The Kornati and the outer islands: a week from Šibenik
The Kornati are the strangest archipelago on the Adriatic: almost ninety bare stone islands, dry-stone walls on the slopes, cliffs dropping into the open sea and the clearest water in Croatia. The loop from Šibenik is about 95 nm: through the St Anthony channel to remote Žirje, three nights in the national park and back by way of Murter and Prvić. Legs are 14–24 nm, three to five hours with the detours along the shore.
Day by day
D-Marin Mandalina
- Šibenik (Mandalina)43.723, 15.898
Handover after 17:00 at D-Marin Mandalina on the bay of Šibenik, 50 minutes from Split airport. Provision generously: there are hardly any shops in the Kornati. Dinner in the old town by the cathedral of St James, ten minutes away by taxi.
Šibenik → Žirje
- Žirje43.658, 15.666
Out through the St Anthony channel under the Venetian fortress of St Nicholas, then south-west past Zlarin and Kaprije. Žirje is the outermost inhabited island of the Šibenik archipelago: a village in the middle of the island and the quiet harbour of Muna.
Žirje → Kornati (Ravni Žakan)
- Ravni Žakan43.726, 15.419
Into the Kornati national park from the seaward side of the archipelago: white islands, dry-stone walls and almost no green at all. Night on the buoys in Ravni Žakan bay, with a restaurant ashore.
Ravni Žakan → Levrnaka
- Levrnaka43.819, 15.269
The outer wall of the Kornati: at Mana and Rašip the cliffs known as the ‘krune’ fall 80 m into the sea — come close in the morning, before the swell gets up. Night in Lojena bay on Levrnaka, by the only sandy beach in the park.
Levrnaka → Murter
- Murter43.820, 15.592
North out of the park and back east through the channel by Žut island, over the shallow banks where small tuna school in late summer. Most of the Kornati belong to the people of Murter; berth in Hramina marina, restock and have dinner on the waterfront.
Murter → Prvić
- Prvić Luka43.729, 15.797
South past Kaprije and Kakan along the outside of the islands and into Prvić Luka: a village without cars, a Franciscan church and a stone quay. Faust Vrančić, the inventor of the parachute, is buried here. The quietest night of the week.
Prvić → Šibenik
- Šibenik (Mandalina)43.723, 15.898
A short last leg back through the St Anthony channel to Mandalina: refuelling and handover, and the afternoon in the old town of Šibenik.
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. In a bora the outer wall of the Kornati is off limits: keep to the inner channel between Kornat and Žut, where the water stays flat, and swap the Levrnaka night for Vrulje or Piškera. The Žirje and Prvić nights work in any weather. The best months are May, June and September.
- The Kornati are a national park: the boat needs a ticket for the whole time inside its limits, and it costs less bought in advance (online or at the park offices) than from the rangers on the water. Nights are spent on restaurant buoys or in ACI Marina Piškera.
- Fishing: Croatia requires a recreational sea-fishing licence, sold online; the national park has its own zones and restrictions — check them when you buy the ticket.
- Logistics: Mandalina is 50 km from Split airport, a transfer of about 50 minutes. Between Šibenik and Murter there is almost nowhere to restock water and food — provision for the first four days.
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 Šibenik — Kornati route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 95 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Šibenik. Overnight stops in order: Šibenik (Mandalina), Žirje, Ravni Žakan, Levrnaka, Murter, Prvić Luka. The longest leg is day 5, 24 nm.
When is the best time to sail the Šibenik — Kornati 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).
