Kaštel Lukšić

This large Maltese boat had no problem mooring alongside Kaštel Lukšić's outer breakwater this weekend but hasn't left much room for the local boats. Kaštel Lukšić is the middle village of the 7 Kaštelas, each with their own castle, which lie in a large bay between Split and Trogir. Lukšić is probably the trendiest of the group and the main tourist office is located in its castle which overlooks the harbour. Depths are between 2 and 4 metres where Seagull II is berthed. The inner harbour is better protected but really only suitable for shallow draught boats. The harbour is not lit at night.

You'll find a number of lively and tastefully kitted out bars in the small centre, and a few restaurants. Our favourite bar is Bugsy's, just east of the harbour. It's named after Bugsy Malone and the inside is full of memorabilia from that era.

If you prefer to berth in marinas then Marina Kaštela is located in the next village east, Kaštel Gomilica. One of the newer marinas in Croatia it has three phase power, a great restaurant, modern facilities and is built to cope with larger yachts. There are a number of good charter companies based here and an RYA Sailing School if you want to learn to sail or improve your skills.

Go to www.marina-kastela.hr for more information on the marina and www.sailingschoolcroatia.com for details of the sailing school.

For more information on Croatia in general, visit our sister site - www.croatiaonline.blogspot.com

And, of course, look out for our Croatia Cruising Companion, being launched at the Earls Court boat show in early December, which will give you all the information you need to cruise the Dalmatian Coast and islands safely and to the full. It's one of the very few books of its kind that includes full contact details, including websites, for all the marinas in Dalmatia as well as chandlers, boat repair yards, and much more. You can order it now, direct from the publishers, or from Amazon and other reputable bookshops. See our previous postings for more details.