The Kornati islands are considered one of the most beautiful holiday destinations on the Dalmatian coast. The largest part of the archipelago has been part of the Kornati National Park since 1980 and there is a charge for travelling there. In 2002, a two-person crew on an 11-metre boat paid 100 kuna (around 13 euros) for a day ticket in the park in the high season, but today it is already 900 kuna (122 euros).
There is virtually nothing in return for this hefty price increase of 900 per cent. As always, the money seeps away into the national park administration and ministerial bureaucracy.
If you love the Kornati Islands but don't want to pay the exorbitant fees, there is an alternative: the island of Žut. It is the second largest island in the archipelago, but is not part of the national park area and can therefore be visited free of charge. There are plenty of destinations around Žut for a week-long cruise, where you can spend the money saved on the national park fee on culinary delights in a konoba.
The island of Žut has a distinct Mediterranean charm. Olives, figs and vines thrive on the karstic island. There are no permanently inhabited settlements. Fishermen, cattle breeders and farmers from the island of Murter spend most of the summer months in their hermitages.
The distances between the spots are short. There is plenty of time to swim in the crystal-clear water and enjoy the unique landscape or the specialities in the konobas. We start our trip in the ACI Marina Žut and then round the island once in a clockwise direction.
ACI Marina Žut
With only 135 berths, Žut is one of the smallest marinas in the ACI network. The harbour has a very beautiful location on the western bank of the Luka Žut. In north-easterly winds (bora) it is preferable to moor in the northern part of the marina, in south-easterly winds (jugo) it is better to moor in the southern part. There are sanitary facilities, washing machines, a mini-market, restaurant and recently even an ATM. Due to the island location, water (only from 8-10 am) and electricity (8-12 am and 6-24 pm) are rationed.
In the high season, you pay 70 euros per night for an 11-metre boat. At one of the 15 mooring buoys, it costs about half that. This makes Žut one of the most expensive marinas in the ACI chain, which is understandable given its island location. During our visit in September, when the marina was only a third full, we found the cleanliness of the sanitary facilities to be borderline. Tel. 022-786 02 78. www.aci-marinas.com
Fisherman's house "Sandra"
The jetty of the "Sandra" fishing lodge is located directly to the south of the ACI marina. The floating jetty was doubled in length in 2017, and an additional "L" protects against waves in the bora. Twelve boats can moor to murings on the north side of the jetty, with a further three boats alongside on the inside of the jetty. Guests of the pub moor free of charge, including electricity. Water (if available) must be paid for. The konoba run by professional fisherman Damir Božikov always serves freshly caught fish that is very well prepared. Tel. 098-923 50 33, e-mail: sandra.konoba@gmail.com. A small supermarket operates between the piers of "Sandra" and "Fešta" (see below) during the season.
Private marina and restaurant "Fešta"
The top restaurant with a small private marina (20 moorings on murings, 6 buoys) was built by the young and imaginative Croatian Krešimir Mudronja and his team. In 1991, when Krešimir was just 14 years old and had no capital, just a plot of land with a small old stone house on Žut, he began to realise his dream. Today, "Fešta" is considered the best seafood restaurant in the Adriatic, probably even in the Mediterranean. Here, young top chefs create an incredible variety of culinary delights from fish, shellfish and seafood.
Internationally renowned VIPs from the worlds of politics, sport and entertainment are now regular guests in the bay. Make sure you reserve a mooring and table during the season! Mooring places are free of charge for restaurant guests. Electricity and water have to be paid for, as they are produced in-house. Extensive "shore programme" from children's playground to beach and massages. Don't miss out on a visit to the sanitary facilities. You won't find such stylish showers in any five-star hotel.
Tel. 098-42 52 29. www.zut.hr
Konoba "Bain"
Simple but cosy restaurant with a small beach in Struna bay, about one and a half miles east of the ACI marina. Up to 4 boats can moor at the pier in front of the konoba. Free moorings, no electricity or water. The pier is very choppy in bora. In addition, there are ten paid buoys (up to 10 metres 150 kuna, up to 15 metres 200 kuna). The "bain" is where the traditional peka is prepared, which should be ordered about half a day in advance. During the season, a mini-market is open next to the konoba. Tel. 098-29 41 25.
Konoba "Žmara"
In Sabuni Bay (the northernmost sub-bay of Uvala Hiljača), Edi Juraga and his sons Luka and Frane run a konoba for boaters that is one of the most popular in the archipelago. Up to five boats can moor alongside murings on the north side of the new floating jetty, while two boats can moor alongside on the south side. In addition, ten boats can moor at authorised buoys. Restaurant guests pay 70 kuna per boat at both the floating jetty and the buoy, otherwise 250 kuna. Electricity is included in the price, water is not. Freshly caught fish, seafood and lobster are the specialities of the konoba. The chefs' imaginative seafood creations also delight gourmets, yet the atmosphere is very relaxed and extremely cheerful. The crystal-clear, turquoise-coloured water in the bay is perfect for a swim. Tel. 098-75 71 65 or 098-194 68 31.
Konoba "Vison"
Just under half a mile south of Sabuni is Dragišina Bay with the konoba "Vison" on the western shore. One motorboat can be moored alongside the pier in front of the restaurant, while two others can be moored stern-to on the head of the pier using mooring lines. There are also three free buoys in the bay belonging to the landlord. The Portuguese-Croatian couple Maria and Mirko Jelić and their son Joso offer Mediterranean cuisine, with the house speciality being shark fillet in mustard sauce. Be sure to try it! Tel. 098-26 63 76 The shortest hiking trail (sturdy shoes!) to the pilgrimage chapel of St Križ (Holy Cross) on Mount Grba starts next to the "Vison". The 20-minute climb is rewarded by an impressive panorama.
Restaurant "Trabakul"
At the southernmost point of Hiljača Bay is the Pristanišće bay with the settlement of the same name. Six boats up to around 50 feet long can be moored at the new yacht jetty of the "Trabakul" restaurant with their stern to the jetty on mooring lines. Guests of the restaurant can moor for free. There are also eleven buoys belonging to the restaurant in the picturesque bay as well as plenty of space for free anchoring in water depths of between five and ten metres. There is a lounge bar on the new jetty where you can relax and unwind, and there will also be electricity for the boats from 2018. There are sanitary facilities (toilets, showers) and free Wi-Fi for boaters at the elevated restaurant. The restaurant's speciality is the trabakul skewer, a kind of shashlik made from various types of meat and grilled vegetables. Tel. 098-27 20 40.
Pinizel Bay
Uvala Pinizel is located in the north-west of Žut. There are a few old stone houses on the shore that have been converted into holiday homes. There was not (yet) a konoba until autumn 2017. The bay is open to the north and therefore offers little protection from bora or strong maestral winds. However, in southerly winds (jugo), Uvala Pinizel offers excellent protection and is usually very busy. Since 2017, there has been a field of 23 buoys in the bay, which are a special technical feature. The buoys have hinged mooring eyes that can be opened via the internet so that a line can be threaded through.
The company ADRIA BOVE in Zagreb currently has five such high-tech buoy fields in operation. To be able to moor at a buoy, you have to click through to the relevant buoy field and a specific buoy via www.adriabove.com. Then enter the size of the boat and the exact booking time. The price then appears. For our 11-metre boat in September, it was a whopping 525 kuna (71 euros) for 24 hours. Finally, you have to create an account and click through to the payment page.
I already found it very annoying sitting comfortably at my desk at home. I'd rather not try that with a smartphone on board in bad weather and rough seas. I rather doubt whether this type of unmanned buoy field will catch on; we didn't see a single boat at a buoy during our trip in September. What's more, the click mechanism on the buoy, which is controlled via the internet, didn't give me a trustworthy impression. In strong winds and rough seas, I wouldn't want to hang a boat on it.
Charter
We chartered a "Bavaria Sport 35" from Mare Yachting in the Marina Mandalina in Šibenik. The charter company is run by the Thuringian circumnavigator Andreas Schinner and his wife Lana. At its own base in Šibenik, Mare Yachting charters out 44 yachts, including three power cats and 13 motorboats, mainly Bavaria models, ranging in size from 35 to 52 feet.
The team around Andreas (he is a master mechanic) and Lana attach great importance to perfectly maintained boats and satisfied customers. We took over the "Bavaria Sport 35" that we rented in a very good optical and technical condition. The boat (11.4 x 3.68 x 0.92 m) has four berths in two cabins, a saloon with galley and a wet room (WC, shower). With 2 x 320 hp, it is very fast and manoeuvrable and is a pleasure to drive. The cruising speed is 24 knots, with a maximum speed of over 30 knots.
The "Bavaria Sport 35" is very easy to manoeuvre in any situation thanks to the joystick steering. Depending on the season, the boat costs between 1980 and 3930 euros; the deposit is 1800 euros. Information and bookings at: www.mare-yachting.de. Or via the company's own German agency: www.twinstar-yachting.de
