Written by Vandy & Eric Shrader on Leopard48 Awildian, via the Porto Montenegro Liveaboards Facebook Group.
Anchorages South/East of Split
Summer 2022
GPS coordinates from Navily
Locations listed approx SE to NW
Uvala Tiha/Cista Luka
42°35.07’N,18°13.23’E / 42°35.45’N,18°13.47’E (Near Cavtat). We first anchored in a small sand patch in the anchorage on the south side of the bay, which Navily calls Uvala Tiha, but after dragging in a 30 knots bora (our anchor encountered a weed bed while it was attempting to reset), we re-anchored on the northern (upwind) side of the bay, that Navily calls Cista Luka. Find a sand patch and you should be fine. We never dragged there. And if you do drag, you’ve got the entire bay to drag through. Both anchorages are convenient for dinghying into Cavtat.
Čajkovići/Dubrovnik
42°40.27’N,18°07.20’E (Mainland, in the river near the entrance to the ACI Marina Dubrovnik) There is quite a bit of room in the anchoring area near the marina. Forget about seeing the bottom, the water is murky. We were told it was mud, and it held like it was. There is a chandlery in the marina and another one farther up the river in the little town of Komolac. Komolac also has two small markets, a produce market, and even an Ina gas station up the hill. Noforeignland.com has a good map of these locations. There was a restaurant recommended that is farther up the river, but you can’t get there by dinghy as there is a small, manmade waterfall across the entire river, and we also read that it is closed indefinitely. The waterfront restaurant at the hotel Vimbula is good, but expect to pay dinner prices for lunch.
Uvala Lopud
42°41.30’N,17°56.40’E (North Otok Lopud) The anchorage was pretty full when we arrived, so we picked up one of the restaurant moorings (free with the expectation that you’ll eat at the restaurant) and enjoyed a nice dinner ashore, and a walk the next day.
Uvala Podskolj
42°42.30’N,17°44.70’E (Eastern end of Otok Mljet) A pretty spot with a few moorings in a narrow inlet between a rocky islet and the shore. The restaurant just up the hill, Konoba Stermasi, put the moorings in and they are free with the expectation that you’ll eat at the restaurant. The restaurant is family-owned, the food is great, the view is awesome, and the atmosphere friendly. You won’t want to try to anchor here as it’s pretty shallow and mostly weedy.
Prožurska Luka (Prožura Luka in the Adriatic Pilot)
42°43.92’N,17°39.08’E (Otok Mljet) This anchorage has two lobes, a larger western one and a smaller eastern one. Both are protected by three small islets, and both have mooring balls. Friends of ours have anchored in the smaller lobe between the largest islet (O. Planjak) and the eastern shore, in 60 feet, but we decided to take a mooring ball instead, placed by the restaurant on shore Marijina Konoba. The mooring was free if we ate dinner in the restaurant, which we did and it was fabulous. On our second night we moved to a mooring in the larger lobe. There were plenty to choose from in September. If you haven’t had the opportunity to try Croatian peka (a slow-cooked dish with a choice of meats) because you have to order it a couple of hours in advance, this is your chance: Tony from the restaurant comes out to the boats in the afternoon to tell you about the menu and take your order.
Uvala Pržina
42°46.50’N,17°45.20’E (Southern Pelješac Peninsula). One of our favorite places. Good holding in sand. No commerce here at all, just trees, a pretty sand beach, and lovely clear water. A dirt road on shore makes for a nice walk. During the day, quite a few charter boats would come in, then leave after a couple of hours. Most nights we were alone or nearly so. The charters usually anchored on the right side of the cove; we were on the left, so mostly away from the crowds.
Luka Polače
42°47.40’N,17°22.65’E (Western end of Otok Mljet) We anchored here to see the park. Good holding in sandy mud, with lots of room to swing, or back up to the shore and stern-tie. People were doing both. The friendly park rangers will come around and pick up the fee for anchoring in the park. Restaurants, shopping, e-bike rentals, a park kiosk, and more on shore. Some of the restaurants also have quays that you can tie to.
Uvala Račišće (Uvala Javic, in Navily).
42°55.92’N,17°09.87’E (Otok Korčula, near Lombarda) We anchored in the outer part of this inlet, before it narrowed. Look for a sandy patch to drop your anchor in or you’ll be plowing weeds. We tied our dinghy at the innermost part of the cove, and dropped a bag of rubbish in the large bin across the street. It’s a short walk to Lumbarda along the road. The best thing about this anchorage is the little restaurant that’s on shore. Konoba Gavini has a dinghy dock, pleasant wait staff, good food, and a dessert not to be missed: vanilla ice cream topped with pumpkin seed oil and roasted pumpkin seeds.
Otok Badija.
42°57.00’N,17°09.75’E (Near Korčula) We liked this anchorage a lot, and stayed here three weeks. Good holding in sand, not in the weeds. Pick your spot judiciously. The water is clear, so you can see what you’re dropping your anchor in. Popular with charter boats during the day, but nearly deserted at night. Convenient for visiting Korčula in your dinghy (mind the 4 knot speed limit, it’s enforced) or in one of the many water taxis. Cool monastery on shore with a nice path for walking around the island, and a small herd of tame deer.
Lovište.
43°01.47’N,17°01.88’E (Northern tip of Pelješac Peninsula) A well-sheltered, pretty, quiet anchorage with several different areas to anchor in. You can pick your spot depending on the wind forecast. We anchored closest to the anchorage that Navily calls Uvala Luka. Most of the end of the northernmost cove is closed off with swimming buoys so you can’t anchor farther in than the little pier. The bottom is sand with good holding.
Uvala Taršče.
43°09.58’N,16°22.48’E (Otok Klement in the Pakleni Islands) This was the second place we stern-tied, though quite a few boats also anchored out in the bay, though we saw only weeds there. Gets quite crowded with charter boats – it must be on their “must see” list – but if you get there early in the day, you can pick your spot. A boat comes by twice a day (The Daily Fresh Boat), which has all kinds of food, drinks, and other goodies. There’s also a great family-owned restaurant (Dionis) up the hill at the head of the bay. Look for the signs and follow the track through the bush. You will probably need to book ahead.
Luka Vrboska.
43°10.73’N,16°41.47’E (Otok Hvar, north shore) Nicely sheltered from the afternoon seabreeze. Most of the shallower spots were already taken when we arrived, so we dropped in about 35 feet, near the yellow buoy by the outer swimming area. We couldn’t see the bottom so I don’t know what it consisted of. The innermost part of the cove is roped off for swimming. We were told by another yachtie that the resort does not allow dinghies to be tied to their small quay, so we took the short dinghy trip into the town of Vrboska and tied to the town quay there. The town is quaint, with lots of charming buildings. Nearby is the secluded and beautiful cove of Maslinica Beach: starting from town, cross the main bridge, then the main road, follow a dirt road on the other side until it stops at a wide parking area, follow a well-worn path down to the edge of the rocky cove.
Luka Tiha.
43°12.82’N,16°33.60’E (Otok Hvar, near Starigrad) A large, deep bay with several different “fingers” containing many moorings. The entire bay is a concession, so you will pay a fee whether you take a mooring or anchor. We took a mooring. You could take your dinghy to Stari Grad, which is about 2.5nm, but if you come back during the afternoon sea breeze, which blows up the channel, it will be quite choppy. Water taxis are plentiful. We took one to and from Stari Grad. There are anchorages closer in but we didn’t stay there.
Omiš West.
43°26.30’N,16°41.43’E (Mainland) A stunning anchorage backed by tall mountains. NOTE: Omiš is a “bora accelerator,” which means that E to NE winds may be ramped up well beyond the forecast velocity. We had 25-30 knots from the ENE both nights during a forecast of light wind. We anchored on the west side of the bay, nearer to the swimming area, because much of the rest of the bay was either too deep, too rocky, or had construction buoys. Find one of the sand patches to drop your anchor in. The town, a former pirate stronghold, is quaint and interesting, with a fortress you can hike up to. You can also take your dinghy quite a way up the Cetina River, which flows in a beautiful canyon.
Split North West.
43°31.03’N,16°25.42’E (Mainland,on the back side of Split, near Spinut Marina) Excellent holding in sand/mud. Convenient to Split and Trogir. We tied up our dinghy in Marina Spinut, as indicated on Noforeignland. Enter through the red/green markers, make your first left, go all the way at the end of the fairway, tie up against the wall. From here you can walk to grocery stores or to the Old Town, which is really worth a visit. A bus stop is a short walk along the road, as are large rubbish receptacles. You can also take your dinghy across the bay to Marina Kastela, park it in the marina, and take a bus to the Split airport or to Trogir.
