Marina Vrsar · Istria, Croatia
Istria, from
the water.
Morning, afternoon and full-day sails down the west coast, and evening trips out to watch the dolphins. Two yachts, ten guests at most, and a crew who have been on this water since they were children.
Four ways to spend a day
Pick your kind of water
Every trip leaves from the same pontoon with the same crew. What changes is how long you stay out, and what you go looking for.
Private charters
Prices for the whole boat.
Private charter — price is for the whole boat
| Your sail | Polar StarUp to 10 guests | AndreaUp to 5 guests |
|---|---|---|
| Full-day sail | €600 | €400 |
| Half-day sailMorning or Afternoon Sail | €400 | €250 |
| Dolphin trip | €250 | €150 |
Who takes you out
Val and Mauro, and a boat.
Sailing Istra is Val Ivančić and Mauro. Both of them started racing Optimists on local regattas as children and have worked every kind of job at sea since, which between them is more than ten years on this coast.
It is a small operation on purpose. Ten guests at most means the plan can change at ten in the morning: if the water is clear at the second cove, you stay another hour, because there is no second departure waiting for the boat.
- 10+
- years at sea between them
- 10
- guests on board, never more
- 2
- yachts, Polar Star and Andrea
- 5
- towns along the coast we can reach
Polar Star, under way
This is the boat.
Sixteen seconds of her sailing past the Vrsar shore, filmed from the water. No stock footage, no drone hired for the day.
Evening, into the sunset
Wait, and they come.
We leave when the day cools and the dolphins are at their most active. When we sight them the boat comes close enough to watch properly and no closer — near enough to see them jump, play and call to each other, far enough that nothing about the evening is our idea rather than theirs.
Your guide will tell you what you are looking at: how the animals behave, how they live here, and why the habitat matters. Bring a camera and something warm; it cools quickly out there.
Sighting, 19:42
- Departs
- 18:00
- Back in port
- 21:00
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Group
- Up to 10 guests
Two yachts
Polar Star and Andrea.
A big blue one with a gold line for groups of up to ten, and a small white one for five. Which you get depends on how many of you there are and where you want to go.
Polar Star
Polar Star is our big yacht, and she takes up to ten. This blue beauty with the gold line down her side is roomy and comfortable enough for a full day at sea or a proper occasion — family gatherings, larger groups, birthdays that need a deck. She carries modern navigation equipment and everything you need for a safe, easy day on the water, whether you want a quiet cruise or something more adventurous.
Full-day sail€600
Half-day sail€400
Dolphin trip€250
Private charter — price is for the whole boat
Up to 10 guests
Andrea
Andrea is our smaller white yacht, taking up to five. She suits intimate groups and romantic trips, and her size lets her into hidden coves and beaches the larger boat cannot reach. Her white hull is as plain and clean as her sailing is — everything you need for safety and comfort, and nothing you do not.
Full-day sail€400
Half-day sail€250
Dolphin trip€150
Private charter — price is for the whole boat
Up to 5 guests
Why sail with us
Four things we do not trade away.
A crew who grew up here
Years at sea, licensed, and dedicated to your safety before anything else. You will be given every instruction you need before we cast off.
Boats kept properly
Both yachts carry modern navigation and safety equipment and are serviced on a schedule, not when something breaks.
The trip bends to you
We can put in at any harbour or drop anchor in a hidden cove. Tell us what you want the day to be and we will build it around that.
A coast worth the detour
The west coast of Istria is coves, clear water and small islands, and most of the good ones can only be reached by boat.
A season looks roughly like this.
Before you book
The questions we get asked on the pontoon.
If yours is not here, message us. We answer these ourselves.
Do I need any sailing experience?
None. Most of our guests have never been on a sailing boat. The crew gives you all the training and safety instructions you need before we leave, and you are welcome to take the helm or to do nothing at all.
How many people come along?
Ten at most on Polar Star, five on Andrea. The price is fixed for the trip rather than per head, so it is the same boat whether there are four of you or ten.
What can we do on board?
Swim, snorkel, sunbathe on deck, put music on. We anchor in coves you cannot reach by road, and stop for as long as the swimming is good.
Is there food and drink?
There are cold drinks on board on every trip, along with local snacks. On the full day the crew lays out a proper Istrian lunch — fresh seafood, local olive oil — and we can put in at a fishing village for a meal ashore instead if you would rather.
Will we definitely see dolphins?
They are wild animals, so no. We go out at the hours they are most active and we know where to look, but we will not chase or crowd them. The sunset happens either way.
Where can we actually go?
Vrsar, Poreč, Rovinj, Novigrad and Umag are all within reach, as are the islands scattered off the coast. We can moor in a harbour or anchor off a beach — tell us and we will plan the route around it.
How do I book?
Send us the form on this site, write to sailingistra.porec@gmail.com, message us on Instagram, or just ring. We answer between 10:00 and 21:00, every day.
Enquiries
Find a day the boat is free.
Pick a trip and your preferred date, tell us how many of you there are, and we will confirm availability personally.
There is a boat leaving at ten.
Tell us the dates you are in Istria and how many of you there are, and we will come back with what is free and what the wind is doing.