A week from Dubrovnik: the Elaphites, Mljet, Korčula, Pelješac
Southern Dalmatia is the far corner of Croatian chartering, one that not every boat out of Split ever reaches. In a week from Dubrovnik you sail through the Elaphiti islands, moor at the Mljet national park with its salt lakes, spend a night under the walls of Korčula and another in a wine village on Pelješac. The loop is about 115 nm: two long days of 28–30 nm along the Mljet channel, two to three hours for the rest, and the walls of Dubrovnik from the sea on the first and the last day.
Day by day
ACI Marina Dubrovnik (Komolac)
- Dubrovnik (Komolac)42.671, 18.126
Handover after 17:00 at ACI Marina Dubrovnik in Komolac, at the head of the Rijeka Dubrovačka and 35 minutes from the airport. Provisioning in town; the old city is twenty minutes away by bus, and dinner is inside the walls.
Komolac → Šipan
- Šipanska Luka42.731, 17.864
Down the river, under the Franjo Tuđman bridge and past the walls of Dubrovnik from the sea — the view the tourist boats charge for. Šipanska Luka is a quiet village at the head of a long inlet, with summer villas of the old Ragusan nobility along the shore.
Šipan → Mljet (Polače)
- Polače (Mljet)42.788, 17.376
A long leg west along the Mljet channel. In Polače the ruins of a Roman palace stand right by the quay, and the national park starts behind them: two salt lakes, a cycle path around them and the park boat to the Benedictine monastery on its islet in the middle of the Great Lake.
Polače → Korčula
- Korčula42.962, 17.135
Across the Pelješac channel to Korčula, a Venetian town on its own headland whose streets branch off in a herringbone pattern to break the wind. Berth in the marina under the walls; in the evening, St Mark's cathedral, the house said to be Marco Polo's and dinner on the terraces along the sea wall.
Korčula → Pelješac (Trstenik)
- Trstenik42.905, 17.411
A short leg to the south coast of Pelješac, where the Dingač vineyards drop straight into the sea. Trstenik is a hamlet with a quay; the afternoon goes on tasting Dingač and Postup in the cellars above the bay.
Trstenik → Lopud
- Okuklje42.724, 17.668
- Lopud42.688, 17.943
The longest day: east along the full length of the Mljet channel, with a swim stop in Okuklje bay on Mljet, to Lopud in the Elaphiti islands. A car-free island, with the sandy beach of Šunj on the far side and a Franciscan monastery above the harbour.
Lopud → Komolac
- Dubrovnik (Komolac)42.671, 18.126
A short final leg past the walls of Dubrovnik once more and up the river. Refuelling and handover before lunch, which leaves the afternoon for a walk on the city walls.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Wind: in summer the daytime maestral blows from the north-west, behind you in the Mljet channel on the way home. The real risk down south is the jugo (sirocco): with it Pelješac drops out and the loop shrinks to Dubrovnik — the Elaphites — Mljet — Korčula and back along the sheltered Mljet channel, about 110 nm. The best months are May, June and September.
- Mljet is a national park: admission is paid separately from the berth in Polače, and the lakes are reached on foot, by bike or on the park boat. Tickets are sold at the park entrances, and the boat to the island monastery is included.
- Berths: in July and August take your place in Korčula marina under the walls before lunch. Šipan, Trstenik and Lopud have village quays and buoys; Okuklje and Šunj are the swim stops by day.
- Logistics: Dubrovnik airport is 25 km from the marina, a transfer of about 35 minutes. In summer the old town is packed with cruise-ship visitors during the day — walk the walls and the streets early in the morning or in the evening.
When to go and what it costs in Croatia
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Croatia
All boats in Croatia
How long is the Dubrovnik — Korčula route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 115 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Dubrovnik. Overnight stops in order: Dubrovnik (Komolac), Šipanska Luka, Polače (Mljet), Korčula, Trstenik, Lopud. The longest leg is day 6, 30 nm.
When is the best time to sail the Dubrovnik — Korčula route?
Croatia's season runs May to October. July and August are the peak, with the highest prices; in June and September the sea is warm and boats and berths cost less. May and October are the shoulder months: cooler, with the odd bora or jugo, but the lowest prices of the season. From November to March most of the fleet is out of the water. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is October: a median of ≈€144 per berth per week. The most expensive is January, at ≈€205. The most boats with 20% off or more are in October: 76%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Croatia for a week starts from €1,200 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Croatia”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
