Odysea 3: Northern Dalmatia with The Accidentals and indie rocker Patty Pershayla

Daily Program

​​Day 1: Arrival in Trogir with navigation to Šibenik

Individual arrival to Trogir (5 miles from Split Airport) by 2:30. After check-in on our motor yacht, we head up the coast to Sibenik.

Gorgeous Šibenik has a history that’s just as rich as Dubrovnik’s, with an old town that is undeniably more tranquil. Nestled in a sea inlet between Zadar and Split, the tiny city certainly shares similarities with Dubrovnik. Both were maritime trading hubs in the Middle Ages. Both were conquered by the Venetian Republic, and therefore contain a plethora of gorgeous Venetian-style architecture. And both, of course, are adjacent to the glorious Adriatic. Yet charming Šibenik lacks the dense tourist crowds. This means that in addition to the idyllic beauty, there’s still the normalcy of everyday life here, with a lighter vibe in the air complementing the sea breeze.

Overnight: Sibenik

Day 2: Sibenik – Vodice – Zadar (16 miles/27 km)

In the morning the boat takes us to Vodice. We start our first bike ride starting at the popular resort tows and soon we cross the bridge to the island of Murter. After a short stop in Slanica, in the northwest of the island, we make our way to Zadar.

Zadar for centuries was the absolute political, cultural and intellectual center of Dalmatia. The New York Times also named it one of the seven best cities in the world to walk.

Zadar is known for the Roman and Venetian ruins of its peninsular Old Town. There are several Venetian gates in the city walls. Surrounding the Roman-era Forum is 11th-century St. Mary’s Convent, with religious art dating to the 8th century. There’s also the grand, 12th-century St. Anastasia’s Cathedral and the round, 9th-century pre-Romanesque Church of St. Donatus

Our guide takes us on a walk through the lively city and shows us the fascinating facets of this extraordinary outdoor museum. Over 3,000 years characterize the city. As we walk we will learn of the city and its colorful past.

One highlight of our visit is the Sea Organ. Designed by architect Nikola Basic and opened in April 2005, the Sea Organ captures the movement of the waves and transforms it into music. It's an odd, mournful sound that evokes sea, wind and sky.

The "music" is created by 35 polyethylene pipes of different lengths and sizes embedded with whistles that play seven chords of five tones as the sea pushes air through them. The pipes are built into perforated seven stone stairs, each with its own tubing.

Musicians might be interested to know that the seven sound clusters are organized around two major key chords and were designed to evoke the close harmonies of Dalmatian klapa music.

As the sun sets, we can visit “Greeting to the Sun,” a contemporary installation consisting of 300 multi-layered glass solar panels set within a circle of a 72-foot-diameter circle.

Overnight: Zadar

Day 3: Zadar to Primosten

We start our day with a short navigation to the island of Uglijan and the quiet fishing village of Preko, immediately across from Zadar. We ride our bikes south and across the Zedrela Bridge, which connects Uglijan with the island of Pasman. The Magellan will meet us in another quiet fishing village, Tkon, as we set off on our navigation to Primosten

On our way, we pass near the almost lunar landscape of Kornati National Park, an archipelago in crystal clear water known for its rich marine life and often moonlike islands.

Primošten is perhaps most famous for its picture-perfect old town–some say the most picturesque old town in Croatia. Buildings of white limestone with red-tiled roofs occupy every square inch of a tiny, perfectly round peninsula that extends out from the mainland into the stunning blue sea.

Once an island, Primosten dates back to 1564 and means “by the bridge” because in the Middle Ages the present peninsula was connected to the mainland only by a movable bridge. Later, a causeway was built, which still connects the old town with the mainland. We’re spending the night, which should also allow for swimming on one of the town’s sandy beaches.

Overnight: Primosten

Day 4: Primosten to Solta Island

After breakfast, we cross to the island of Šolta. Walled fields, olive groves, and fig trees line our cycling route. The herb smells of lavender and rosemary accompany us along our tour through this island.

We dock in the small port of Rogac and take a short but scenic ride to Maslinica, a quiet former fishing village at the island’s western-most tip.

After lunch on our own, we make a special visit to Goran, the beekeeper in the village of Grohote. For more than 80 years the Tvdić family has been making honey on Šolta. Today, Goran Tvrdić and his family welcome visitors from all over the world to their island home and gardens.

As Goran explains, “Bees are so much more than just honey! Learn about those wonderful creatures and the problems they face in the modern world. I will talk you through the secret life of bees, and even get your hands sticky, as you try some of the delicious Solta honey. You also get to see the internal workings of a real beehive without the danger of being stung! Also, we (think we) have one of the largest honey collections in the world! People that have visited us have sent us honey from all continents, as an effort to - give bees a chance - globally.”

And we can buy honey, bee pollen and other honey products at the farm, too.

After Goran’s presentation, we take a short walk to Gallery Buktenica & Buktenica, an artistic space with a permanent exhibit of the two most famous painters of Šolta´s naïve art: the late Eugen Buktenica Đenko and his nephew Vicko Buktenica. Vicko created a gallery and founded the Arts Association to promote the painting tradition in Šolta, especially with younger artists. We’ve agreed to make a donation to support arts for kids in Grohote. In exchange, Vicko will give each of us a small painting “so you remember your time in our village.”

Goran and Vicko are close friends and members of a village vocal-instrumental ensemble. Tentative plans are for the village to close one of its cross-roads and set up a pot luck dinner for us and other villagers. After dinner: music by the ensemble and The Accidentals. If these plans don’t work out, we’ll walk through the historic village center to a local Konoba (tavern) for an early dinner.

Our boat is barely a mile away and nearly entirely downhill.

Non-cyclists: Transfers will be offered to pre-set meeting places with cyclists including to the beekeeper, art gallery and dinner.

Overnight: Rogac

Day 5: Solta to Vis

Before breakfast, we set off on our cruise to the island of Vis, the furthest island from mainland Croatia. A Greek colony called Issa was on the island 2,300 years ago. Due to its strategic location, Vis was a military zone until 1995 and prohibited for foreign tourists. Today we have the opportunity to explore the lovely island with a scenic loop tour by bicycle.

Our tour will start with a gradual but lengthy climb up to a striking overlook. Below us, we can see the serpentine downhills and hairpin turns that will take us down into Komiza, a picturesque fishing village with the beautiful backdrop of the Adriatic.

The promenade along the Adriatic is lined with cafes and restaurants, where we will fortify ourselves for the return to Vis.

Although most of Mamma Mia 2 was filmed in Komiza, we won’t see any signs promoting that. It’s still primarily an unspoiled fishing village.

We continue our loop tour past vineyards and a remote World War 2 runway, often the last hope for Allied pilots.

Non-cyclists: Van tour with vineyard and historical visits and meeting cyclists in the charming fishing village of Komiza.
Overnight: Vis

Day 6: Boating excursion from Vis

We’ll transfer by bus from Vis to Komiza, where we’ll board a smaller boat for a full-day exploration of the coast and waters around Vis. First, we’ll cruise to the tiny island of Biševo, about five miles away, where we’ll board small launches to enter–ducking our heads–the mesmerizing Blue Cave, known for its shimmering blue water. The sunshine glows through the water and reflects the white floor of the cave. This light causes objects in the water to appear to be silver.

We will then circumnavigate Bisevo, perhaps one of the most scenic cruises in the entire Adriatic.

On board, our captain, Pjerino, will tell stories of life on both islands. His wife, Silvana, will prepare a tasty lunch for us with fresh ingredients from the village and sea. The couple loves to sing and play guitar and will serenade us with Dalmatian folk music during lunch. We may wish to bring our own instruments as well.

Pjerino often can’t contain himself, and he may lead us in a song from Mamma Mia on our way back into the harbor.

Overnight stay in Vis.

Day 7: Vis - Trogir with swim stop in Milna

Guided tour in Trogir.

It’s 5 hours back to Trogir, but we’ll break it up with a swim stop in another scenic village, Milna, on the island of Brac.

In the afternoon we have the chance to stroll through the UNESCO world heritage city of Trogir.

Farewell dinner on board.

Overnight in Trogir

Day 8

Sadly, departure after breakfast