenon, that is widely regarded as one of Europe’s best beaches. Another highlight will be the captain’s dinner when you overnight in Sipan Island.

Let’s not forget that you will also have the opportunity to jump into the sea when you come across a hidden cove; to explore a secluded bay with no one around and dock in the centre of the smallest village, something that would be impossible in a larger vessel.  There are daily swimming stops and you can get involved as much or as little as you like.  The phrase ‘it’s about the journey not the destination’, springs to mind.

Costs and what’s included:

Prices for a one week trip on the on the 22nd of September is €2234. This includes flights, checked baggage, airport transfers, a seven night cruise with breakfast and four course lunch each day, two evening meals and lots more. You can also avail of free guided walking tours in Dubrovnik, Hvar, Korcula and Split, a cable car ticket in Dubrovnik and entrance ticket to Mljet National Park.  See more details and the full itinerary here.

If you fancy chilling out in one of Croatia’s prettiest resorts, why not extend your stay? Price for the seven night cruise and a four night stay in the 5* Croatia Hotel in Cavat is only €2504. Click here for more details.

For anyone looking to fly independently, you can book the cruise without flights from €1600 per person.

For more details visit Croatia Tours or call them on +353 1 8780800.

Prices are correct at the time of issue but are subject to change. This post was sponsored by Croatia Tours but all views, as always, are my own.

Sarah

Croatia and Montenegro have so much to offer. Dubrovnik and Kotor are spectacular, the village of Cavtat is charming, and Montenegro’s fjord is sublime.

I searched the apartment for the free wifi password, only to discover it was ‘welcome to my home’. I knew from that moment, I was going to like it here! I wanted to see visit Croatia and Montenegro and searched for a resort that would not be too crowded during the summer months – Cavtat ticked all boxes.

Surrounded by cypress trees, when we arrived in the picturesque resort, it reminded me of the Tuscan coast. We stayed at the Villa Milica, which is only a few minutes from the seashore and a leisurely 20 minute stroll to the village. A traditional farmhouse, we were warmly greeted by the owner Milica who kindly offered to give us a lift to the grocery store, for what she called our ‘big shop’!
 

 
This spacious two-bedroomed apartment is a mixture of old and new. It has a country cottage feel, but with all mod cons including a large double bath, a separate shower room, and a huge balcony with sea views.

Cavtat is situated about 45 minutes from Dubrovnik by water taxi and has everything you need for a relaxing break. The village is really authentic, with stone buildings housing superb restaurants. The town remains unspoilt and although there are plenty of restaurants and bars to choose from, they fit in with the landscape perfectly.
 

 
Bugenvila is one of Cavtat’s best restaurants, but you will need to book it a day in advance. The food would rival many Michelin Star restaurant and the service was excellent. Unlike many restaurants there, they have a separate kids menu so the prices are very reasonable for such high quality food.
 

 
Try the hangar steak, you wont be disappointed. Pizzeria Desteka was another great find. It has great pizza and an ideal choice for a family night out. In fact most restaurants were very reasonably priced and the quality was very high.

Be prepared to ogle at the super yachts as you enjoy a drink at the waters edge – there are many multi-million euro yachts here. The emerald green sea is the perfect temperature for bathing, although the beaches are stoney. In fact, most beaches along the Dalmatian coast are stoney, so make sure you bring surf shoes.
 

 
There are great watersports available, including jet skiing and scuba diving. There are plenty of small fish that swim close to the shore, so we picked up cheap snorkel masks and spent hours swimming with them.

Cavtat is a good choice for families and couples. There are lots of four and five star hotels perfectly suited for couples who a upmarket holiday as well as apartments like ours which are great for families.

Visiting Dubrovnik from Cavtat

There are regular ferries / water taxis to the old town of Dubrovnik – this suited us perfectly. We took the 5pm ferry so we could climb the city walls when the city was less crowded. It was also nice to explore the city at night time and soak up the atmosphere over dinner.
 

 
We also took an early ferry another day and rode the cable car to Srd Hill and enjoyed a leisurely lunch. This is a great way to see the city without the crowds and heat, with the added advantage of enjoying a one hour boat trip on the Adriatic Sea.

Read: My top tips for discovering Dubrovnik

Day trip to Montenegro from Croatia

From Cavtat there are numerous boat trips and excursions to choose from. We decided to take a day trip to Montenegro, and booked this through the local Croatia tours representative. Normally we would hire a car and travel independently, but the organised coach tour was a better option.
 

 
With the recent influx of migrants to Italy and Greece, the border check points have long delays. We were advised that if travelling by car you could be hours waiting to get through – the tour was a much better option.

We drove around the bay of Kotor and saw the Mediterranean fjord – the only fjord in Southern Europe. The scenery was spectacular. We stopped at the beautiful walled city of Kotor and had plenty of time to explore the cathedral and the city’s winding streets.
 

 
Kotor was built to hide from the enemy, and therefore not on a grid system. This adds to the charm when exploring as you really don’t know where you will end up. However, the furthest point is only ten minutes walk from the entrance, so there is no chance you can get lost.  

Our next stop was the popular town of Budva. We drove through the tunnel used by James Bond in Casino Royale, before arriving at what was unfortunately a massive let-down. Budva has an authentic walled city, but unfortunately this has been ruined by the modern resort built beside it. It looked like there was no planning involved and modern high rise blocks are placed beside the medieval city – it is such a shame.
 

 
After a quick bite of lunch, we took the ferry across the fjord before heading back to our hotel. I would highly recommend a day trip to Montenegro – if for no other reason than to visit Kotor, it is absolutely stunning.  Note: Although Montenegro is not in the EU, they use the Euro and don’t readily accept Croatian currency.
 

Sarah

The medieval city of Dubrovnik should be on everyone’s wish list. Although you can stay in the heart of the old town I think the best way to enjoy it, is to holiday in one of the resorts close by.

The city is actually quite small and can be packed with cruise ship visitors during the day. Temperatures can also be very high, depending on the time of year.  If you choose to stay outside the centre you can literally have the best of both worlds. Relax by the sea or pool during the day and hop on a water taxi in the evening when the city is less crowded.

Cavtat is the jewel in the crown on of this region. Only 20 km south of Dubrovnik, Cavtat is a an upmarket resort with a delightful old village and a palm fringed promenade. It is perfect for couples and families who want pretty resort with a relaxed pace. The medieval village has a small selection of boutiques and galleries and there are plenty of excellent restaurants to satisfy even the celebrities who hang out there. To top it all off there are numerous boats which leave from the harbour all day visiting Dubrovnik and the surrounding islands. Lets face it, there is no better way to explore this stunning coastline. Read my destination posts for more information on Cavtat and Dubrovnik.

Why not treat yourself and stay at the 5 star luxury hotel Croatia for seven nights for only €846, on the 8th of September. Enter my exclusive code TRAVELEXP10 in the promo code box to save 10% off the accommodation cost, making the total €787 per person. Highly rated on tripadvisor this was a travellers choice winner in 2015 & 2016. You just have to read the reviews to see how good this hotel really is. This price includes flights with Aer Lingus, transfers and a seven night stay, with FREE breakfast and FREE wifi.

Click here for more details:

All prices are correct at time of issue but are subject to availability.

Sarah