Novalja sailing itineraries
Explore the fabulous Kvarner Bay!

25 %Zadar

11.3 m / 37 ft3 Cabins /8 Berths

from 191 €/day

25 %Zadar

Bavaria Cruiser 46 Style - 4 cab. (2025)

10.0 m / 33 ft3 Cabins /6 Berths

from 279 €/day

Zadar

Cyclades sailing holidays: island tour on the middle of the Aegean Sea!

21.5 m / 71 ft4 Cabins /10 Berths

from 4 000 €/day

Sail in Novalja! Novalja sailing itineraries

Sailing in Novalja: A week sailing tour on the best islands of the Kvarner Bay

Day 1. Novalja – Mali Losinj

34, 78 km (21, 61 nm)

The island of Losinj is located on the western side of Kvarner Bay, directly under the island of Cres. The island is long and narrow with a coastline of 112 kilometres. It is a real holiday paradise. The main income of the locals is tourism. The island has breathtaking flora that was planted by sailors arriving from all over the world. There are over 1, 000 plants here; 230 herbs and 80 exotic ones. If you would like to admire the blooming landscape, March and May are the ideal months for visiting. You must definitely try scuba-diving here! Thanks to its geographical characteristics, the sea is protected very well. You can also find the clearest waters on the entire Adriatic here. We might get to see 20-25 metres far in the water.

This is the reason why the place is a great favourite among dolphins and provides a home for around 100 types of fish. They have been organising the Dolphin Day every year since 1993. There is also a dolphin reservation at the bay of Veli Losinj. We can even adopt one if we want to support the centre. Another interesting sight is the underwater historic park. The main establishment on the island is Mali Losinj, which is an Adriatic town built on the most populated island. We can see spectacular renovated manors from the era of the Monarch and breathtaking luxury yachts here. Read more about what to do in Mali Losinj or Mali Losinj sailing. boat rental in Mali Losinj.

Day 2. Mali Losinj – Veli Rat (Dugi Otok)

62, 95 km (39, 12 nm)

Dugi Otok is, actually, the largest island of the Zadar and the northernmost point of Dalmatia. The island has 12 main settlements. All welcome their visitors with various programmes, traditional music and food festivals. Veli Rat lies on the northernmost edge of the island in the Čuna Bay. The parish church of St. Anthony, one of its most popular sites, was erected in the 14th century. Nevertheless, the most famous point is the Punta Bjanka lighthouse that is not just the largest one on the island but in the whole Adriatic. Its height is 42 m, whereas the light range is 40 km. Based on a legend the building reaching up to the sky was painted with 100, 000 eggs.

Next to the lighthouse, there are two cosy beaches. The Saint Michael Church named after the patron saint of sailors also stands on the court. The Sakarun coastline is on the South from Veli Rat. This is a wide fabulous shore that is regarded as the most beautiful one in the Adriatic. It is an amazing sandy shore that deepens very slowly. Many sailing boats and luxurious yachts sway in the water, about 2 km from the shore.

Day 3.Veli Rat – Sali (Dugi Otok)

43, 42 km (26, 98 nm)

Sali is on the southeastern part of Dugi Otok, approximately 20 km from Zadar. This is, by the way, the island’s economic and cultural centre. The main tourist sights of the town are the gothic St. Mary’s Church, St. Roch Church on the main square and St. Michael Church in the port. Nevertheless, the main attraction of the town is the Telašćica Nature park. This unique natural wonder lies southwest from Sali. The protected park has a rich flora and three other main attractions. First, the Telašćica Bay is the largest and most secure in the whole Adriatic. It hides 25 smaller bays and 5 smaller islands too. The second is the huge mountain range by the bay; its highest point is 160 m.

The third is the salt lake Mir that is surrounded by curative mud on the southeast. Although the fauna of the lake is not too rich due to its high salt content.

Day 4. Sali – Zadar

23, 90 km (14, 85 nm)

Zadar is Dalmatia’s wonderful and pleasant historic capital city. The first Croatian university was actually built here in 1396. The sightseeing tour starts by the City Gate. This is a Renaissance gate; next to it, you can see the ruins of the town’s old wall. Going through the gate we arrive at the famous Forum of Zadar. This is the Adriatic’s most beautifully excavated Roman main square. Here we can admire the ruins of the old marble columns, the base of the former Roman public buildings and the original pavement. The Church of Saint Donatus is home to classical music concerts every summer. Another amazing building is the Cathedral of St. Anastasia. It is, by the way, Dalmatia’s largest cathedral. You can have a magnificent view of the whole vicinity from its 56-metre high bell tower.

After leaving the old town the miracles do not disappear. The Sea Organ and Sun Salutation architectural art objects are a must. The Sea Organ is a staircase that plays music by 35 pipes located underneath the water. Just sit down for a moment, listen to the wonderful symphony of the sea and enjoy the breath-taking sunset painting the whole promenade gold. The Sun Salutation consists of a 22-meter diameter circle, with photovoltaic solar modules underneath. The monument collecting the energy of the Sun provides a spectacular light show with 10, 000 lights. So the best time to watch it is around 10 pm. It has a wonderful atmosphere, indeed. Of course, the list of programs and sites are endless in Zadar, definitely visit as many as you can!

Day 5. Zadar – Pag

62, 79 km (39, 02 nm)

Pag lies in the Adriatic Sea, in the middle of the Pag island, on the southeast part of the Pag Bay. As a matter of fact, it is one of Croatia’s most barren islands with unique natural values. If we happen to sail from Zadar among winding coastlines an awe-inspiring landscape awaits us. The whole coastline is surrounded by huge mountains. The island’s native animal, the sheep, can be seen in many meadows. Similar to other Croatian towns, Pag has a rich and action-packed history. The main attractions are a piece of the old castle wall and the northern bastion called Skrivanat. In the past 9 such bastions armed the castle. Unfortunately, this is the only one which remained. St. Mary’s Church is also famous in the old town. Its peculiarity derives from its 15th-century style and the famous lace motives of Pag.

Although the town’s real luring power lies in gastronomy. The cheese made from the local sheep’s milk is world-famous. There is high salt content here that the plants also absorb, so sheep consume them with pleasure. As a consequence, the sheep cheese has a special salty flavour and fairly delicious. Not to mention the local wine and olive oil. The beaches around the town are rather pebbly although a bit far away you can find sandy ones as well.

Day 6. Pag – Rab

48, 17 km (29, 93 nm)

The wonderful town of Rab lies on a small peninsula, in the middle of Rab Island. Nowadays it is the island’s touristic and cultural centre. History lovers can accidentally fall into love with it since its history dates back to 360 BC. The most spectacular suites are the four high Roman bell towers. Moreover, there are numerous Gothic and Renaissance churches and palaces. The most famous one is the 13th-century old Church of Holy Maria. A museum holds exhibitions within the cathedral. Anywhere we walk in the town, we can take a glimpse of brick buildings and Mediterranean-style streets. The ruins of the old fortress, for instance, are worth a visit. After walking in the town, head towards Komrcar Park. The park stretching along the northern part of the town is one of the most beautiful parks here.

In summer Rab is usually crammed with tourists. We can visit the famous Medieval St. Christophe Festival. This is a tournament dedicated to the patron saint of Rab. But there are other ones held as well. There are also music, folk and art exhibitions. We should check the actual programmes before departing.

Day 7. Rab – Lun – Novalja

8.24 km (5.12 nm)

Lun is the northernmost village of the Pag Island. It is a popular stop on the Rab-Novalja route. The village with its 400 inhabitants welcomes tourists with excellent services and delicious meals. Therefore, you can try fine sheep cheese, olive oil and wines. The world’s largest wild olive tree collection can be seen in the Olive Garden of Lun. Allegedly there is a tree which is 2, 000 years old.

At the end of our cruise do not miss out the nightlife of Novalja. The main attraction of this town does not lie in the exploration of the history and the Roman heritage. The summer festivals are quite similar to the ones in Ibiza. In addition, you can have a party on the Zrce beach on the South from sunrise to sunset. This is a perfect end to a perfect cruise. Read more about what to do in Novalja

7 days Novalja sailing itinerary towards Istria (longer)

Day 1. Novalja – Rab 26, 41 km (16, 41 nm), Day 2. Rab – Krk 38, 64 km (24, 01 nm), Day 3. Krk – Rijeka 43, 85 km (27, 25 nm), Day 4. Rijeka – Rabac 36, 36 km (22, 59 nm), Day 5. Rabac – Pula 65, 13 km (40, 47 nm), Day 6. Pula – Mali Losinj 72, 26 km (44, 90 nm), Day 7. Mali Losinj – Ilovik – Novalja 14, 76 km (9, 17 nm) – 29, 07 km (18, 06 nm)

More Kvarner bay sailing itineraries

Marine gas around Novalja boat gas stations around Kvarner bay

• NOVALJA: Depth: 2 m, Working time: 0-24, GPS Coordinates: 43.948775, 15.143664
• ZAGLAV: Depth: 2, 5m, Working time: 6-22, GPS Coordinates: 45.227658, 13.589683
• PREKO: Depth: 2-2, 7 m, Working time: 6-22, GPS Coordinates: 44.080626, 15.188219
• ZADAR: Depth: 2, 5 m, Working time: 6-24, GPS Coordinates: 44.119839, 15.226764
• ACI Marina PULA: , VHF: 17, GPS Coordinates: 44.872863, 13.845137
• PULA – Marina Veruda: Depth: 2, 5 m, Working time: 6-22, GPS Coordinates: 44.8749, 13.84651
• MALI LOSINJ: Depth: 7 m, Working time: 6-24, GPS Coordinates: 44.531932, 14.46868
• ACI Marina CRES: , VHF: 17, Depth: 5 m, Working time: 6-22, GPS Coordinates: 44.947991, 14.416325
• KRK: Depth: 2, 2 – 3, 5 m, Working time: 6-22, GPS Coordinates: 45.025306, 14.575191
• RAB: Depth: 2, 5 m, Working time: 0-24, GPS Coordinates: 44.75828, 14.762634

If your next destination is the Adriatic Sea, do not miss out Novalja. Cosy beaches, hot parties and interesting supernatural energy are waiting you. You won’t deceive, for sure! Find more Kvarner bay sailing destinations.