CTDEA Croatia sailing diary
Updated: Feb 13
The CTDEA Team travelled from London to Split in August 2024, so undertake a gruelling Adriatic Cruise. All in the name of research!
Here are some highlights from the exploration of the islands that made up the Republic of Ragusa and its neighbourhood.
Before we got on board, we spent a few days hanging around a pool in an apartment outside of Split. But since nothing historical happened, we'll skip it and get right into the history nitty gritty....
Day 1 - Split
We met the rest of the crew in Split. It was my (Ed talking now) first time in Split, and as a Diocletian fan, it's been on the bucket list for a while. I didn't know quite what top expect from the place. Obviously I knew that Diocletian wanted to put the divine back into Roman Emperor (the throne having lost its lustre with all that 3rd century instability), but I kept thinking of this place as a retirement home for cabbage growing. But really the proportions of his palace were obviously EPIC. And you really get a sense of the grand scale of the place. If you're in the area, it's definitely worth a visit.
Late that day, we took a ferry to Trogir, where we were picking up our CTDEA official catamaran. Trogir is another historical hotspot - typical of the charming Medieval walled cities dotting the Adriatic. We didn't have time to stop and take pics however, as we had to take possession of our ship and get everything ready to hit the waves.
Unfortunately, we couldn't afford staff, so we had to do lots of trips with a coveted shopping trolley to load up on essentials - like crisps and bottles of tonic water.
Historical highlight - Split Old Town. It's layers and layers of history on top of each other.
Day 2 - Western Hvar
Already a fumble for our grand historical project. For while Hvar itself was rich with history, we were nowhere near any relics or ruins. Our captain had instead mutinied and argued the case that we should be having a dip and doing some sunbathing. Unfortunately, Phil forgot to bring the flintlocks, so we had to go along with the cur. Fortunately Hvar was largely ruled over by those pesky Venetians, so full blown ship battle was narrowly avoided and much rum* was consumed.
*Croatian lager/ G&Ts
Day 3 - Korcula
With sore heads, we sailed South East to Korcula.
Korcula is an epic place to sail into. Think Venetian splendour on a small, walled island in a bay surrounded by dramatic hills. This place immediately has a strong sense of history. Once moored up, we hit the Old Town - making our way through the fort entrance and into the winding streets, through ornate squares, cloisters, with an ever-present view of the Adriatic poking appearing from alleyways. It's a stunning place, but an extremely popular one too.
Despite all the genuine history around ever corner, Korcula makes great play of its connection to famous Venetian Marco Polo - claiming that he was born there. Of course, there's no definitive proof of this. We only know he was born within the Venetian Republic. Which could have been Korcula, but could have been anywhere else. Venice, for example.
To get a better look at the place, we climbed the tower of St Mark's Cathedral, pushing and pulling our bodies through Hobbit sized spaces to get a view from the top.
We then got pizza, admired the view and got accosted by some local ruffians who wanted to appear on our podcast. (You can hear them on our CTDEA on the waves episode.) We beat a fighting retreat back to our boat, where we raised anchor and popped off to a bay around the corner for the night. And now we know how the Ragusans felt - since they held Korcula for only 8 years before making an exit due to local hostility.
Historical highlight - the town aside, Korcula was named on a 4th century BC plaque. It's also been continuously inhabited for at least 6,000 years. It's pretty easy to see why!
Day 4 - Mijet
Mijet is totally different to Korcula. Where Korcula is tourists and a dense serving of history, Mijet is a sparsely populated national park. So why head there at all? Well, except for a few excellent fish restaurants, the island was a part of the Republic of Ragusa for nearly 400 years!
Originally ruled by spiritual power (in the form of Benedictine monks), the island came under control of the Republic of Ragusa in the mid-14th century. And it remained as such, despite sporadic invasion and ravishing, until the Napoleonic Wars!
Mijet actually means - evident from the large population of bees. Though we had quite a few of the local population visit us, trying to interfere with our lunch.
Historical highlight - There is apparently an abbey dating back to the 12th century. Unfortunately, we were nowhere near and the captain couldn't be petitioned to sail nearby. Instead, he demanded that we moored up next to a restaurant that started to smell a bit eggy as the evening wore on. NB: not related to our many days of drinking.
Day 5 - More Mijet
Spent the morning sailing until we reached the other side of Mijet, to a place called Saplunara. A hard day was has trapped in a picturesque harbour, with the only thing to eat a series of salads, olives and fresh fruit. And naught to drink other than cocktails.
Historical highlight - Phil and I put on snorkels and masks to look at fishes. We may or may not have seen an underwater structure which may or may not have some connection to an ancient lost civilisation. For Graham Hancock, that'd be enough for another series on Netflix.
Day 6 - Sipanska Luka
Still no sign of any history. Another morning of sailing, followed by yet more swimming, snorkelling, eating and drinking. When will we ever be free of this relaxing holiday?
Day 7 - Dubrovnik!
At last! We have arrived. The very heart of Ragusa. Apparently guilty at his lack of historical sights, our captain agreed to sail alongside the walls of Dubrovnik so we could have a proper look at the mighty walls that kept the Ottomans at bay - or were meant to do anyway. As it happens, the Ragusans came to terms with the Ottomans - and it didn't seem to do them much harm.
Both Ed & Phil have visited the city before, so we know about the historical highlights of Dubrovnik. It's rammed with all kinds of places worth seeing, many of which were featured in our episode on the Republic of Ragusa.
Day 7 - Cavtat
Where it all began!
Cavtat, known as "Ragusa Vecchia" (Old Ragusa) in Italian, has a rich history dating back to ancient times. The original city was founded by Greek settlers from Corinth in the 6th century BC under the name Epidaurus.
In 228 BC, the town came under Roman rule and was renamed Epidaurum. It continued to prosper under Roman administration, developing infrastructure such as roads, public buildings, and aqueducts. However, in the 7th century AD, the town was sacked and destroyed by invading Slavic and Avar tribes. The residents fled to a nearby wooded peninsula, where they founded a new settlement that eventually evolved into the city of Dubrovnik.
In the Middle Ages, Cavtat was re-established and came under the control of the Republic of Ragusa. The town thrived under Ragusan rule, with maritime trade, shipbuilding and salt production driving its economy. The name "Cavtat" is derived from the Latin "Civitas Vetus," meaning "Old City," reflecting its ancient origins and connection to Dubrovnik.
But that's not why we went there! The last time we went to Dubrovnik, we took a day trip out to Cavtat and found it a really charming contrast. Coming back a second time, it's a bit overpopulated with yachts blocking out every sea view, but the town itself still has an authentic feel of community.
We hope you enjoyed our CTDEA travelogue! Have you visited any historical gems on the Dalmatian Coast? Let us know!
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