Territory: Departure on the Adriatic - News from the coasts of Croatia and Montenegro
Bodo Müller
· 21.04.2024
Precinct updates for the following locations:
The east coast of the Adriatic is one of the most popular destinations for boaters in Europe. The Dalmatian coast is even the world's number one charter destination. As the number of water sports enthusiasts increases, the nautical infrastructure is bound to grow as well. This has recently been experienced not only along the Croatian coast between Istria and southern Dalmatia, but also in neighbouring Montenegro.
Although the small state between Croatia and Albania is not part of the EU, it introduced the common currency back in 2002 and has been experiencing a massive boom in nautical tourism for several years. As a result, several marinas have been built, even for the more discerning traveller. Montenegro has long been known as the "Monte Carlo of the Balkans".
We have summarised below what has changed in the harbours on the mainland and on the islands and what sailors can expect in the coming season.
1 Pula/Marina Polesana
The new marina in the north of the Bay of Pula is now largely complete. It has 400 berths and offers all the services of a modern marina, including a laundry, nautical shop, workshops, a 200-tonne crane and winter storage areas. However, the new hotel called "Mon Luxury Heritage", which is part of the harbour area, is still under construction. An old military bunker has been extensively remodelled for this purpose. The work is due to be completed shortly. The opening is then planned to coincide with the start of the season. marina21.com/en/marina-polesana-pula
2 Rijeka/Porto Baros
The largest current investment project in nautical tourism on the Croatian Adriatic is the conversion of the former industrial harbour Porto Baros in Rijeka. A luxury marina with 230 berths for yachts up to 19 metres in length is being built here. Construction work is due to start in spring and the berths will be ready for use from 2025. Completion of the entire marina is planned for 2026. The investors are the Croatian marina chain ACI and the German Lürssen Group. aci-gitone.hr/en
3 Marina Punat
The popular Marina Punat in the south of the island of Krk celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2024. It is not only the oldest, but also one of the largest marinas on the east coast of the Adriatic. Just in time for the anniversary, the construction work in the central area of the marina has been completed. The new "Marina" restaurant with attractive outdoor facilities, including a lounge area with seating surrounded by water, has been built directly in front of the berths.
Another highlight is the new 540-tonne travel lift, which can lift ships up to 16 metres wide. It is by far the largest travel lift on the Croatian Adriatic. For boats up to ten metres long and weighing up to five tonnes, there will also be a new hydrolift in 2024. This is a type of forklift that can lift boats out of the water and place them on land. marina-punat.hr
4 Klenovica
The former fishing harbour is located on the Vinodolski Canal. This stretch of coast is extremely vulnerable to bora winds. In order to offer boats moored there more safety, two new piers have been protecting the harbour since 2022. In 2023, the municipal harbour of Klenovica was expanded to resemble a marina. Yachts with murings can moor at a new, Y-shaped concrete jetty. All berths are equipped with electricity and water. The installation of sanitary facilities is planned for 2024.
5 Sali
The municipal harbour in the south-east of the island of Dugi Otok was extended in 2023 with a concrete pier on the seaward side and a new shore reinforcement in the northern part. It is now much better protected at Jugo. As part of the expansion, around 55 new berths were created, which are currently being equipped with moorings, electricity and water. The construction of the pier was particularly complex as it had to be founded at a depth of more than ten metres. To ensure that the water continues to circulate naturally, it does not rest on the usual rock fill, but on a double row of concrete columns between which the seawater can continue to flow.
6 Sesula
In the south-west of the island of Solta, south of the small town of Maslinica, lies the popular bay of Sesula. In summer, over 50 yachts sometimes anchor on the northern shore, usually secured with additional land moorings. A small marina with 70 berths and sanitary facilities is to be built here in order to reduce the associated environmental impact - seabeds rutted by anchors and the discharge of dirty water. The planned location is below the "Sismis" restaurant, which is situated on a hill above the bay. Construction work will not begin until spring. However, the first guest yachts should be able to moor at the new floating dock by the start of the season.
7 Sudurad
Visitors to the Elaphite island of Sipan in summer all too often find that the small harbour is mercilessly overcrowded. While larger ships then anchor in the bay, smaller yachts now have an alternative: a seasonal floating pontoon in front of the "Bozica" hotel offers around twelve berths for boats up to ten metres in length from the beginning of May to the end of September. There are moorings, electricity and water. Registration by e-mail is requested: info@hotelbozica.hr, telephone +385/20 32 54 00.
8 Cavtat
After the construction work and a total closure in 2023, Cavtat's port of disembarkation will officially reopen on 1 May 2024 and will then operate all year round. The entire quay in Cavtat has been renovated and in future there will also be moorings, electricity and water. At the time of going to press at the end of March, the Cavtat harbour office was unable to confirm whether the deadline can be met.
9 Lustica Bay
The new Lustica Bay marina is the centrepiece of a town currently being built on the Lustica peninsula on the Montenegrin outer coast. With its intricate architecture, the settlement almost exudes the charm of a traditional Mediterranean village. The marina has berths for yachts up to 45 metres in length and leaves nothing to be desired for crews. Restaurants, bars, cafés and boutiques around the harbour and in the town invite you to shop and linger. The construction project is proof of how interesting it is to build a complete harbour town from the drawing board these days. lusticabay.com
10 Cape Kamenova
About one nautical mile south of Lustica Bay, a new clearance harbour with a duty-free transit petrol station is being built at Cape Kamenova. Once the border harbour has been completed, yachts coming from Albania will not have to sail into the Bay of Kotor to clear in if they want to head for Lustica Bay.
11 Portonovi
The latest must-see destination in Montenegro is the new marina resort Portonovi at the northern entrance to the bay of Tivat (Boka Bay). While the harbour was already completed in May 2019, the dimensions of the five-star town, with the marina at its centre, are only now becoming apparent. It is rare to find a harbour town of this size, completely rebuilt in the Mediterranean style from hewn stone.
The centre of the village is the piazza at the harbour with shops and restaurants for every budget. You won't see a car anywhere because access to the houses and parking are underground. The exclusive marina with 238 berths for yachts up to 120 metres in length leaves nothing to be desired. These include a helicopter landing pad, a petrol station, 24/7 dock assistance and a check-in point. portonovi.com
12 Tivat/Airport Marina
The new airport marina was built in 2023 in Krtole Bay, the south-easternmost tip of Tivat Bay, just 750 metres from Tivat Airport as the crow flies. It is currently undergoing further expansion. The berths on floating pontoons are already equipped with moorings, electricity and water. The sanitary facilities are housed in a container during the construction phase. Once completed, the Airport Marina will offer 99 berths for boats up to 25 metres in length. As the marina is located to the side of the take-off and landing runway and there is also a wooded hill in between, there is little noise from the aircraft. On the contrary, the proximity to the airport is particularly advantageous if you are planning to change crew. airportmarina.me
13 Tivat/Porto Montenegro
The luxury marina, which was built in 2008, was considered the showpiece of the "Monaco of the Balkans" from the very beginning. The demand for berths for larger yachts has increased so much in the meantime that the marina has increased its original capacity from 300 to 426 berths in the course of an expansion to the west. In addition, there are currently 20 berths for yachts over 100 metres in length. The largest ship that can currently moor in Porto Montenegro can be up to 250 metres long.
The infrastructure offers whatever you could wish for: everything is available, from the embarkation point and petrol station to the heliport. On the waterfront, there are restaurants, hotels and shops to meet even the highest demands. The marina and the town of Tivat are currently growing together due to the further expansion of the land-based infrastructure.
The demand for berths, especially for mega yachts, is currently increasing rapidly. Porto Montenegro will therefore continue to grow over the next few years. In the near future, the marina plans to provide 850 berths, of which no less than 300 will be for the large superyachts. portomontenegro.com
