Located bear Cres harbor, the marina offers a complete range of services and is located in one of the oldest and most frequented regions of the Adriatic, which explains the popularity of Cres.
Location & Approach Found on the homonymous island, the town of Cres and its marina cater to large numbers of visitors each year. The island is located in Kvarner Bay in northern Croatia, along with other famous sailing destinations, the Krk and Losinj islands. Cres island shouldn’t be too hard to find, it’s only the second largest island in the Adriatic.
The marina can be found in the southern part of the city and the port in a narrow inlet that offers excellent protection from the elements, on the western side of Cres island. The ACI Cres Marina was opened in 1999 and has been awarded the European blue Flag environmental award for keeping the impact on the environment down to a minimum twice. It’s open all year round, which means that sailors can moor here regardless if it’s the high or the low season.
Despite its perfect position, the marina sometimes is affected by the strong scirocco which may cause high waves on occasion. Also, the bura and the tramontana, two local winds, can make approaching the marina quite difficult. The approach is made via a 400m wide channel which is also used by boats getting into the harbor. As landmarks, the skipper can use the lighthouses on Cape Kovacine and on Cape Krizice and, finally, the one in Cape Melin.
Among the hazards when approaching the marina is an underwater reef in front of Cape Melin, which means that you have to keep well away from it, at least 50m, in order to avoid any accidents. The entrance to the marina is visually marked with lights, and also a red lighthouse on the breakwater, while on Martinski Islet there is a green one warning sailors. The top speed inside the channel is 5 knots and in the marina 2 knots.
Infrastructure & Ambience Along the many piers of the marina, there are over 450 berths to be found and an additional 120 dry berths on land perfect for storing your boat during the winter months. The maximum draught for the boats berthing in the marina is 5m and the maximum length is 25m. Every berth has electricity (220V) and water supply as well as waste disposal.
Beginning with the reception office, there are a number of services offered to the client, such as toilets and showers, laundry service, a restaurant and a café, a grocery shop, parking lot and an exchange office. Additional boat services are offered by the local boat repair shop, which is equipped with a 10t crane, a 30t travel lift and a derrick for fast moving (20m). The gasoline station is located on the northern part of the marina, supplied with gas and diesel.
Among some of the more unusual facilities provided here there is a dentist’s office, a nautical shop and a yacht charter agency that can accommodate you from their own fleet of boats. There are even comfortable apartments available for rental for those sailors tired of spending time at sea.
The fact that the town is very close to the marina, facilitates the guest access to a number of restaurants, shops and entertainment venues, outside the marina. This means that you can engage in a number of sports activities, sailing or diving (provided by the local sailing school).
Cres town is full of old medieval buildings and attractions, and there are numerous ways of travelling further inland as tourists regularly take ferries, trains and busses to other parts of the Dalmatian coast.