KOTOR, Montenegro — The sail into the town of Kotor is movie-perfect. The narrow bay is an inlet like a fiord, hugged by dark mountains. The town’s harbor is backed by a 600-foot mountain rising above the sea, protected by almost three miles of ancient, zig-zagging stone walls.
This little-heralded town of 13,000 in Montenegro is one of the reasons the Dalmatian coast makes for one of Europe’s most beautiful cruises. Mostly bordering Croatia, just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy, the deeply indented coastline is a parade of jagged mountains and mellowed towns. The water, the deepest shade of sapphire blue, is dotted with small islands that are popular vacation destinations.
The sights are nonstop on the aptly named cruise-tour labeled “Hidden Gems of Greece and the Dalmatian Coast.” The Athena, a 50-passenger, oceangoing ship launched in 2007 by Overseas Adventure Travel, is the next best thing to a private yacht.
If you go: Dalmatian coast
%26#149; “Hidden Gems of the Dalmatian Coast” is offered by Overseas Adventure Travel from March through October, beginning at more than $4,300. Rates include air fare from New York, Boston or Philadelphia, two hotel nights in Zagreb, one night in the Plitvice lakes region, 10 or 11 nights on the Athena (or the Athena’s new, identical sister ship Artemis), a guided tour at every stop, most meals and complimentary wine at dinner. Every cruise includes a few nights of authentic folk entertainment from the area and a dinner hosted in a local home. The ship accommodates two groups, each with a maximum of 25 and with its own leader. The two groups mingle at the open-seating dinner but tour separately. Cabins are a compact 140 square feet, but careful design with built-ins provides ample storage and leaves a surprising amount of free space. A private terrace comes with 18 of the 26 cabins for extra room and a view of the passing scene. Eight cabins have large portholes; two of these are single cabins. For information, visit www.oattravel.com or call 1-800-493-6824.
The best known stop on the cruise is the walled city of Dubrovnik, but towns such as Kotor and the Croatian island city of Korcula, both also guarded by ancient stone walls, are equally delightful and less crowded. The size of the Athena is uniquely suited to explore these smaller places. In most of the stops, it docks within a short walk of the city center, and after a guided walking tour, passengers can wander on their own.
With its warm wood paneling and intimate lounge area, the jaunty Athena was designed to resemble a vintage yacht. The crew encourages passengers to “feel at home and make the ship your own.” The itinerary includes ample free time on board and opportunities to take a break with a swim from a ramp on deck.
The trip begins in Athens or Zagreb. On our trip, the Athena sailed from the Athens port of Piraeus, stopping at Delphi and Corfu before heading north on the Adriatic. The first port, the little town of Sarana in Albania, held the initial unexpected treasure. A bumpy uphill bus ride ended in Butrint National Park, home of the ancient Roman city of Buthrotum. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, this was once a flourishing Roman settlement, then a Venetian military outpost for 400 years. Recent excavation has uncovered an amazing number of ruins, spanning some 2,000 years. With many of its towers, Roman baths and a Venetian palace being preserved with ongoing reconstruction, it is awesome in its size and complexity.
Next came the spectacular entry into Kotor. In the Middle Ages, Kotor was an important commercial and maritime center. Past a Town Gate dating from 1555, a maze of twisting, uphill, cobbled lanes open into squares lined with cafes, churches and Venetian-style palaces built of stone blocks during the town’s glory years from 1420 to 1797, when it was part of the Republic of Venice.
The fun of Kotor is exploring its jumble of streets, discovering tiny shops selling local musical instruments, antiques, rugs, paintings and dolls dressed in native costumes. No worry about getting lost; all roads eventually lead back to a main square.
After another morning in Kotor, the ship sailed for Dubrovnik, arriving before dinner, affording an opportunity to appreciate the rare beauty of the city after most tourists had left. The top of the walls of Dubrovnik make for an unforgettable one-mile stroll, with views of the red-tiled roofs and spires of the city and the blue sea beyond.
The one problem with Dubrovnik is its popularity. The next morning’s activities wisely were scheduled early, before the summer heat set in — and before the big ships in the harbor disgorged thousands of passengers into the narrow streets. At that point, many Athena passengers, having seen the sights, decided to head back to the ship.
That night brought the week’s most memorable meal, as passengers were divided into small groups for dinner in a local home. Ours was prepared by a charming hostess at her 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the hills above the city.
The Athena sailed on to the island of Korcula during the night, docking just below a stone stairway leading to the tiny, walled, old city. Within the walls is a warren of narrow, stone-paved lanes and small squares lined with churches, homes and shops. One building now under restoration is the house some historians believe belonged to the explorer Marco Polo. The high point of Korcula, literally, is the wall circling the old town, where the favorite activity is relaxing in cafes that face out to sea.
A castle fortress towers on a hill above the next island town, Hvar, which is being touted by travel magazines as an upcoming “hot spot” for young jet-setters. The influx means some of the buildings in the Old Town have given way to modern hotels. The crowd here could be judged by a picture sign on the walkway from the pier — no dogs, bicycles, rollerbladers — or bikinis. Hvar is known as the “lavender island,” and the reason is evident on a drive inland past fields of lavender.
The last cruise port, Split, is a change of pace, a city of 200,000 with a bustling harbor that is the hub of the Dalmatian coast for boats to the islands. The ship docks just a stroll from the Riva, the city’s popular quarter-mile-long, cafe-lined walkway by the sea. Also nearby is Split’s unique attraction, Diocletian’s palace, a 1,700-year-old walled enclave built as a retirement retreat by the last pagan Roman emperor, who was born in Croatia.
The final three days of the trip moved inland by bus for one night in Plitvice National Park, known for its lakes and waterfalls, and then to the Croatian capital of Zagreb for two nights, with free days to explore the city after an introductory guided walk.
After a final dinner together, the group parted, with wonderful memories of the Dalmatian coast and a trip that had fully lived up to its promise of “hidden gems.”
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