Mooring in Kastela

"Today I am in Kastela, which isn’t actually single town but is comprised instead of seven “villages” built around dozens of rather elegant and austere “castles” (hence the name “Kastela”).
Ok, etymology lesson aside, let’s get to the point: sailing! Located right in central Dalmatia, Kastela is the location of one of the largest marinas in Croatia, and is an easy drive away from Split, making it a great place to begin a Croatian sailing holiday. You can go north, towards the Kornati archipelago, or head south down to Hvar, Korcula, Lastovo and Mljet. If time permits,I would have no reservations about suggesting eager explorers to book a boat even for two weeks –there really is so much to see here.

The first person I met here at the marina is Mario, who runs a fairly large company that specializes in organizing flotillas and regattas and has a seriously impressive fleet of both 35 ft and 45 ft yachts available for charter. If you happen to want to organize a group of boats for “teambuilding” or if you want to sail with larger social group, this is your guy. For more experienced sailors who want to set up a regatta in Croatia, this is a great resource for any monotype event.

On the other side of the marina, close to the main building, there are so many different charter companies that even an experienced Sail Hunter like myself felt a little overwhelmed. Good thing I’d done my homework.After a long (and pleasant) afternoon, I can recommend Melodi, the base manager for a fleet that puts a noticeable emphasis on both quality and comfort. Her company offers a GSM mobile phone included in the price, with free calls to the base, as well as the option to rent for ten days instead of the classic one or two-week duration, which I think is the perfect duration for a proper sailing holiday.

 Add on a few days of exploring the mainland – Dubrovnik and Split (where I’m going tomorrow) – and your summer vacation is taken care of! Now, I’m off to go have a nice cold beer and a nice warm plate of goulash. The air has gotten chilly…"