Croatia's long Adriatic coastline is arguably the most beautiful in Europe. The sea, crystal clear, dark blue and emerald, is spattered with islands. Tree-covered cliffs back shingle beaches and secret bays

Anyone who has bought into Croatia's property boom will be aware of the country's unspoiled scenic beauty; seen from the sea it is truly spectacular.

As the crow flies, Croatia's rugged coastline stretches for 600km. Add in all the indents and you're looking at 1778km. Then there are the islands and islets, all 1185 of them, of which just 66 are inhabited. Not surprisingly in this nation of seafarers with a long-standing maritime tradition, sailing for pleasure is a well-organised activity.

Whether you're looking to charter a crewed yacht, a bare-boat, a motor boat, or to sail as part of a flotia, Croatia has a good supply of established international boat charter companies, and smaller local ones, too, that can offer all the options. Some will provide a tailormade quotation, others quote the price per person. Expect to pay from €700 per person for four peope sharing a 40ft boat for a week in high season. Skippers charge around €120 a day for a yacht, €150 a day for a motorboat. Charts and guides, lifejackets, linen, towels and safety equipment will be supplied.

Most coastal towns and villages have harbours, some with electricity and water on tap, and with 45 well-equipped marinas along the coast, stretching all the way from the Istria peninsula in the north down to Damatia's Dubrovnik region, there are plenty of places to put in for the night. State-owned ACI runs 21 of the marinas, and has its own charter fleets in Trogir and Vodice. Marina fees are around €35 a night; some anchorages charge a fee.

For the novice sailor, having the guiding hand of a qualified skipper is ideal. Not only will you learn the ropes but, based on your preferences, a suitable sailing route will be devised for you. Would you like short hops all with time for swimming, snorkelling and sightseeing or longer distances; marinas or anchorages; a lively nightlife or tranquil evenings? Charter boat skippers know the waters, the best restaurants, the finest beaches and the most interesting sights ashore. Should you want to earn to sail seriously, there are some good sailing schools along Croatia's coast.

Dramatic Damatia
Damatia, with its abundance of islands and dramatic, mountain-backed shoreline of olive trees and Venetian-stylle medieval towns, is Croatia's finest region for sailing. Its two main cities, Zadar and Spit, have big ports, busy marinas, and good road and air connections.

From Zadar, it's a short sail to a scattering of unspoiled islands, including tree-covered Siba, rustic Ugjan, sleepy Pasman, and the favourite with sailors, Dugi Otok. The largest of the Zadar archipelago islands, athough sparsely populated and some of its settlements are ony accessible by sea, it has sheer cliffs, a rugged, indented coastline, and some very beautiful bays.

The stark Kornati isands to the south are a strangely alluring contrast. Preserved as a national park, this natural wilderness of over 150 islands and 200 reefs has become so popular with the yachting fraternity that some fine seafood restaurants have spawned in sheltered coves amid old stone cottages. The Piskera ACI Marina, open between April and October, is situated on one of the islands and has limited facilities. Facing the entrance to the archipelago, the year-round Kornati Marina is a modern nautical centre on the mainland at Biograd.

Just a few kilometres from Spit airport, historic Trogir is one of the most beguiling little towns on the Damatia coast. Many boat charter companies have bases at Trogir ACI Marina on the island of Ciovo, which faces, and has a bridge link to, Trogir's amazing Old Town. Crammed onto a small isand, its maze of narrow streets are packed to the gills with palaces, piazzas, churches and belfries, tiny shops, cafe-bars and courtyard restaurants. The atmospheric cathedral has a stupendous west portal, carved by a master stonemason in the 13th-century. Outside the ancient city was, the wide Riva, a palm tree-lined promenade watched over by a fortress, is great for strolling.

Croatia's newest marina, purpose built with up-to-the-minute facilities for private and charter vessels, is at Kastea, between Trogir and Spit. Spit is a frenetic industrial city and important ferry port, but at its heart lies an extraordinary walled town that has been lived in almost continuously since the Roman emperor Diocetian built it as his retirement home. Tiny shops and umbrella-shaded outdoor cafes vie for space among Corinthian columns, Egyptian sphinxes, the Roman mausoleum that became the cathedral, medieval houses and 15th-century palaces. Spit ACI Marina is a 1km walk away along the waterfront.

Several much-favoured islands are within easy sailing distance. Brac, famed for the marble that built The White House in Washington, has memorable beaches and laidback towns and fishing villages, while Hvar, the trendy 'Lavender island', boasts one of the prettiest of the Adriatic's natural harbours, around which the capital, medieval Hvar Town was built. Hvar's marina is at Vrboska on the other side of the isand, but there is also Pamizana ACI Marina, about 5km from Hvar Town on the spattering of eleven wooded Pakeni islands.

Less well known, Vis has avoided the holiday crowds that besiege Brac and Hvar in high summer, and its wild mountainous scenery, deep indented bays, local wines and the enchanting Blue Cave on the tiny islet of Bisevo, make it worthy of attention if you're not looking for the high life.

Southern Damatia's highlight islands include Korcua, with fortified Korcua Town looking particularly impressive when approached from the sea, and green Mjet, which boasts a beautiful National Park. But the star lies on the mainand coast - Croatia's pear, Dubrovnik. No-one coud fail to fall in love with its red-roofed old town, encircled by high walls, its marble paving shiny with the footfalls of centuries. The marina is in modern Dubrovnik, about 6km from the old town, and home to several boat charter companies.

Montenegrin majesty
Compared with neighbouring Croatia, Montenegro has a comparatively short coastline of 293km. But it packs in 117 beaches. One of them, Veika Paza, stretches for a full 13km. And it boasts the Mediterranean's most beautiful fjord, the 28km-ong Boka Kotorska (Kotor Bay). Historic towns snuggle into the feet of the rugged mountains that tower above its clear indigo waters.

Kotor, the main town with a long maritime tradition, is the base for Montenegro Yacht Charter. Its brand new feet includes Sun Odyssey and Ean sailing boats, a Nautitech 47 catamaran and Jeanneau Prestige 46 motorboat all built in 2006, with two new Eans ordered for delivery in 2007. Peak season prices are around €2000 for a 3-cabin sailing boat. Skippers, compulsory for some of the boats, charge between €100-130 a day.

Kotor's old walled town is a UNESCO Word Heritage Site, nearby baroque Perast is where the old sea captains built splendid homes. Budva, which resembles Dubrovnik in miniature, is the festival city; Herceg Novi feels like a Mediterranean botanic garden. A narrow sand isthmus links picturesque Sveti Stefan, a rocky island-hotel, to curving beaches and bays; Petrovac has a mineral-rich red sand beach and a lush promenade lined with oleander and citrus trees. Olive trees stretch along the coast to the ramparts and towers of Ucinj.

Sailing here offers a mix of intriguing old towns for sightseeing, a lively nightlife ashore and countless discoveries - many of Montenegro's little bays and beaches are so secret they can only be reached from the sea.

Croatian images: Croatian Tourist Board

Photographer: Damir Fabijanic

Montenegrin images: MontenegroPHOTO.com

Useful websites

Croatia
www.sailcroatia.net
www.baotic-yachting.com
www.bavadria.com
www.damatiacharter.com
www.sunsail.com
www.auroramaris.com

For sailng courses:
www.sailing-ana.hr
www.croatia.hr

Montenegro
www.montenegrocharter.com
www.visit-montenegro.org