After nearly a year of meticulous planning, I organized a Pickleball Yacht Vacation to Croatia for a group of 27 people, which turned out to be a huge success. The photos shared by the guests quickly gained popularity on Social Media, accumulating 3.4 million views on Instagram alone. The floating Pickleball Court on the boat was particularly well-received as a unique feature.
Our journey commenced in Dubrovnik, where we stayed at the lovely Valamar properties, conveniently located near Old Town and the picturesque oceanfront Promenade. We had the courts set up on the hillside tennis courts at the resort. On Saturday, Matt Pane Gaser and I conducted a 2-hour clinic for the guests, leading to several insightful learning moments despite their experience levels. Following some friendly games and an evening tour of Dubrovnik, we gathered on Sunday morning for a lively Round Robin Tournament after enjoying a sumptuous breakfast. We played for three hours, staying hydrated with powder Boost Supplements, before concluding at 2:30. Subsequently, we boarded a group bus to meet our Cruise Director and Crew, embarking on our Yacht adventure for the week.
That evening, we enjoyed a delightful dinner on the boat and made a picturesque stop for a swim before heading to the pristine island of Mljet for a day of cycling around the lake. This island is believed to be the one where Paul the apostle was shipwrecked as mentioned in the Book of Acts. With a rich religious history, it houses the Saint Mary Monastery, which was donated and constructed by the Grand Prince of Serbia around 1187 AD. We were able to explore this monastery at no cost. The beaches, made of limestone and dolomite, are stunning. Mljet has around 800 residents and a few small Airbnbs. It is one of my favorite places to cycle around due to its natural beauty and tranquil atmosphere.
We traveled to the Island of Korcula, also known as Little Dubrovnik, where we sailed for about 2-3 hours each day with overnight stays in the ports. The second wave of settlers is believed to have arrived around 1,000 BC from the Balkans, and there are still ruins from that era to explore. The Greeks established a colony in the 6th century BC, and you can visit the museum to see artifacts from that period. The Romans later ruled the island around 10 AD, followed by the Kingdom of Hungary-Croatia, the Republic of Ragusa, and Venice. We strolled through the town, climbed the Clock Tower, and enjoyed drinks at the famous Fort Roof Top Bar Massimo. To reach the rooftop bar, you must climb a vertical ladder with about 15 steps through a small opening, where a pulley system is used to bring drinks up and down.
The following day, we sailed to the Island of Vis, which is my absolute favorite. We dropped anchor in a stunning bay overlooking the city's harbor. At lunchtime, the crew used the crane to set up the full-size floating Pickleball Court. It took them approximately 3 hours to secure it, inflate it, and make it ready for use (a challenging task). Following my trial run after lunch, the guests eagerly queued up, ready to enjoy the next 24 hours filled with paddle games, interspersed with breaks for swimming, jet skiing, sliding down the 4-story slide, indulging in massages, sipping cocktails, kayaking, and trying out the hydrofoil board. We concluded our first night anchored with a luxurious 5-star Captain's Dinner. Our chef, Aleksander, was truly exceptional!
The following day, we remained anchored in the cove to enjoy more water activities. It was a fantastic experience to make the most of the boat's amenities and the exceptional staff. Throughout the day, we kept our paddles up, and that's when online viewers challenged us
to try an Ernie. My attempt was comical as I was too short to clear the side without doing a hurdle, so Brad stepped in and literally jumped in for us. This moment was captured as the top video. Later, I took the tender to the Island to start exploring, embarking on a thrilling 34-mile e-bike ride around the Island. With an elevation gain of almost 2000 feet, it offered a breathtaking journey with switchbacks leading down to the town of Komiza, a filming location for the movie Mamma Mia. On the way back, we made a stop at the stunning Stiniva Beach, which involved a mile-long hike down a steep mountain path lined with marble, leading to the picturesque beach seen in both Mamma Mia and James Bond movies.
Where you have a small bar and restrooms and the only access it to hike down the steep mountain or take a non motorized kayak or boat in throught the small canyon. Vis is rich in military history from the Romans, to the Iltalians taken over in World War 2, to being the home of the Yugoslavian Military in the 1989 until Croatia became Independent in 1991. I could spend a week here easily. With some of the best food and sites, I still have so much to see.
We left Vis to head to the Island of Hvar. Pulling into Hvar is a site in itself. The smal town nestled up along the hillside is absilutely breathtaking. Its a mix f a forest with vineyards, orchasd and lavendar fields. Dating back to 385 BC when the Greeks colonized the Island, it is full of history and is also a UNESECO World Heritage Site. After taking the short hike up through the town to the top of the fort, we headed donw and enjoyed some great shopping. We dined with a large group from the boat at a great Sushi restaraunt. Belive it or not, the baot is so spacious that you really never get "tired" of seeing anyone. You hours on thebaot are really fun, spending them playing board
games, card games, eating, dancing, swimming, working out, masages, pickleball. I was never bored a single moment. Really wasn't enough time in the day!!!
We took off the next morning fairly early and
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Headed to the Island of Brac. I won't lie, I wasn't excited about going to Brac because I was clueless as to how awesome it was. We were going there because it is one of the rare spots that actually has pickleball courts! People take the ferry there from the coast to play pickleball (how spoiled am I that I can choose from at least 15 places a day to go play indoors or outdoors in a day here in the Phoenix area). Brac blew my mind. It's darling... The beach club area, the downtown, the pickleball courts. It was so amazing and we didn't even make it to the "Horn," the famous beach here... I definitely need to spend more time here next year. We had dinner and could hear live music and some sort of festival all evening from our boat. We decided to make our way for a short 0.5-mile walk and found locals doing a fundraising event. We saw our crew there hanging out for.
the evening, where we ended up joining them in local dancing and firework festivities it was a blast. We danced for hours and congregated with the locals. The people in Croatia are amazing. They are welcoming yet patriotic. They are strong yet soft and kind-hearted. It's safe and free-spirited. This evening was the perfect example of all of that with an American music influence mixed in with their own traditional music it made for the perfect evening.
The last full day and night the guest and crew voted to forgo a swim stop on the way to Split for our final night. They wanted to pay more pickleball in Brac. We did a Round Robin tournament and i had a chance to walk a few miles down the coat and admore the quaint cute town. I was sad we didnt have time to make it to the Horn beach but I know I will be back again. We headed to Split to spend our last day and evening on the boat. Split is the second largest city and is so crazy cool. The city is mostly in the Diolectian Palace Walls. Rich in history and amazing architecture it's an amazing place to shop and with over 400 places to dine you are
sure to enjoy an amazing wall. It's also very romantic. I found myself a but smitten with my love wanting to steal a kiss around every cute little corner and nook and cranny. The squares fill with travelers, and locals enjoying the evening night out.
Disembarking the boat on Sunday morning after breakfast was quite a task for the staff. One might assume that we would all be ready to bid farewell and leave, but that was not the case. Instead, we gathered in the Saloon with the staff, mingled about the weekend, and exchanged plenty of hugs. Even the Chef approached me, mentioning that despite having completed 21 charters, this particular one seemed to have flown by. He, along with the rest of the crew, had a blast; we even introduced them to pickleball, which they thoroughly enjoyed. Most of us disembarked and boarded a charter bus for a tour north to the KRKA
National Park. Although we only explored a small portion of it, the scenery was breathtaking, especially while hiking down and then up the waterfalls. On our way back, we dropped off most of the guests at their hotel near Trogir, while Ben, Gary, Amy, and I continued a bit south of Split to the Le Meridien on the coast. It was a relaxing day spent by the pool, beach, and a charming marina-front sushi beach club in the evening. It served as a perfect conclusion to an incredible week filled with wonderful memories. As the Travel Agent responsible for organizing this trip, from booking the boat for the week to planning itineraries, selling rooms, and overseeing every single detail involved in taking 27 people on a trip, I had hoped for their enjoyment every step of the way. Thankfully, everything turned out well.
Now... I have two dates for 2025, I cant wait to annoucne the packages. We will have pre and post trips available to enjoy even more of the beauty of Croatia. Stay tuned for the dates and info on how to secure your spot on this trip.
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