8 Reasons Croatia is the Ultimate Wellness Destination
By Ryan Brown published on 15 July 2024
Have you ever considered the wellness side of your next big trip? Every new cycle around the sun brings renewed urges for many of us to make good on those health and fitness goals we set when ringing in the new year.
Many of us will kick into overdrive months before summer to prepare for days basking on sun-soaked beaches or hitting the outdoors. However, your upcoming getaway or might be an overlooked opportunity to become the new and improved you. Wellness is the perfect factor for planning your next trip, and a sailing holiday in Croatia is the ultimate wellness destination. Here’s why!
1. Ample Activities Abound
When the summer months take hold of the Croatian coastline, everyone emerges from the woodwork to embrace the glorious sun-washed scenery. Croatia is an active country, and physical activity weaves its way into everyday life, introducing many activities to participate in. Most towns will have ample space for running, accessible trails nearby for hiking, great destinations for cycling, and of course, the stunning blue sea for all the swimming your aqua-holic heart can handle.
2. Clean Eating = Croatia Cuisine
Croatian cuisine is all about no-frills cooking. That doesn’t mean the flavours are lacking; quite the opposite! In Dalmatian dishes, basic is better - and better for you! Croatian cuisine is simple and clean, and while it’s considered a “Mediterranean” style, there are tasty twists on every dish that set it apart from other Mediterranean countries.
All along the Dalmatian coast, you’ll have an endless selection of fresh seafood cooked with basic ingredients like olive oil, rosemary, and lemon for tantalising au-naturel flavours. Their famous traditional dish Peka (like the one you’ll experience on an organic farm during a MedSailors ), is cooked for hours under hot coals with only vegetables to set off the melt-in-your-mouth flavours. Of course, famed farm-to-bar wines from islands like sunny Hvar pack polyphenols and antioxidants without preservatives, so you can even sip your wine guilt-free.
3. An Abundance of Vitamin Sea
While vitamin C is essential to our health and immune system, an abundance of vitamin sea is essential to our overall wellness. Yes, we are water lovers and a bit biased, but you’ll soon find out why when you hop aboard for your sailing holiday. Our bodies are 60% water, so it makes sense why we are addicted to it! And Croatia has 6,278km of coastline, 78 islands, and 524 islets to get your fix.
Don’t just take our word for it; scientific research says being close to water releases those feel-good hormones like oxytocin and dopamine. There’s infinite opportunity while sailing Croatia to jumpstart your wellness goals, proven by science. Just a warning, smile cramps are a real thing.
4. Disconnecting is Great for Reconnecting with Yourself
From our experience, island life around Croatia is about slowing down and being in the moment. While sailing Croatia, you’ll spend mornings swimming in remote bays, afternoons relaxing on the bow or learning to sail, and evenings exploring stunning towns and dining with boatmates. Who has the time for social media?
A sailing holiday in Croatia is perfect for disconnecting from our electronics. You can give your eyes a break to be wowed IRL by the scenery abound and your mind to find clarity. Bring that book you’ve wanted to read. Pick up that journal you meant to start. Reunite with your ukulele. Ditch the Wi-Fi signals and embrace the bliss of YOU time.
5. Water is Great for Wellness
We already know what those thousands of kilometres of coastline in Croatia offer for our minds, but there are many wellness benefits to life at sea. While exploring every nook and cranny of the Dalmatian coastline, often only accessible by sea, your only obligation is to seas the day; spend your days snorkelling, swimming, or riding a SUP board (stand-up paddle board) to your heart’s content.
While most of these are just a normal part of your daily routine aboard, all the above are great physical activities to get the heart pumping and the body moving. Snorkelling and swimming are excellent ways to get in a workout without trying, and paddleboarding is prime time to work on your balance.
6. Fitness Fits in Easily Everyday
Worry not if you’ve already got a workout or wellness routine on lock; you’ll never lack for opportunity to get physical while sailing Croatia. Islands like Mljet have breathtaking national parks and vibrant saltwater lakes to explore by mountain bike. The island of Hvar has a steep but scenic hike to the hilltop fortress that is well worth the views. Winding alleyways in ancient Venetian towns like Korcula or Stari Grad are perfect for getting your steps in. Plus, stays in remote bays make for the ideal opportunity for boat yoga or meditation. Ommmmm. 🧘
7. Endless Endorphin-Boosting Experiences
That surge of happiness flowing through your body when you laugh is the endorphins electrifying your body. A week at sea around Croatia truly is an endorphin-boosting experience, from the moments of laugh-until-you-cry banter with boatmates to the adrenaline rush received as you scream and laugh while holding on for dear life on some wicked water sports. Croatia has endless amounts of those feel-good chemicals that make us happy.
8. The Good Kind of Social Networking
Family and friends are important staples in Croatian culture, where meals are shared, and activities are always better in a group. Being social is ingrained in Croatian society, along with warm and welcoming personalities. While sailing around Croatia, you’ll meet wonderful locals and amazing like-minded people from across the world. After all, travel brings out the best in us.
Humans are ultimately social beings, and we crave connection. Boat life is a wonderful opportunity to make friends on the yacht and connect on a deeper level than social media allows for. Croatia is overflowing with sans-phones scenarios, allowing us to embrace our true social side, exploring and connecting with ourselves and others. Now THAT is a social network made for wellness.
Now you know why Croatia is the ultimate wellness destination for 2022; now all you have to do is and look forward to the unforgettable well-being-boosting adventure ahead!
