Dubrovnik & Southern Croatia Yacht Cruise with Bosnia & Herzegovina - MV Corona

Itinerary

• Day 1
  Arrival in Dubrovnik - Journey to this historic walled city. On arrival, you will be escorted to the harbour where the superb four-star MV Corona awaits. The captain and crew will welcome you aboard and help you settle into your comfortable, well-equipped cabin. For the rest of the day, it’s time to relax and get to know your fellow passengers – there are just thirty-eight of you in total! Perhaps you’ll catch some ‘rays’ on the Sun deck or take a stroll ashore (flight time permitting). It’ll soon be time for dinner and the ship’s restaurant awaits. After dinner, why not take a stroll around Dubrovnik, or enjoy a digestif in a local bar?
• Day 2
  Mljet - As you rise refreshed in the morning and enjoy a leisurely breakfast, you’ll be so glad you chose this holiday. The MV Corona, our home for the next week and every inch the private yacht, slips out of the harbour and out to sea. Dubrovnik soon fades into the distance – but we will be back for a more in-depth visit later. After lunch on board, we’ll soon arrive at Mljet, one of the most seductive of such islands, where the hillsides are clad in a green carpet of lush pine forests bringing that instantly recognisable Mediterranean aroma to the air. Nestling in picturesque coves are medieval fishing villages, refreshingly free from tasteless development, where the alleyways are simply pebbles set into the earth and overhead shutters sway precariously in the warm, gentle breeze. Life here continues much as it has for centuries. We’ll venture ashore to the tiny islet of St Mary’s and visit the 12th century former Benedictine monastery. With its colourful walls and altar carved from local stone you will already feel a long way from home. Gaze around you during dinner at one of the hospitable local restaurants and absorb the ambience. It’s easy to see why legend has it that the Greek hero Ulysses came here to contemplate.
• Day 3
  Pučišća - After breakfast, take to the deck to see the spectacular coast of Korčula island sliding by as we leave Mljet, cruising northwards through an enchanting archipelago. The morning will be spent sailing with a swim stop if conditions allow. Lunch will be served on board before continuing to Pucisca This afternoon we’ll sail to the glorious island of Brač, mooring in idyllic Pučišća. This jewel of a place, perhaps the most spectacular of Croatia’s villages, boasts dwellings of gleaming white stone reflecting the sun onto the crystal-clear water. You can stroll ashore to explore this charming spot or relax on board before the superb Captain’s Dinner is served – a delicious selection of Croatian and Mediterranean specialities.
• Day 4
  Split - You’ll rise refreshed and take to the deck once more to watch the rocky coastal views slipping by. We’ll continue north, stopping along the coastline of the island of Brač for a refreshing swim. Lunch will be served on board, after which we’ll moor in Split, Dalmatia’s capital. Split is principally famous for a single building, the Emperor Diocletian’s huge palace, one of the greatest structures of the Roman Empire. No expense was spared in its construction – the best Italian marble, with columns and sphinxes from Egypt. But what makes this palace so astonishing is that during medieval times it was fully integrated into the town’s fabric with a jumble of buildings grafted onto and inside it. This means for example; the Temple of Jupiter became a baptistry. It’s all the more fascinating that today 3,000 people still live here. You will find surprises at every turn: there are tall medieval buildings lining the streets, buttressed by unmistakably Roman columns. We’ll have a guided walking tour of this fascinating complex which has recently been used as the setting of the TV spectacular 'Game of Thrones'. You can take dinner at your leisure whilst the ship remains moored in Split. Back on board enjoy a digestif on the sun deck, drinking in the balmy evening air under a beautiful night sky.
• Day 5
  Stari Grad & Hvar - This morning we’ll stop once more for an invigorating swim before we cruise to another island in this breathtaking archipelago, Hvar. Mooring in Stari Grad, on the northern side of the island, we'll take the short drive by coach to the bewitching old town of Hvar for a guided tour. Remarkably, it’s so compact and cosy the streets don’t even have names. With its freshwater springs, the island is unusually green, its hillsides boasting spectacular pine forests. Elsewhere you’ll find olive groves, orchards and vineyards, the aromatic pleasures of the island exemplified by the delicate fragrance of abundant lavender fields. Hvar has been inhabited since Neolithic times; later, the Ancient Greeks founded a colony here, and during the 14th-century, as the Venetian Empire extended its influence, it became a major naval base. Also on the island’s northern shores are some distinctive fortified 16th-century buildings, built to repel pirates and assaults by the Ottoman Empire. After exploring Hvar’s historical and cultural splendours, we’ll transfer back to Stari Grad where you can dine at leisure wherever you wish. The ship remains moored in Stari Grad overnight.
• Day 6
  Korčula - Morning breaks and we’ll find ourselves breakfasting over views of this green and rocky coastline. After a leisurely morning and another tasty lunch on board we soon arrive at the historic town of Korčula. Ruled by the Venetians for 800 years, it is rather reminiscent of a much smaller Dubrovnik, with its host of tangled lanes so typical of medieval Mediterranean ports. The town is a charming small fortress, celebrated for supplying timber for the wooden walls of Venice, and its harbour was a major shelter for the Venetian fleet. You’ll find architectural gems at every turn in its narrow-cobbled streets. Famous for its artistic and musical traditions, Korčula has its own unique sword dance, the ‘moreska’, and a form of acapella singing, but is much more famous as the birthplace of the explorer Marco Polo. His house can still be visited, as can the All-Saints Museum with its glorious collection of Byzantine icons. After our guided walking tour, you’ll be free to explore this beautiful town further. After dinner at your leisure, why not take an after-dinner drink in one of the innumerable harbour side cafés whilst admiring the sleek lines of the MV Corona.
• Day 7
  Dubrovnik - As our elegant yacht drifts on past the rocky shores of the beautiful Elaphite Islands - if the weather allows - it’ll be your last chance to take a swim off the back of the ship as if it were your very own! After lunch on board, we’ll arrive in Dubrovnik once more and take a guided tour of the old town. An independent city state for much of its history, it has evolved differently to the rest of Croatia. The city threw off its Venetian shackles during medieval times founding a commercial empire trading with the eastern Mediterranean, France, Spain and later the Ottoman Empire.  As so often happened, the city began to reflect its resultant wealth and today this wonderfully Baroque city proudly nestles behind its huge imposing ramparts in a location of outstanding natural beauty. The main avenue, lined by intimate cafés, is completely paved with marble, which dazzles in the sunlight and gives credence to the city’s description as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’. Throughout the city you will find a wonderful array of monasteries, beautifully decorated churches and civic buildings dating from the 14th-century. The guided walking tour encompasses all this and more, after which you’ll be free to explore as you wish. This evening, you can enjoy dinner at your leisure in this most beguiling of cities; and as you relax, your thoughts will inevitably turn to the wonderful places you have experienced and the interesting people you have met on this maritime adventure so far.
• Day 8
  Kravice Falls and Mostar - This morning we’ll say farewell to your crew, disembarking MV Corona and heading inland for the next leg of our adventure, across the border and into Bosnia and Herzegovina. One of the most beautiful natural sites in the country, Kravice waterfalls is located on the Trebižat River. The falls stand approximately 25 metres high with 20 waterfalls cascading into the lake below. Enjoy a visit here to admire the crystal waters and lush green surroundings. Continuing on, we’ll visit a local winery for a tasting that includes local prosciutto and cheese followed by a traditional ‘under the bell’ lunch. This afternoon, we will arrive at the city of Mostar. Nestled between the steep valley sides, Mostar has a history dating back to the 15th century, growing in importance during the centuries of Ottoman, then Austro-Hungarian rule. The town is most famed for its bridge, Stari Most, which links the two halves of the enchanting old town and is one of the finest examples of classic Ottoman design. It became a globally recognised symbol during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, destroyed by tank fire in 1993 but then painstakingly rebuilt using much of the same limestone blocks, salvaged from the river. It was reopened by Prince Charles in 2004 and remains a powerful symbol of the coexistence of diverse communities and reconciliation. We’ll enjoy a short, guided tour absorbing the sights and sounds of this atmospheric place, admiring the mix of centuries-old Turkish architecture jostling alongside fine 19th-century buildings reminiscent of Central Europe. What stories these cobbled streets could tell as you wander the ancient alleyways, where artisans fashion metalwork in tucked-away workshops as they have done for centuries. We check into our hotel for the next two nights and you are free to dine at leisure tonight.
• Day 9
  Sarajevo - We'll venture out to the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo. This hidden gem brings together a wealth of history and culture. Situated in a valley with a river running through its centre and surrounded by forests on all sides, the city seems like it's been plucked from the pages of a fairytale.  On our guided tour this morning, we'll see the Sebilj Brunnen Fountain and Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque - built in 1530, it's the largest in Sarajevo Centre. We'll also have the opportunity to admire some wonderful examples of architecture with Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslav influences the city is famous for. We’ll see the spectacular City Hall built in pseudo-Moorish style between 1892-1894. As well as stroll along the Miljacka river, passing the Latin bridge - the site of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in 1914, which began the July Crisis that ultimately led to the outbreak of World War I. After our morning tour, there'll be some free time for lunch - the cobbled streets of the 15th-century old town, or Bascarsij, are the perfect place to soak up a slice of local life and enjoy a spot of people-watching with a cup of Bosnian coffee.  We'll then visit the Tunnel of Hope Museum to learn more about the history of Sarajevo and the site itself. Built during the 1992 - 96 siege, when Sarajevo was surrounded by Bosnian Serb forces and supported by the Yugoslav’s People’s Army, the Tunnel of Hope was the city's only link to the outside world. It was thanks to the 800m-long, 1m-wide, 1.6m-high tunnel between two houses on opposite sides of the airport runway that the besieged city of Sarajevo regained access to just enough food and electricity to survive and by the end of the war, it also housed telephone lines and oil supplies.  Later, we'll return to Mostar and spend the evening at leisure.
• Day 10
  Vjetrenica caves and Trebinje - On our way out of Mostar, we'll make a short stop at a local Turkish coffee house, evidence of the longstanding influence of Ottoman rule in the region, for a tasting. Coffee has been a part of life here since the 16th century, coffee houses became social centres where people gathered to talk, listen to music or play games- a tradition that is still practised today. The best traditional Bosnian coffee is freshly ground into a fine powder, which is put into a special pot, called cezve or ibrik, and the boiled water is poured over it. The mixture is then heated again until the coffee starts to rise and traditionally served in small ceramic cups (or finjans) alongside sugar and Turkish delight - the perfect pick-me-up. Continuing on to Vjetrenica, in the Dinaric Alps Mountain range, we'll visit a fascinating cave system. The largest in the country, the caves are estimated to be 7,000 metres in length. Its main canal is nearly two and a half thousand metres long and the largest lake, some one hundred and eighty metres long. It's been described as the richest cave in the world in terms of its subterranean biodiversity, providing a home to more than 200 animal species, of which 40 were discovered right here in the cave system - it's so important it was granted UNESCO World Heritage status.  After our visit to the caves, we'll drive to Trebinje, situated on the banks of the Trebišnjica River in the heart of East Herzegovina. Here we'll spend our last evening. On arrival, you can enjoy some free time for a bite to eat before our guided tour this afternoon. Our local guide will introduce us to this enchanting town with a compact centre, including a small walled town and market square - perfect for exploring on foot. This evening, we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner at the hotel - a chance to reminisce on the highlights of the trip with your new-found friends.