Hidden archipelago | 5 days
Spend your kayak holiday in Croatia and enjoy stunning nature, crystal clear sea and pleasurable Mediterranean weather
Toursummary
- Tour type: Multi day trips
- Activity type: Cliff jumping, Sea Kayaking, Snorkeling
- Distance: 66 Km /36 Nm
- Duration: 5 days
- Suggested minimum age: 8 years old
- Difficulty: Check FAQ, Easy, Moderate
- Point of special interest: authentic culture, Hiking, Nature, Sea Kayaking, Snorkelling
Tour Summary
Spend your holiday on a sea kayak tour in Croatia and enjoy stunning nature, crystal clear sea, and pleasurable Mediterranean weather. Revel in the beauty of postcard-worthy islands Drvenik, Ploca, and Solta. Far away from the tourist hot spots. Kayak in the calm and safe waters and immerse yourself in the traditional island way of life. Our base is in Drvenik Veli. A fishers’ village that represents the true Mediterranean as it once was, without the hustle and bustle of major towns.
While at sea and paddling at a relaxed pace, you will soak up the untouched nature and explore hidden bays. Swim in the secluded beaches and feel the adrenaline rush while cliff jumping. Once the sun sets, enjoy traditional local dishes such as stew, risottos, the freshest grilled fish, and meat. Have a perfect ending to the day with a glass of wine as you gaze at the starry summer sky.
TOUR STYLE
The hidden archipelago tour is a relaxed and easy-going tour. Having our base at Drvenik Veli village, we are spending all four nights in the same accommodation. Traveling with empty kayaks all days except the first and last day (we can arrange luggage transfer to the island). Usual daily distances are from 12 to 18 km a day. An option is to skip a kayaking day if someone needs a rest day. Short daily hikes are on the menu on some days. Your guides and host prepare meals with a special farewell dinner where we do something delicious and traditional, usually using fire to cook.
Experienced and BCU certificated Red Adventures local leaders are, by all means, at your disposal. Improve your kayaking skills and have a blast during this fun kayak holiday in Croatia.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Crystal clear sea
- UNESCO heritage Trogir town and Pantana river
- Fishers’s village of Drvenik Veli
- Blue lagoon bay
- Vela Rina beach
- Maslinica village
Day 1Trogir - Jelinjak - Drvenik Veli
Your first day will begin by meeting your guides. They will help you fit your kayak, provide you with detailed insight into the route you’re about to embark on. Also, they will brief you on the gear, microclimate, and, of course, safety at sea.
You will start kayaking in Trogir, more specifically the unique nature reserve nearby – Pantana. It’s famous for its fortified renaissance watermill. Continuing on to the old town of Trogir. Let your guide show you the highlights of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, including Kamerlengo fortress, the city walls, and the beating heart of this city – its waterfront promenade (Riva).
As you paddle under many bridges around the town, you will see for yourself why Trogir is often called “Little Venice”. After the exploration of Trogir, we will then head towards the village that will serve as our base for the next 4 nights, the charming Drvenik Veli.
Alternatively, in case of a windy afternoon or bad weather, the day will end with a ferry ride from Trogir to the island of Drvenik Veli.
- Highlights: Trogir old own, Pantana nature reserve
- Distance: 11Nm (18km), in case of ferry transfer 4nm, (7,5 km)
- Meals: Picnic lunch, Dinner
Day 2Drvenik Mali circumnavigation
After you recharge your batteries with a good night’s sleep and healthy breakfast, we will start paddling to the neighboring island of Drvenik Mali. There you will get acquainted not only with its Instagram-worthy sandy beaches but also its delectable main village called Borak. As you paddle around the island, you see its smooth rock surfaces. They are the reason this island is also often called “tile”. Once we reach the beautiful sandy beach Vela Rina (the Great Sand) we will break for a short stroll to explore the island and its fragrant herbs, picking carob and even figs along the way. Once you reach the top of the island, you will enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the surrounding islands. There will be plenty of time for water sports activities such as swimming, snorkeling, even diving if weather permits.
- Highlight: Vela Rina Beach
- Distance: 9 Nm (16.6km)
- Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
Day 3South shore of Drvenik Veli
The third day of your tour begins with the exploration of our host island, Drvenik Veli. With the help of our professional guide, you will discover plenty of charming beaches, hidden coves, and unique limestone rock formations. On the south side of the island, you will then reach the stunning Krknjasi bay, one of the most visited and most photographed bays in the Adriatic. Among all, it’s famous for its turquoise waters created by the combination of light sand and the pristine sea. For those of you who are slightly more adventurous, you will try cliff jumping during one of our breaks. To end the day on a high note, we will leave our kayaks on the beach and hike back to the base on the opposite side of the island just in time to witness a spectacular sunset view from the top of the island.
- Highlights: Krknjasi bay (Blue lagoon), cliff jumping
- Distance: 6Nm (11 km)
- Hike: 3 km
- Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
Day 4Island Solta & Blue lagoon
After breakfast, we will walk back to our kayaks and continue our journey. This time across the channel to island Solta and one of its flagship villages – Maslinica. The village was built around a Venetian castle that defended the island from pirate attacks back in the 16th century. The combination of this grand castle, a quaint village, surrounding beaches, and pine trees give the entire destination a unique charm. Definitely making it one of the most picturesque destinations in Central Dalmatia.
- Highlights: Maslinica village
- Distance: 9Nm (16.6 km)
- Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
Day 5Drvenik Veli - Kluda reefs - Trogir
We will start the last day of our multi-day tour by packing and enjoying a relaxing morning before hopping back into our kayaks. The last leg of our journey will take us back to the mainland. This day route differs from the first-day route when coming to Drvenik. Along the way, we will explore many islets and small reefs spread across the channel before reaching the bay of Trogir, our final destination and the end of our marvelous adventure.
- Highlights: 11 reefs and islets
- Distance: 6 Nm (11 km)
- Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch
The tour runs from April to October, with the best weather in June, July, and August.
Departures are available each Sunday during the following months:
| May | June | July | August | September | Other months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1059€ | 1099€ | 1199€ | 1199€ | 1099€ | 999€ |
Note: The above prices refer to group departures with total of 4 or more participants. In case that the total number of participants booked is below 4, surcharge applies.
The price includes:
• Transfer from Split/Trogir to the start point
• All overnights in apartments (double room occupancy) *
• All breakfasts (excl. the starting day)
• Picnic lunch every day
• 2 Dinners prepared by the guide or at a local tavern
• High quality Prijon sea kayaks with choice of a single or double kayak
• Full sea kayaking equipment including paddles, buoyancy aid, dry bags, spray deck, etc.
• Experienced & licensed kayaking guide (BCU qualified, English speaking)
• Sea kayak handling/safety briefing
• Sea kayaking technique instruction (on request)
• Photos from the tour
• Snorkeling equipment
• Storage of excess luggage at our office during the tour
• Transfer to Split/Trogir after the tour
Optional upgrades:
• Single room supplement: subject to an additional price depending on the season
• Carbon paddle: 5€ per day (30€ for the whole program)
The price does NOT include:
• Airfares & other travel expenses to arrive at the meeting point in Split
• Accommodation before and after the tour
• Travel insurance that covers sea kayaking
• Tips for your guide
• Personal expenses
• Drinks in local taverns/restaurants
MEALS
Croatia and Mediterranean offer great food, and we always make sure that you try local dishes, delicacies, and products, having a memorable gastronomic experience.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and we make sure you have a rich one. It’s prepared by our guide in the self-service arrangement at the guesthouse terrace and includes eggs, cheese, ham, cereals, bread spreads, fruits, milk, yogurt, coffee, tea, etc. Breakfast is included during the whole tour except on the starting day.
Each day during the lunch breaks our guide will offer you snacks such as sandwiches, pastries, fruits or energy bars.
Dinners are prepared by your guides or organized in a local tavern. The charming terrace of our local guest house will be a perfect setup for you to taste traditionally prepared stew, meat, and grilled fish. You can have a glass of wine while waiting for your BBQ next to the sea and enjoying the sunset.
Drinks at the tavern will be at your own cost, while for dinners prepared by our guides it will be included (incl. local wine). All dinners are included, except on departure day.
Upon your booking, we will send you a simple online questionnaire making sure that your preferences, wishes and needs are met to the maximum. Based on your feedback we will organize the most suitable meal arrangements, making sure we accommodate any of your dietary restrictions or needs.
For ecological reasons, we encourage our clients to bring their own reusable water bottle that will be filled out whenever needed.
ACCOMMODATION
During the entire tour, our base will be the picturesque village of Drvenik Veli. This lovely settlement hidden from beaten touristic paths provides peace and tranquility perfect for your relaxing vacation.
Your accommodation will be in local guesthouses and apartments just a step away from the sea. The package includes double room occupancy, meaning two people being accommodated in a room with a two-person (double) bed. Twin beds are rarely available, and you should specifically request it upon booking. Each room has its own bathroom.
Single room occupancy is available upon request and subject to an additional supplement that depends on the tour season, ranging between €25 and €45 per night. Please contact us for more details.
SEA KAYAKS
We choose to use German high-quality Prijon brand kayaks for our touring expeditions because of several reasons:
– Wide range of Prijon kayaks can accommodate any type of paddles. We have models for light, medium, and high weight, short and tall paddles. Furthermore, we can adjust kayaks for each person individually thanks to their comfortable touring seat system, lightweight 3D-thigh braces, and slide footrest. Therefore, you can easily find and adjust your individual seating position.
– High storage capacity enables you to take a lot of luggage and gear with you on your multi-day expedition. Being such a great load carrier, our expeditions are much more hassle-free.
– HTP material is perfect for Dalmatian rough coast and can tolerate some contact with sharp rocky coast, which makes our kayaking more trouble-free.
– They are fast and safe, with the shape designed for typical wind/wave situations on the Adriatic Sea, especially choppy waves during summer.
– We equip each kayak with a rudder, which can come in handy for a beginner’s paddler, especially in windy situations. It makes tracking and turning much easier. If you don’t need it, you can simply take it out of the water and paddle without it!
All kayaks in our fleet are not older than 3 years. We renew our gear regularly and keep them in good shape.
Which kayak model to choose?
You decide between single and double touring kayaks depending on your preference and experience.
We have various single kayak models available that are usually distributed based on your weight, height, and previous experience. If you are an experienced paddler with specific preferences, please let us know, and we will do our best to meet your needs.
Double or single?
For those with a lack of extensive kayaking experience or questionable physical fitness, we strongly recommend double kayak use for comfort and safety. Our double kayak Prijon Poseidon offers outstanding performance while providing great comfort and stability. The reasons for using tandems are:
Speed: Length equals speed. Therefore, the longer waterline of a tandem kayak makes it considerably faster than a solo kayak.
Stability: The extra width of a tandem kayak provides excellent stability. You’ll appreciate this most in choppy water, and when observing or photographing nature. The greater stability of tandems allows us extra freedom to travel in a greater variety of sea conditions.
Support: In the case of rough weather, two paddlers are always stronger than one. Two paddlers make a team and always better handle rough weather situations. Also, a double kayak gives a chance for one paddler to take a brief break to relax, drink water or take a picture during kayaking.
Usual gear we are providing for your kayak trip:
– Paddle (TNP aluminum)
– Buoyancy aid (Aquarius MQ Pro PFD)
– Spray skirt (Prijon polyester)
– Dry bags, etc.
Carbon paddle (Prijon Stream) upgrade is available at the price of €5 per day.
What do I need to bring with me for kayaking?
The only thing you need to take with you is swimming wear, water shoes and sun protection (Lycra shirt, cap, sunglasses, sun cream). Kayaking gloves can be helpful too!
How big will the group be?
The trip runs with a minimum of 4 people and maximum of 8. In exceptional cases, the number can be up to 12 in which case the second guide is provided. Bigger groups can be organized in private arrangement only, with up to 20 participants.
How fit do I need to be?
The level of kayaking is easy to moderate. Each day involves 3-5 hours of paddling so it is recommended you are in good physical condition. In case of windy weather, the difficulty level can go up and extend kayaking time. You must be able to swim.
What are the sea conditions there?
Islands Drvenik and Ploca are generally in a safe area. During the summertime, winds are generally light and easy to predict. Never the less, if some bad weather occurs a good geographical position of the Islands usually allows us to the plan of some alternative kayaking route.
Is previous kayaking experience necessary?
Previous kayaking experience is recommended but not mandatory. Good physical fitness level can substitute lack of experience.
Can I skip a day of kayaking?
Yes, this tour is returning each night at the same location so opting out a day is possible. In case you get tired or just want to spend a day relaxing or hiking you can have a rest day and stay at our base or explore the island on foot.
What is the closest airport?
Split airport (SPU) is just 20 km away from our base. There are bus and taxi connections to downtown.
You can also consider alternative airports Zadar (ZAD), Dubrovnik (DBV) and even Zagreb (ZAG) from which it takes 3-5 hours to reach Split by bus. Please contact us for more details if you consider alternative airports.
Can kayaking distances be shorter or longer?
Sure, most of the kayaking days can be shorter or even longer. In case you are looking to book for a private group, we can adjust the itinerary and add or deducted the milage, adjusting it to perfectly suit your group.
Where do we meet?
Meeting point is in Split, Croatia. We recommend coming to Split one day before as we generally have a briefing at our office the day before the tour.
As this tour takes place in Trogir area, if you are accommodated near Trogir, we can set up a meeting point in Town of Trogir on the day of the tour start. In this case, briefing would be on the day of the tour satrt.
Single or double kayak?
We strongly recommend double kayaks for beginners for speed, stability, comfort and safety. Please see Equipment info for more details on this. Feel free to consult our team for recommendations.
What should I pack?
We recommend bringing your swimsuit, long sleeve Lycra shirt, water shoes, towel, plenty of sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sunblock). A book is recommended for your time off. Recommended clothes depend on the season, however, we recommend taking a long sleeve even during the summer in case of a chilly night. Bring your running/hiking shoes too. Please bring your own reusable water bottle for a water refill.
We will provide you suggested packing list to help you. Keep in mind to pack light due to limited space in the kayak.
What is the weather like?
The Mediterranean climate here provides a lot of sun and pleasant temperatures. From May to October the air temperature ranges from 20 to 32 degrees Celsius, while during July and August it often exceeds that number. Sea temperature usually exceeds 20 degrees in early June and reaches 26 degrees in July. During this period it is mostly sunny and it rarely rains.
| Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air (°C) | 15-25 | 20-30 | 23-33 | 25-35 | 25-35 | 23-30 | 15-25 |
| Sea (°C) | 17 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 20 |
| Rainy Days | 8 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 |
What about payments there?
Kuna is the official currency in Croatia. During the tour, we recommend having some cash with you. On Drvenik Veli and Ploca ATMs are not available while on the Solta Island (day 4) you can find them.
Can my special dietary restrictions be accommodated?
Absolutely, upon reservation, you will receive a questionnaire through which we receive your dietary restrictions and preferences.
What about water?
During the kayaking, our guide will have water for re-fill. We encourage you to bring your reusable water bottle for environmental reasons. Water on the island is supplied from water tanks and is not recommended to drink while for showering and cooking is fine. In your accommodation, you will have a water refill point which you can use at any time!
Any other questions?
Feel free to contact our team for any further questions