Istria and Northern Adriatic sailing adventure, Croatia

Planet

During this trip, we seek to promote environmental stewardship and minimize negative impacts on the natural environment in a variety of ways. On the catamaran, we use the power of the wind to travel as much as possible. We minimize the use of the motors and only turn them on when the weather and wind conditions require it. Our chosen activities (swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking, and biking) do not negatively impact wildlife and have a low carbon footprint. Due to the terrain, we occasionally use e-bikes on our cycling days, which are a more eco-friendly option than cars, motorbikes, and scooters.

Since we are on a sailboat for most of the trip and spending a lot of time in the sea, it’s important to minimize pollution and negative impacts on the Adriatic ecosystems. We provide our guests with packing guidelines and request they use only eco-friendly/biodegradable toiletries and reef-safe sunscreen. Water and energy conservation on board are also imperative, and we stress the importance of this in our pre-trip information packets and orientation.

We also support marine research and conservation through the Blue World Institute. The institute protects populations of bottlenose dolphins, loggerhead sea turtles, sharks, and rays in the Adriatic Sea. We encourage travelers in Losinj to visit and support the institute’s projects, including the Marine Education Center, Sea Turtle Rescue Center, and Marine Science Museum.

People

Many of the island communities we visit on this trip depend on tourism for their livelihoods. By visiting these places, eating in locally owned restaurants, and buying local crafts and products, you are providing income for local people and supporting the economy in island communities with minimal industry.

As part of our efforts to foster positive relationships between tourists and locals, we use local guides and skippers who are very familiar with the areas we visit. Our guides and skippers have good relationships with our local partners and will be happy to recommend small shops where you can purchase locally-made crafts, artwork, and other products. We will also let you know if there are any cultural events taking place during your visit so that you have the chance to learn more about the history, cuisine, and culture in the Istria/Kvarner regions.

We actively seek to combat the negative effects of over-tourism on this trip by keeping our groups small (often 8 or fewer people) and opting for off-the-beaten-path destinations. Some of the places we visit, including Punta Kriza on the island of Cres, have minimal development and are far off the radar of the average tourist. Choosing these destinations over tourist hotspots reduces the impact of our groups and helps spread tourism dollars around to communities and locations that see less traffic. It also provides a richer experience of Croatian life and culture, with ample opportunity to witness the traditional island way of life. When we do visit more popular destinations, such as Mali Losinj, we visit top sites at off-peak hours to reduce the strain on resources.