DALMATIA - cycling tour

ISLAND HOPPING

This biking vacation in Croatia is a wonderful guided bike tour by bike and boat. Stunning cycle rides during the day and relaxation on your floating hotel at night. The wonders of this type of holiday is that if you do not cycle or do not wish to cycle you can stay on board and soak up the sun. This bike and boat tour is around the central Dalmatia region of Croatia. This bike tour in Southern Dalmatia, the smallest and most sparsely populated region of Croatia, will take us past unique little towns and the beautiful island countryside. These tours will let us experience the beautiful island of Korcula with its picturesquely situated old township, the wine growing peninsula of Pelješac and, to the south of the peninsula, the island of Mljet, with its impressive national park. The towns of Trogir, Hvar, Stari Grad and Korcula, which are almost all protected under UNESCO‘s World Heritage list.

Day 1 (Saturday) SPLIT -Solta Island (approx. 25 km)

Check in up until 13.00 h in Split harbour. Our first destination is the island of Solta. Next to walled-in fields you can see olive groves, fig trees, and carob trees. The many lavender and rosemary plants give the island its spicy scent. In the evening you will ferry over to Brac Island and spend the night in the harbor of Milna, whose picturesque natural stone houses form the border of a deep bay.

Day 2 (Sunday) Brac Island (approx. 55 km)

This first stage begins with a long, but even climb to the crest of a hill, past mulberry and fig trees, pine forests, olive groves and vineyards. The famous Vugaca (white) and Murvica (red) come from this island. The white marble visible here was used for, among other things, the White House in Washington and the Reichstag building in Berlin. The breathtaking panoramic views of the neighbouring island of Hvar on the descent to the beach at Bol are well worth the effort of the ascent. In Bol one can see the Golden Horn, a sand spit whose point turns from one side to the other with the wind. After a break for swimming and a stroll through Bol, the ship heads for Hvar, the longest Adriatic island. It anchors for the night in Starigrad harbour.

Day 3 (Monday) Hvar Island (Starigrad – Hvar, approx 45 km)

The island of Hvar is above all famous for its multicoloured fields of rosemary and lavender. It is sometimes called the lavender island. Olives hang on the trees, and in Autumn the oranges shine in the sun. The clear blue sea contrasts beautifully with the ancient cities of Hvar. Hvar also receives more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in the Adriatic (2718 hours a year). This stage makes its way through the many small villages of the island with their picturesque stone houses. The tour stops at the historical city of Hvar. As well as the Cathedral the city contains many late Gothic palaces. There is an opportunity to visit the cathedral and the historical Theatre. In the evening the ships moves to the island of Korčula.

Day 4. (Tuesday) Korcula Island (approx. 45 km)

The peaceful and secluded gardens of Cypress trees here make Korcula perhaps the most beautiful of the Adriatic islands. The tour travels to Blato, a city which like Rome was built on seven hills. We continue over a 300m / 980 ft high street to Smokvica, which along with Venice, proclaims to be the birthplace of Marco Polo. The destination is the medieval town of Korcula with its narrow winding streets. Here we spend the night on board the ship.

Day 5 (Wednesday) Mljet island National Park (approx. 20 km)

The island of Mljet is also known as Honey-Island. In the twelfth century Benedictine created a monastery here, beautifully secluded, and surrounded by pine and oak forests. Today this area is a National Park and the highpoint of any tour of Dalmatian. The pine forest here is one of the most spectacular in the Mediterranean region. On the bikes we tour around the saltwater-lake, in which there is actually another island. The ship brings you that evening to the Peljesac peninsula.

Day 6 (Thursday) Peljesac Peninsula - Makarska (approx 55 km)

Peljesac is certainly a peninsula, strictly speaking, but life here is very much like that on an island. In the morning the cycle-tour leads you into the backcountry and past the most famous wine growing area in Dalmatian (the delightful Dingac comes from here) and on to Orebic. On an idyllic day we cycle on until we get to a climb that brings us up to almost 1,000 ft above sea-level. From here you will enjoy a magnificent view to the neighbouring island Korcula. A downhill of almost 4 miles leads to Loviste, a small town in the north of the island, where lunch will be served on the ship. Our boat brings us to popular holiday resort Makarska on the base of the 5,500 ft high Biokovo mountain range. The rocks of that impressive mountain make the Makarska coast so impressive, since they reach right to the waterline.

Day 7 (Friday) Makarska - Omis (approx. 45 km)

Another bike tour on the mainland leads us from Makarska to Omiš. We will pass Baška Voda and Brela and cycle along the valley of the Cetina river right underneath the Mosor mountains. We will pedal in landscapes with quickly changing characters while small and quiet roads. Our final destination will be town Omiš.

Day 8 (Saturday) Omiš - Split

After breakfast disembarkment.

DEPARTURES 2012:
21.04.; 28.04.; 05.05.; 12.5.; 19.5.; 26.5.; 02.06.; 09.06.; 16.06.; 23.06.; 25.08.;01.09.; 08.09.; 15.09.; 22.09.; 29.09.; 06.10.; 13.10.

PRICE: on request

What is Included:

• 8-day-trip on a motor yacht with a crew
• 7 nights on a motor yacht in a double cabin with shower/toilet
• 7 x half board on the ship
• Bed linen and towels
• 7 guided cycling tours
• English speaking tour guide

Extras:

• Rental Cycle
• Single use cabin
• Cost before and after tour
• Flights
• Visitor’s tax and local charges
• Travel Insurance