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Croatia

Southern Dalmatia

Bike and Boat Holiday

Grade

1
2
3
4
5

Duration

8 days

Prices from

£1,395 P.P.
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This bike and boat cycle tour in Southern Dalmatia, the smallest and most sparsely populated region of Croatia, will take you past unique little towns and through breathtaking island landscapes. Experience the beautiful island of Korcula and its picturesquely situated old township, and the superb lavender island of Hvar. Take a stroll around Hvar town and explore its mighty fortress, and relish the peace and quiet of the artistic paradise of Stari Grad.
You'll be able to explore Trogir, Hvar, Stari Grad and Korcula, most of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Having set sail from the historic centre of Trogir, you will cruise along the mainland before bearing south to the islands of Brac, Korcula, Hvar and Solta, taking time each day to explore these fantastic locations by bicycle. History and culture abound, nestled among the rolling hills, dramatic gorges and stunning coastlines so typical of Dalmatia.
It isn't all biking and exploration on this Croatian bike and boat holiday however, we ensure that there are plenty of bathing and relaxation breaks planned as well. Your accommodation for the week is on a specially designed boat and during the day a local leader will lead the way. This bike and barge tour is run in conjunction with a local partner and you will join their guests on the tour.
You will spend your evenings sharing experiences of the day with an international group of cyclists over authentic regional cuisine, cooked and served on board the barge. Please get in touch if you'd like to know the make up of the group booked onto your chosen departure.

Holiday Highlights

  • Relaxing aboard the yacht, on crystal-clear Adriatic waters
  • Discovering the captivating UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Trogir and Split
  • Exploring the Cetina gorge, cypress gardens of Korcula, and scented islands of Hvar and Solta
  • Enjoying leisurely evening meals, with a friendly mix of nationalities
  • Basking in the artistic peacefulness of Stari Grad
  • Pedalling through beautiful archipelagos and along the Dalmatian coastline

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Every aspect was fantastic! It was a privilege to be on such a beautiful ship, which had been lovingly built by the captain. The crew were lovely and worked non stop. They were always friendly and smiling.

Trudy, Huddersfield

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival into Trogir
  • Meals: Dinner

On the first day you will arrive into the lovely town of Trogir, and make your way to the yacht for between 14:00 and 14:30. You will then set sail at 15:00, to enjoy a gentle cruise to Split. The old town of Split, built into the famous palace of the Roman Caesar Diocletian, is listed as a world heritage site, you will spend your evening in the harbour of Split.

Day 2
Island of Hvar
12.5 Miles / 20 Kms Approx.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

This morning we cross over to the lovely natural harbour of Stari Grad on the Island of Hvar. Our afternoon cycling tour on the Island of Hvar leads us through the quaint harbours of Jelsa and Vrboska. We start off through the vineyards on the famous ‘Stari Grad Plains’ and continue along a picturesque coastal road through the town of Vrboska, a.k.a. ‘small Venice’ to the harbor town of Jelsa. Afterwards we’ll return to Stari Grad for the night, which has become a Mecca for artists and art lovers in the past few years.

Day 3
Islands of Hvar and Korčula
14 Miles / 22 Kms Approx.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Today we ride once across the length of the island, leading us along the almost traffic-free road through small villages to the islands capital, Hvar, where we’ll visit the magnificent Renaissance Square and enjoy the view from the Spanish Fortress, situated high above the city. After today’s tour the boat takes us to the Island of Korcula, where we’ll stay overnight in Vela Luka.

Day 4
Island of Korčula - Makarska
23 Miles / 37 Kms Approx.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Today we’ll discover the island of Korcula by bicycle. The calmness and remoteness of the vast vegetation and cypress gardens have given shape to possibly the most beautiful Dalmatian island. Our cycle tour leads us via the village of Blato, like Rome built on seven hills,and on to the harbour of Prigradica. The boat awaits our arrival at lunch and we set off for Makarska. If the weather permits we will organise a swim stop in a nice bay. The evening can be enjoyed along the famous Makarska Riviera.

Day 5
Makarska – Omiš
27 Miles / 44 Kms Approx.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch

This morning we take a short crossing during breakfast to Omis. Today you have the choice between taking part on a bike tour around the Cetina Canyon or participating on a rafting excursion down the Cetina River (not included in the tour price). The bike tour takes you once around the outskirts of the canyon with great views over the river and back down towards the sea. The rafting group will be picked up from the boat by a bus and are taken up river to the starting point. From here we follow the river downstream in the rafts gaining a unique perspective of the canyon and its flora and fauna. Participants of the rafting trip are brought back to the boat in the bus after the activity. In the afternoon we have time to explore Omis or to go for a swim at the nearby beach. We will spend the evening in Omis.

Day 6
Islands of Brač and Šolta
20 Miles / 32 Kms Approx.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

This morning will begin with a crossing to the island of Brac during breakfast. Brac is famous for its radiant, precious limestone that was, among others, used for the White House in Washington or the Reichstag building in Berlin. We cycle from the picturesque harbour town of Pucisca, home to one of the most famous masonry schools in Croatia. Croatia, our bike tour takes us to the neighboring town of Postira. From here, we board the boat and cruise to the island of Šolta. Here we can take part on a 4.5km hike with a visit to the local beekeeper Goran along the way. Goran has worked with bees his whole life and they are his true passion. He teaches of their importance in the world and allows all of his guests to try the delicious bee products that he makes. We spend the night in the harbor of Rogac on Šolta.

Day 7
Šolta Island to Trogir
12.5 Miles / 20 Kms Approx.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

On Šolta we commence our last bike tour. Walled fields, numerous olive groves, locust bean and fig trees line the roads. The herbal scent of rosemary accompanies us along our tour across the island. After a round tour of the island, we return to the ship.. Afterwards we’ll board the boat and enjoy our last crossing to Trogir, past the cliffs of the Ciovo peninsula. Don’t worry, your tour isn’t over yet – there’s still plenty of time to visit the Old Town of Trogir, listed as a World Cultural Heritage site. Our last evening aboard our ship is celebrated with a final communal dinner and get-together!

Day 8
Departure from Trogir
  • Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, disembarkation until 9:00 am and journey home. Please note: On some dates hybrid-and MTB tours will be operated together on the same boat, one tour guide will lead the hybrid / electric bike group, the other one the mountain bike group. This itinerary is for the hybrid group.

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The Cycling

Terrain

This trip requires a basic level of fitness from participants, which you should have acquired from steady / daily cycling leading up to the trip. The tours will take us up to a height of 200-500m / 656-1640ft above sea-level. The daily tours from 12 – 31 miles (20 to 50 km) will take us through hilly and mountainous terrain and will be completed without any time-constraints. Participants will also need to master some long and steep climbs, during which they are, of course, permitted to push their bicycles.

The fourth day will pose the biggest challenge (Vela Luka to Korcula), being the longest and hilliest ride. We traverse mostly asphalted roads, where there is little traffic outside of busy periods.

You are free to set aside a half or full day to swim or spend on board the boat, instead of taking a planned cycle tour. We recommend touring / hybrid bikes and wouldn’t recommend road bikes for these routes.

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Leisure Cycling Grade

1
2
3
4
5
Grade 3 : Moderate

Distances generally between 20-45 miles / 32-72 kms per day

For the leisure cyclist with a good level of physical fitness

May include some steeper, cheeky climbs and possibly sections of varying terrain (eg. forest tracks, gravel paths etc)

Our grading guidelines have been carefully created based on our many years of cycling experience, as well as customer feedback from our trips. Of course, if you're still struggling to figure out where you fit on the scale, do feel free to give us a quick call and we'll be more than happy to help!

For more information about our grading system click here.

Is this suitable for you?

Although you may not cycle everyday, you do keep yourself relatively fit and maybe enjoy an afternoon out on your bike at the weekend. Your preference is perhaps for flatter terrain but you don’t mind tackling some hills, and the occasional steep climb if you can take it at your own pace. For those happy to tackle some ups and downs, and possibly some sections of varying terrain (eg. forest tracks, gravel paths etc) we’d recommend our grade 3 trips. We’d generally expect those on a Grade 3 holiday to have a decent level of physical fitness and be comfortable with some longer days in the saddle.

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All the islands we visited were beautiful and cycling was a good way to see the them! I upgraded to an E bike which was great and made the holiday. I was able to climb the hills, not be breathless and enjoy the views.

Sheila, UK

Dates & Prices

Private Departures

Private Departures

Are you keen to only travel with your family or friends? Struggling to find the right date? Well, we can organise a private departure for this tour and tailor aspects to suit your group's specific needs. Contact our friendly team and we'll help you turn your dream into reality.

Whats Included Tick

A) Accommodation in en suite twin or double, below deck cabins

B) Bed linen and towels

C) 4 x full-board and 3 x half-board (please note, the days on which different meals are provided may change throughout the week and the above is just a guideline)

D) Guided cycling tours with an English speaking tour guide

E) Overview maps for the daily tours (provided on board)

What's not Included Cross

A) Bike hire (available if required)

B) Flights and charges for travelling with your bike (if applicable)

C) Travel arrangements to / from the boarding point in Trogir

D) Personal clothing and equipment

E) Travel insurance

F) Drinks & bar bills, telephone calls, souvenirs, etc.

G) Any meals taken ashore

H) Entrance fees to museums and attractions not mentioned in itinerary

I) Single supplement (available if required)

J) Rafting (20€ for children and 35€ for adults)

K) Water flat rate & visitor’s tax and local charges (€50 per adult / €25 per child under 17, payable to yacht captain on arrival)

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The Essentials

Travel Options

For this trip we recommend that you fly into Split (SPU), which is 7km from Trogir. We would then advise taking a taxi from the airport to Trogir harbour, which will cost around £15 / 150 Croatian Kuna. We ask that you arrive at the yacht and be boarded by 14:30 at the latest, to enable a 15:00 departure.

Various airlines offer direct flights from London and regional airports to Split (SPU). As you need to arrive early afternoon, you may want to consider arriving a day early and exploring Trogir or Split, if the timings from regional airports don’t quite tie in.

Please check your travel arrangements with Skedaddle before booking so that we can ensure they fit in with the holiday schedule.

Accommodation

There are two boats to choose from.

Premium Boat The Romantica is a two mast motor yacht. Both the salon and the exterior have upscale facilities, and the boat is home to 16 guest cabins (7 below deck and 9 above deck / 9 – 10 sqm / Double beds: 200×160cm / Single beds: 200×80cm), each with air conditioning, shower and WC, hairdryer and mirror. Each deck has a mixture of both double and twin cabins. The boat has sunbeds and mats on the sundeck, big tables and chairs on a shady deck and a bathing platform at the stern.

Premium Boat The San Snova is a wooden motor sailer, made entirely of oak, taking three years to complete. The boat is home to 14 guest cabins (3 cabins below deck and 11 cabins above deck / 9 – 14 sqm / Double beds: 200×140cm / Single beds: 200×90cm), each with air conditioning, shower and WC, hairdryer and mirror. Each deck has a mixture of both double and twin cabins. The boat has sunbeds and mats on the sundeck and big tables and chairs on a shady deck.

Bike Hire

The cost of bike hire is not included in the cost of the tour, but bikes are available to hire if required. If you choose to hire you will be provided with a 21-gear trekking/hybrid bike or an electric bike (on request), with pannier rack and bags. Your tour guide will have a repair kit in case of punctures, but if you intend to cycle independently, you may wish to take your own small puncture repair kit, or alternatively let one of the local team know and they will be able to provide you with a repair kit and pump to take with you. You are welcome to bring along your own saddle and/or pedals if preferred.

Helmets are compulsory when riding with Skedaddle. If you would prefer not to bring you own along, please request a helmet when booking and we can provide one for you.

Please note on our plus tours, the riding pace is determined by cyclists on e-bikes, guests who are taking part on these tours on a hybrid bike should have the necessary physical condition to keep up with this pace. Our standard trips are tailored for those riding on hybrid bikes and those riding e-bikes may need to wait for the rest of the group.

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