Croatia | Sea | Kayaking | Tours | Lifejacket Adventures - Adriatic Expeditions

On Wednesday, to begin our short sojourn on Vis and Biševo Islands, Tracey, Marisa, Andreas, Bob, Tim and I boarded the Jadrolinija ferry, followed by the local bus to Komiža. Due to the heat and Tracey being 5 months pregnant with Bob, we decided against an afternoon hike and instead went for a swim in Stončica Bay. The season has been a little slow on the islands this year, but this week the crowds finally arrived, crowding the beach.

For the evening meal Oliver Roki transported us from the beach to his family vineyard, where we dined on lamb and fish cooked ispod peke - under the cast iron dome. The food and hospitality on the Roki’s terrace is always first rate. I am a little concerned, though, that their plavac mali (local red wine) always has a fennel aftertaste.

The weather was perfect the next day for a paddle across to visit our friends Davor and Lili in Salbunara Bay on Biševo Island. Its always a joy to arrive in Salbunara Bay; a deep, sandy bay that Davor and Lili have gone to great lengths to keep clean.

For lunch they had prepared a traditional sardine dish, where fried sardines are marinated in onions, garlic, white wine, wine vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, bay leaves and lemon. This recipe was used to preserve fish for several days before electricity and refrigerators, and now fish prepared this way can stay in the ‘fridge for up to 3 weeks. When the weather is hot, it is a refreshing alternative to a cooked meal.

After gorging ourselves we kayaked around to the Blue Cave, where Marisa transformed into Kim Vanderbilt Madonna impersonator and gave us a performance.

Dinner was octopus slow baked under Davor’s dome, washed down by local grappas and plenty of domestic wine.

On Friday, after a night in the bungalows, we attempted to cross back to Vis Island. Unfortunately the jugo was building and we weren’t able to make it. Instead, Pino had to come with his boat to ferry us back to Komiža. From there it was back to Split and civilization!

For all the pictures from tour click here.

Monday, 7th July

End of the Tour in Hvar Town

For our last day together the plan was to sail the southern coast of Hvar Island. But the jugo (southern wind) had blown in during the night, meaning it would be impossible to anchor in the small exposed bays. Instead we enjoyed (well some of us!) a good sail before returning to the Pakleni Islands and finding yet another beach-side konoba.

For the evening we found space in Hvar Town harbour. Hvar has become a jet-set hangout. All the hotels have been renovated by Sunćani Hvar and numerous bars crowd the waterfront - including the infamous Carpe Diem.

The nobility that controlled all the vineyards and olive groves on the surrounding islands lived in Hvar. They built several grand houses and Europe’s first public theatre inside its old walls. Other highlights of Hvar are Dalmatia’s largest piazza and the Arsenal , which was used during the Venetian occupation to repair the commune’s war galley.

After a sunset walk to the Spanish Fort, which crouches above the town, we settled down to our last meal together before trying out several of the bars.

Post-Mortem - With several days of winds on the nose, the kayaking was strenuous, but even with all the exercise, due to the gourmet food and wine imbibed, everyone will need to go on a diet!

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour - click here.)

Sunday, 6th July

Sailing Across to Hvar Island - Exploring the Pakleni

Tove unfortunately had to leave us early, so she caught the ferry back from Vis Island to Split. The rest of us enjoyed an early morning coffee or three on Vis Town’s riva - waterfront. Then it was time to cross the channel to Hvar Island.

With not much wind and the sun beating down a swim and a rope swing was taken in the middle of the 12km crossing.

The day was to be spent on the Pakleni Islands, a small group just off Hvar Town. Pakleni means hell in Croatian. Boat builders used the islands in the past for making pine tar, a sticky material produced by the high temperature distillation of pine wood. The tar was used to preserve boats’ wood and rigging. The many fires used to make the tar gave the islands a hellish appearance.

Anchoring in a small cove, we swam ashore and walked to a hidden restaurant, Dionis. Our hosts had prepared us an eggplant pie and octopus salad for starters and gregada for main course. Gregada is another fishermen’s stew, but unlike brudet, it is made with white wine, potatoes and garlic. All this food was consumed whilst sitting on Dionis’ huge terrace, which over their vineyard towards Vis Island, from where we had just sailed.

The sandy bottom bay of Palmižana was our port-of-call for the night. For those looking for a romantic week, see the Meneghello Family website. Over the last 100 years they have built beautiful bungalows amongst their gardens. We enjoyed cocktails into the wee small hours at a beach-side bar.

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour - click here.)

Saturday, 5th July

Completing the Circumnavigation of Vis Island - Stončica Bay

A serve of fried eggs and a cup of coffee gave us all the energy to begin our last day on Vis Island.

A short kayak had us at the first stop; the sandy beach (not typical for Dalmatia) of Stončica Bay. While some of us soaked up the sun, others combined two favourite pastimes - drinking beer and playing soccer.

Lunch came from the grill - squid, veal and vegetables were all thrown on it, and as usual too much was ordered - no one lost weight on this tour! The simple food was drizzled with olive oil and garlic - excellent!

The short paddle to complete the circumnavigation of Vis Island was again into a stiff sea breeze, and we were happy to complete it.

Dinner was at the best pizzeria in Vis overlooking the harbour.

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour - click here.)

Friday, 4th July

Kayaking along Vis Island’s Southern Coast - Stiniva Bay and Mala Travna

Because of geological reasons, the southern sides of the Dalmatian Islands are the most interesting - towering cliffs with narrow pebble beaches slicing into them. The day’s paddling was the most enjoyable with many nooks and crannies to be explored. The wind gods were against us again with a slight head wind, which almost doubled the excursion time.

Just before lunch we visited the most photographed beach on Vis, Stiniva Bay. From the mouth of the bay there is no evidence of the hidden cove at the end - its an incredible little space.

On a per capita basis, Vis Island is the poet capital of the world - everyone describes themselves as a one. Our favourite is Senko. He operates a small restaurant on his terrace above Mala Travna Bay. Senko is one of a few chefs to push the boundaries of Dalmatian cooking. He is not happy to serve the standard fare, but is always experimenting with local herbs and the preparation of fish. We happily sat as Senko placed course after course of small dishes in front of us. Of course there was his domestic wine with which to wash it all down. Senko only cooks if you call him in advance.

To get to the campsite we had a short sunset paddle to a small island off the town of Rukavac. In celebration of the 4th July, we had a big BBQ on the beach - plenty of steaks and salads!

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour - click here.)

Thursday, 3rd July

Kayaking around Biševo Island - the Monk Seal and Blue Caves

After rising relatively early, we cruised across to Biševo Island. Its name is derived from the local word for the worm-holes found in wood because of the numerous above and under water caves that run through its limestone.

Our first stop was the Monk Seal Cave - the scene of the last sightings of the Adriatic Monk Seal. Unfortunately due to a reduction in fish stocks and attacks by fishermen the seals have disappeared. The cave that they used to inhabit is large, with a high initial chamber and a low passage leading 60 metres away into the dark. It is possible to paddle almost to the back - with headlamps of course.

For lunch we kayaked to our friends’ (Davor and Lili) house on Salbunara Bay.

Several years ago Davor and Lili decided to escape Zagreb to almost the most remote island in Croatia. They have built several bungalows for guests hidden amongst the oil trees - its real get-a-from-it-all stuff. No television or telephones or even mains water and electricity. Dismayed with the amount of trash on their small beach, they started an organization for its renovation - Bisevo.Org. That have held several clean-up events and have managed to improve the local environment - all without the help of local government.

They made us an excellent risotto from freshly harvested molluscs (much to Gabe’s chagrin) and we drank several litres of red wine produced from grapes directly out their front door.

Davor showed us his dog’s (Bura) puppies. She is a tornjak - a Bosnian Sheep Guarding Dog. Similar to other sheep guarding dogs, these large breeds would live amongst the flock and protect it from wolf or bear attacks. Because of this protective pack instinct tornjaks make excellent family pets - if you have a large enough yard. They were never bred for herding.

Davor and Lili joined us for the journey to the Blue Cave (Modra Špilja). We kayaked and swam in to what was one of Dalmatia’s first tourist attractions. Eventhough it was late in the afternoon plenty of light was reflecting from the cave floor to cast a turquoise glow around the room. A local artist had installed some of her sculptures - wire human forms hanging from buoys - in the space, making for a surreal scene.

Due to the over consumption of food and wine at lunch, we opted for the tow-back method for the return to Komiža.

For dinner we were invited to Mateja’s house. Mateja is the sister of Joško Božanić. She made us a large pot of brudetto (brudet) - a typical fisherman’s stew of eel, red wine and tomatoes. It was again washed down by large carafes of domestic wine. Joško also dropped in for a quick chat before leaving for the Brest International Maritime Festival.

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour - click here.)

Wednesday, 2nd July

Ferry to Vis Island and Kayak to Komiža

Wednesday was the day we started paddling! After a 2 hour ferry crossing to Vis Island and a healthy meal (the last not to involve wine for the whole trip), we organized kayaks and, following a quick explanation of a wet exit, headed out.

Immediately from the boats it was possible to see evidence of Vis’ historically important role in controlling the Adriatic Sea. The Adriatic gets its name from a colony, Adria, on the Po River Delta in Italy, founded by Illyrian King Adrias. Adrias’ throne was on Vis. His son, Ionius, then gave his name to the Ionian Sea. Until relatively recently the border between the two seas was Vis Island.

Behind the present tennis courts is a Greek necropolis. Dionisius the Elder, the tyrant of Syracuse in 397 BC established a colony, Issa, on Vis. Later, it became an independent city-state, minted its own coins and founded other colonies elsewhere on the Dalmatian coast and its islands.

In the 3rd Century BC, the Roman Empire saw an opportunity to conquer all of Dalmatia after an argument developed between the Greek colonists and the Illyrians. The foundations of the Roman baths are still visible across the road from the INA petrol station.

As we reached the mouth of the harbour on the left are the ruins of the English Fort St. George. In 1805 the Napoleon had taken the island from the Austrians. But the English weren’t too happy having the French in control of the ‘Gibraltar of the Adriatic’, so in March 1811, they attacked and occupied the island until 1814. This gave them enough time though to do what the English do best - setup a cricket club.

Just around the corner we kayaked into the next fragment of military history on the island - a Yugoslav Navy patrol-boat shelter. After WW2, Tito upset both the Russians and NATO, so not knowing who to trust he turned Vis into a massive fortress - riddled with tunnels, gun emplacements and this large, concrete, watery cave. Civilians (except those with a special allowance) were not allowed on the island until 1989.

Leaving the shelter behind we began an up-hill slog into the sea breeze (or maestral). I tried to explain, but the wind just carried my words away, that before us lay the site of the world’s last battle fought under sail between the Austrians and the Italians in 1866.

The head wind exhausted us all, so once we reached Zukamice Bay it was decided to pile onto the falkuša for the last 3kms into Komiža. There were more important things on the agenda, such as dinner at Roki’s Winery!

Komiža is a small town on Vis Island’s northwest. It is home to the falkuša and was the only place in Croatia to make its living purely from fishing. Gabe, as the tour’s resident beef-eater, was happy to hear that sea-life was going to provide most of the meals for the next few days.

Nik Roki shuttled us up to his winery where we enjoyed octopus and lamb cooked under the dome, and several bottles of his plavac mali (red wine) and bugava (white wine).

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour - click here.)

Tuesday, 1st July

Arrival in Split

The Vis and Hvar Islands Kayak Adventure starts in the evening of the first day - not with getting into the boats but a stroll through the 1 700 year old ruins of Roman Emperor Diocletian’s retirement palace. Eventhough Deanna, Gabe, Tove, May-Lill, Jodie, Warwick (call me ‘Waz’) and Fred were all coming from different directions at different times, and with Tim and me still on Vis Island organizing the falkuša and kayaks, Jules was somehow able to get everyone in the correct place for a walk with Maja, our knowledgeable guide.

Diocletian was known for several things - as reformer (of the Roman legal, financial, administrative and military systems), as a persecutor (of Christians) and as a constructor. The biggest baths in Rome (over 30 000 sqm) were built by him - though he never visited them - and he built of 20 000sqm of palace just for himself on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. It only took 10 years to build (completed in 305), but anything is possible when you have 20 000 slaves working for you. And only 2 000 were killed during construction! Its good to be the king! The palace forms the centre of Split old town and locals still live amongst its ancient stones.

The irony is that when the Christians inhabited the palace after 640, they turfed Diocletian’s bones out of his mausoleum and turned it into the Cathedral of Sveti Duje (Saint Dominus).

After the tour, dinner was taken at Konoba Maslina - a good-value, hidden-away restaurant.

(Thanks to Deanna and Gabe for these pictures. For all the pictures of the kayak tour - click here.)

As mentioned previously, the usual support boat for our sea-kayaking tours has been in Brest for the last 10 days. So we needed another for last week’s adventure around Vis and Hvar Islands. Tim and I headed north to Murter to borrow the only other replica falkuša, the Mikula, from my friend Tomislav. Murter is home to one of the last fleets of traditional lanteen-rigged boats.

The boat needed to be in Vis Town for the start of the tour. To start, we motored down to the town of Primošten for the night.

In the past Primošten was situated on an islet close to the mainland. During the Turkish invasions of 1542 the islet was protected by walls and towers, and a drawbridge connected it to the mainland. When the Turks retreated, the bridge was replaced by the causeway and in 1564 the settlement was named Primošten after the Croatian verb primostiti (to span).

Whilst there we discovered the best steak I have had in Dalmatia at the restaurant Torkul.

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour - click here.)

For the last 34 years the Venetian authorities have stopped commercial travel on the canals and turned them over to human-powered craft - an event called the Vogalonga. It was simply amazing to paddle in it this year on May 11.

It is one of those transcendental events that must be done - like running the New York Marathon, paddling the Molokai Hoe or scampering along at the Running of the Bulls. So many things come together - great crowds (really enjoying themselves), history, culture and having an attachment to a stunning place (other than just being a tourist).

An estimated 5 000 people were involved this year - paddling or rowing anything that could float - outriggers, dragon boats, dories, rowing shells, traditional Venetian boats and kayaks - all with flags and ribbons flying. The course started in front of the Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Square, wound its way up Burano Island (known for its lace), back to Murano Island (famous for its glasswork) and back down the Grand Canal (under the Rialto and Accademia Bridges) to the finish - 30kms in total.

I was able to convince Morten, a Danish friend from Split, to come. It was all last minute after I saw a post on Paddling Planet. Morten had never been in a kayak before but was keen. I found out later as we were paddling that he had also never been to Venice before - what an introduction to the Serene Empire. There is no better way to discover a maritime culture than in a kayak.

Below are 3 pictures but many more can be found here.

We finished after 5 hours, totally exhausted, but extremely happy! The weather was just right - not too hot, not too cold. At all times the scenery was superb - either the Venetian Gothic palaces of the Grand Canal or the multi-coloured houses of the small canals of Burano.

We are already organizing baby-sitters for next year so the wifes can come!

Over the weekend of 10-12 May we were able to enjoy the hospitality of Giorgio and Maritzia who organized the first seakayaking symposium - Bibione Kayak - of which we know on the Adriatic Sea. The base for the event was Capalonga Camping, about 1 hour from Venice, in northern Italy. The camp is also only 1 hour from Motovun, in Croatia - which was handy for us.

At the event we met many interesting paddlers, including Nigel Foster (seakayak designer and adventurer) and Kristin (potter to the stars), Jen Kleck (a friend of Ray Fusco’s from the US) and Kay (importer for Klepper Folding Kayaks), and others from Serbia, Slovenia, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.

On the Monday night Lifejacket Adventures gave a short, mosquito-plagued talk on kayaking in Croatia, our attempt to cross the Adriatic Sea by kayak unsupported and the old wooden boats of Croatia. The above video was included and shows how to paddle (or row) ‘old-school’.

We made the most of the excellent facilities at the campground - swimming, bbqing and bike riding. We couldn’t get the kids out of the pool as the weather was perfect. Next year we plan to attend for the whole week. Seakayakers in Europe should definitely make the effort to attend, as the festival also ties into the Vogalonga event in Venice. Congratulations to Bibione Kayak!