Sailing the Kornati: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

The Kornati National Park sits at the southern end of our longest route, and it is unlike anywhere else in the Adriatic. There are no permanent settlements, no shops, no cars — just bare white limestone, the deep blue sea, and a silence broken only by seabirds and the sound of your anchor chain. Croatian writer George Bernard Shaw once wrote of Kornati: "On the last day of the Creation, God desired to crown His work, and thus created the Kornati Islands out of tears, stars and breath." We've been sending sailors there for years, and no one has ever come back disappointed.

The Numbers

The Kornati archipelago contains 140 islands, islets and reefs spread across 320 km² of sea — making it the most developed island group in the Mediterranean by density. Only a handful are inhabited seasonally, mainly by fishermen. The National Park itself covers 109 of these islands and was established in 1980.

Getting There from Novi Vinodolski

Our Ruta Kornati covers 207 NM over 7 days. From Novi Vinodolski you sail south to Rab (30 NM), then make the longest single passage of the route to Zadar (43 NM) — a full sailing day that rewards you with the extraordinary Kornati archipelago just 12 NM beyond. The route returns north via the outer islands of Ist and Molat, then Mali Lošinj, Krk, and Opatija before the final leg home. It is our most demanding route and the one our guests talk about longest.

Anchorages Inside the Park

Inside the National Park, you must anchor in designated areas and pay a park entry fee (collected by park rangers who come alongside by boat). The most popular anchorages are around the island of Kornati itself and in the sheltered bay of Ravni Žakan, where there are also a few seasonal restaurants serving grilled fish and lamb. Anchoring outside designated zones or damaging the seabed is strictly prohibited and fines are significant. Your skipper will know exactly where to go.

What to Expect on the Water

Kornati passages are typically made in open sea with less island shelter than the northern Kvarner routes. The maestral provides good afternoon sailing, but the area can be affected by the jugo (south-easterly) which builds swells from the open Adriatic. September is the finest month for Kornati — calmer seas, warm water, and virtually no other yachts in the more remote anchorages.

Zadar: The Unmissable Stopover

The Ruta Kornati passes through Zadar, and it would be a mistake to rush. The old town sits on a narrow peninsula and contains some of Croatia's finest Roman and Byzantine monuments — including a Roman forum still used as a public square today. Don't miss the Morske orgulje (Sea Organ), a 70-metre installation of underwater pipes that turns wave motion into haunting music, best heard at sunset from the stone steps leading into the sea.

Permits & Rules

Entry to Kornati National Park requires a permit purchased in advance or at the park entrance. Fishing within the park requires a separate permit. Scuba diving needs special authorisation. We handle all of this as part of your charter preparation — just let us know at booking stage if diving is on your agenda.

Our Advice

The Ruta Kornati is rated challenging — not because the sailing is technically difficult, but because the passage lengths are longer and the conditions more exposed than our northern routes. We recommend it for charterers with some previous offshore experience, or those sailing with a skipper. If it's your first time with us and you want Kornati, sail with a skipper — you'll spend more time enjoying the islands and less time worrying about the weather window for the Zadar leg.