CDV in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia is the yacht destination. The Dalmatian coastline runs 1,778 kilometers of islands, coves, and crystal-clear water — and a private yacht is the only way to experience it as it deserves. We have been operating yacht programs in Croatia for fifteen years. This is not an add-on; it is the point.
Why Croatia for Your Team
Croatia's Dalmatian coast is one of the great natural gifts of the European travel landscape. More than a thousand islands, half of them uninhabited, scattered along a coastline of medieval towns and clear blue water. From the deck of a private yacht, it is unlike anything your team has experienced on a corporate program — because almost no corporate program does it properly.
The yacht is not optional. Croatia without a yacht is Croatia reduced to its tourist infrastructure — which is good, but not exceptional. Croatia from the water — anchoring in coves that have no road access, swimming in water that has no hotel next to it, cooking onboard with fish bought from the morning's catch — this is the experience that makes people call us to do it again. Our 31% repeat client rate is built substantially on Croatia yacht programs.
Beyond the water, Croatia offers genuine cultural depth. Split's Diocletian's Palace is a Roman emperor's retirement home that a medieval city grew up inside of. Dubrovnik's walls are among the finest in Europe. Istria's hill towns — Motovun, Grožnjan, Rovinj — have a Venetian character entirely distinct from the Dalmatian south. We use the full depth of the country.
Where We Work
Regions of Croatia
Dalmatian Coast & Islands
The core of our Croatia yacht programs. Split as the base, with island-hopping to Brač, Hvar, Vis, Korčula, and Mljet depending on the program. Each island has its own character: Hvar's lavender fields, Vis's remoteness, Korčula's medieval town. The yacht connects them all.
Split & Central Dalmatia
The largest city on the Dalmatian coast and the operational hub for yacht charters. Diocletian's Palace — a Roman emperor's 4th-century retirement complex — forms the heart of the old city. Split has excellent restaurants, hotels, and direct flights from most European capitals.
Istria
The northern peninsula with Venetian-inflected hill towns, truffles to rival Tuscany, and a wine scene producing exceptional Malvazija and Teran. Rovinj and Pula are the anchor cities. Istria works best as a standalone program or combined with a Slovenia extension.
What You'll Do
What Your Team Will Do in Croatia
Private Yacht Charter
The defining Croatian experience. A private gulet or sailing yacht chartered for your group — 8 to 40 people depending on vessel. Sail between islands during the day, anchor in secluded coves for swimming, dine onboard with a private chef cooking local fish and Dalmatian specialties. The yacht is your hotel, your meeting room, and your transport.
Island-Hopping Program
A structured multi-day itinerary across four to five Dalmatian islands — each with a specific purpose in the program. Hvar for the lavender fields and evening aperitivo. Vis for the remote Blue Cave and the wineries. Korčula for the medieval town and Pošip white wine. Mljet for the national park. The islands are chosen to build a cumulative experience, not just a list.
Cooking on the Coast
A private cooking session at a konoba (traditional Dalmatian tavern) or onboard the yacht. The curriculum: peka — the slow-cooked lamb or octopus under the iron bell that is Croatia's most distinctive cooking technique. Your chef demonstrates, your group participates, the meal takes three hours to cook and twenty minutes to demolish.
Olive Harvesting in Dalmatia
October and November harvest at a family olive grove on Brač or Hvar. The groves here are ancient — some trees are hundreds of years old. Hand-picking followed by same-day cold pressing at the family mill. The oil is bottled with your group's label and shipped home.
Dalmatian Wine Tasting
Croatia's wine regions are largely unknown outside the country — which is why they are extraordinary. Plavac Mali from the Pelješac peninsula, Pošip from Korčula, Malvazija from Istria. Private cellar visits with the families who produce them, on islands and hillsides the tourist buses never reach.
Diocletian's Palace Private Tour
Split's old city grew up inside a Roman emperor's retirement palace. The columns, the cellars, and the cathedral (originally his mausoleum) are still standing. A private early-morning tour with our archaeologist guide, before the day-trippers arrive, is one of the more extraordinary cultural experiences we offer in Croatia.
Sample Program
A day-by-day look at Croatia
Where You'll Stay
Boutique Properties We Trust in Croatia
Private Gulet Yacht
Gulet Adriatic Spirit
Dalmatian Coast · Up to 16
A 32-meter traditional gulet with eight en-suite cabins for up to 16 guests. Teak decks, a professional crew of four, and a chef who sources from the daily fish market in each port. The most personal way to experience the Dalmatian islands.
Waterfront Villa
Villa Miramare
Dalmatian Coast · Exclusive buyout
A private villa on the Dalmatian coast with its own dock, five suites, and a swimming platform above the sea. Available for exclusive buyout for land-based programs or as a base before embarking on a yacht charter.
Historic Palace Hotel
Vestibul Palace
Split · Up to 14
Housed in the vestibule of Diocletian's Palace in Split — the same vaulted stone chamber the emperor used as a ceremonial entrance. Seven rooms, each with original Roman architecture. The most atmospheric property in our Croatia portfolio.
The People Behind the Experience
The People Who Make Croatia Ours
Ante & Ivana Radović
Yacht Crew & Captain, Split
Ante has been captaining gulets on the Dalmatian coast for twenty-two years. His wife Ivana manages the galley kitchen — the meals she produces on a boat that is sailing and swinging at anchor are genuinely extraordinary. They have worked with CDV groups for fifteen years.
Dr. Marina Kovačić
Archaeologist Guide, Split
A Roman archaeology specialist who has worked on the Diocletian's Palace excavations for twelve years. Marina's private tours of the palace are the version the professional archaeologists get — not the version in the guidebook.
Obitelj Tomić
Olive Grove & Oil Producers, Brač
A family that has tended the same olive grove on Brač for four generations. The trees are two hundred years old. They produce 400 liters of cold-pressed extra virgin oil in a good harvest year. CDV groups have participated in their harvest for nine years.
“I have been on twelve corporate incentive trips. The Croatia yacht program CDV put together was the only one I genuinely did not want to end. Seven days on the Adriatic with our top twenty-five performers — islands nobody had heard of, a chef who bought fish every morning from the harbor, and a boat that was our office, our restaurant, and our home. The team still references it. Nothing has come close.”— Chief Commercial Officer, Global Insurance Group, Croatia Yacht Program, 2024
Here's where your money goes in Croatia
Croatia's local fishing families, olive growers, winemakers, and hospitality workers benefit directly from every CDV program. We do not use mass-market charter companies or hotel chain contracts. Our partnerships are direct and long-standing.
70%+
Stays Local
Of every program dollar goes directly to Croatian families, boat crews, producers, and guides.
15yrs
Yacht Operations
CDV has been operating Croatia yacht programs for fifteen years. We know this coast.
0
Mass-Market Brokers
We charter directly from Croatian boat-owning families. No charter broker intermediaries.
Croatia — Common Questions
Plan Your Croatia Yacht Program
The Adriatic is waiting. Tell us your group size and dates — we'll design a Croatian program that changes how your team thinks about incentive travel.