You can enjoy the highlights of the Dalmatian Islands on this cruise. The winds in this area are generally very steady and from differing directions due to the steepness of the mainland mountains. The local people on these islands have been very welcoming over the last eleven years and the food in the restaurants and tavernas is brilliant. Running this flotilla in a large loop allows for slightly shorter sailing days so everyone can enjoy a little more swimming and exploring time.

You will spend time in and around the amazingly well preserved ancient fortified town of Hvar. Originally settled by peoples of Greek history, the area was dominated by the Romans for a century, then the Venetians, then the Turks held sway for something like seven hundred years. There is a brilliant morning vegetable market which is well worth a wander around, even if it’s only a bit of fruit you’re after. In the evenings, there are lots of different restaurants to eat in which cater for all tastes. The smell of cappuccino in the air is irresistible as always. You can wrap up your evenings with a wonderful Italian style ice cream, which comes in an array of flavours, known as sladoled.

There is something special about wandering around in summer clothes on those balmy Mediterranean evenings. You can’t help but feel relaxed. There are many excellent stops on this cruise. One of our favourites is Palmezana which is basically a couple of marina style quays in a completely sheltered bay on the island of St Klement. It is only a couple of miles from Hvar Town and fortress.

Walking around these towns inside the historic walls really conjures up visions of knights and damsels (should you allow your imagination to run on a bit!).

The mainland was pillaged by all and sundry for generations although the islands suffered less. The centres of all the main island towns have remained physically unchanged for hundreds of years. The island of Scedro, is heavily wooded and largely uninhabited although two of the bays, on the north eastern side, have excellent taverna style restaurants.

None of the stops are set in stone and the route may vary a little to take advantage of wind direction or to visit some special place of interest. There are many amazing places to visit and you can’t see them all in one fortnight, so we try to visit as many as we can.

We have tried variations of this route over the years and for this year we are going to take the emphasis off covering miles and put it on a bit more relaxation.

You will even spent a day on the island of Vis, which is one of the outer islands of the Dalmatians. It has been heavily influenced by its Illyrian and Greek past and has a great “island” feel. We usually spend a couple of days around the island which has beautiful anchorages and harbours and weather permitting, it may even be possible to visit the spectacular “Blue Cave” on the nearby island of Bisevo. We are also aiming to spend the night in the ancient town of Stari Grad which used to be called “Pharos” and which was reputed to be the site of the worlds first light house. They also lay claim to have the first toilet with running water still operating.

We usually manage to also get as far north as the Krka Falls and some of the coastal islands before we meander back to our base again. Your final day may include a regatta (social race) back to our base at Kremik Marina which is a purpose built small facility nestling in at the foot of the mainland mountains. There are many things to see and do in this area, so we are confident that you will have a great time!