The first time we visited Split in Croatia is was for Yacht Week. I know that will make some yacht cruisers gasp in horror, but that crazy week was one of my first introductions to what living on a yacht might be like.
Fast forward a few years and we're living aboard our 45ft catamaran, SV Liger.
After 3 months hauled out in an Italian shipyard we relaunched and sailed straight for Split, Croatia. We needed to do more work on the boat and had heard it was an area that was well suited for yachties who needed to get things done.
We ended up spending around 2 months anchored off the coast there so here's what we learned in that time.
MARINAS & ANCHORAGES
In Split we predominantly anchored in the Split North West anchorage. It's a protected area with no anchoring fees and good access to the city. The bottom is sandy and when the anchor was set we experienced very little drag. Most of our time was spent there and the only annoyance was how close some of the local boats would come on the way past.
The other anchorage we used was Kastela. We went there to shelter from an predicted incoming storm. There were lots of dinghy docks nearby and facilities to use while we waited for the winds to change.
In terms of marina's most of the ones around Split are members only and as a visitor you can't even use the dinghy dock to access their chandlery. Personally we chose just to stay at anchor but if you do want to go into a marina these are the main 3 options.
CUSTOMS & IMMIGRATION
The Split harbor master and local customs & immigration office are a short walk away from one another in the main harbour. The customs dock isn't signed but they just used the short one next to their office.
GROCERY SHOPPING
At the Split North West Anchorage the best supermarket within walking distance is Lidl Spinut. If the weather is good you can also drive your tender across the inlet to the INTERSPAR Hipermarket in Kastel Sucurac. There's a set of stairs going up from the small beach to the supermarket above, just watch out for submerged rocks on the approach.
Over in the Kastela anchorage go to main road, which is Cesta Franje Tudmana, and walk east. There you'll find a Super Konzum, Lidl, Plodine and SPAR all in a row. Sometimes we'd get picked up in the tender from the Spinnaker Restaurant at Marina Kastela so that the walk back to the anchorage wasn't so long.
TRANSPORT
We found the easiest way to get around Split was to walk or use the Bolt rideshare app. It was only 15 minutes walk from the Split North West anchorage into town so we generally only used Bolt when we needed to travel to stores that were further afield.
MARINE SUPPLIES IN SPLIT
These are some of the marine and materials suppliers we found useful in Split.
General Marine Supplies
Sea Power
MARINA Stores
DENI (Tohatsu/Mercury)
Boltano
Marine Electronics
Garmin Hrvatska
Solar Projekt (Victron Parts)
Belcon (Raymarine)
Hardware and Fastenings
Center Bolts to Split
Bauhaus
Strojopromet (metal supplier)
IMPORTING YACHT IN TRANSIT GOODS
When we tried to import yacht in transit goods into Croatia tax free we were told we'd need to use an agent. The agents we reached out to quoted around 300 euro for a parcel that was worth the equivalent of 280 euro so in that instance it was cheaper to just pay the tax. For larger shipments, such as a sea container full of goods, paying an agent to save the tax can absolutely be worth it.
Something else to keep in mind is you can get a VAT (or PDV) refund on goods you buy when you take them out of Croatia, provided you meet the conditions. We were able to do it for a brand new outboard so it was definitely worth the trouble. You can learn more about the process on the Republic of Croatia Ministry of Finance and Customs Administration website.
RESTAURANTS
When we were in Split some of our favourite restaurants were:
The last one is close to the anchorage if you just feel like having take away on the boat.
THINGS TO DO IN SPLIT, CROATIA
Split is quite the touristy town so there's alot to do within the city.
Explore Forest Park Marjan
Swim at Bačvice Beach
Climb the bell tower at Split Cathedral
Visit Diocletian's Palace
Go back in time at Split City Museum
Watch a Hajduk Split football game
See the Treasury of Split Cathedral
Do a day trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park or Klis Fortress
Split is also a launching point from which many people explore the surrounding Adriatic cities and islands.
Trogir
Uvalica Poljica
Brač
Hvar
Vis
Korčula
Pajilinski Islands
Biševo
Šolta
OTHER TIPS
Here's some other things to keep in mind when visiting Split, Croatia!
You can temporarily rent a mailbox at Mailboxes Etc to receive parcels
Croatia is now part of the Schengen Visa Zone and uses the euro
Being aware of Yacht Week and SailWeek routes is a good idea if you're trying to pick anchorages on the islands
OFFICIAL SOURCES
For more information about sailing in Croatia check out these official sources.
Croatian Government - Tourist tax for boaters
Croatia Government - Travel by sea
Croatian Government - Marine recreational and sport fisheries
Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure - Harbormasters Offices
Ministry of the Interior - Temporary stay of digital nomads
