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Destination Traveller

small ship voyage

Sample

The Dalmatian Coast

Ten nights among the Croatian islands on a ship that anchors in a different bay each night, lands everywhere by tender and never passes a gift shop.

A whitewashed village stairway running down to the sea

Route overview

Split south to Dubrovnik and back, threading the chain of islands that runs parallel to the mainland. The ship sails short legs so that there is always an afternoon in the water and a long lunch somewhere the road does not reach.

The ship

Ninety-four guests, eight kayaks on the foredeck, a swim platform at the stern and a chef who shops at the harbour where the ship anchors that morning.

Best bits

The blue cave on Vis before ten, and the night the ship sat off a monastery island with nobody else on the water.

Practicalities

Fly to Split and home from Dubrovnik. Every landing is by tender, so sensible shoes and a degree of agility matter more than fitness.

Day by day

Nothing here is rushed and the captain reserves the right to change the bay.

  1. Day 1

    Split

    Board in the old town by Diocletian's palace and sail at sunset to an island you can already see from the quay.

    Stay Aboard the ship

    Travel Board at Split

  2. Days 2 to 3

    Hvar and Brac

    A morning in the lavender town, an afternoon snorkelling off a shelf that drops straight down, then the bridge of stars at dusk.

    Stay Aboard the ship

    Travel Tender ashore twice daily

  3. Days 4 to 5

    Korcula and Vis

    A walk to a village that has been making wine on the same hill for 2,000 years, and a swim in a blue cave that only opens in the morning.

    Stay Aboard the ship

    Travel About 4 hours cruising

  4. Days 6 to 7

    The Elafiti

    Three uninhabited islands in two days, one lunch on a terrace above a bay with no road to it.

    Stay Aboard the ship

    Travel Zodiac and on foot

  5. Days 8 to 9

    Lastovo and Mljet

    A national park of two lakes, a night anchored off a monastery island, and the last swim of the voyage.

    Stay Aboard the ship

    Travel About 5 hours cruising

  6. Day 10

    Dubrovnik

    Disembark inside the walls with time for one coffee before the transfer.

    Stay Dubrovnik

    Travel Disembark at Dubrovnik

Questions

Do I need to be fit?

You need to be comfortable stepping down into a moving tender and climbing a few stone steps on land. There is no hiking above a gentle walk.

Is September too late?

It is the best month: the sea is at its warmest, the crowds have gone and the light is lower and longer.

Can I stay on the ship in Split?

Yes, but the old town is twenty minutes from the berth and worth the walk.

Last updated 30 October 2026

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