Murter Island - The Gateway to Kornati Archipelago
Murter is a spot of scenic beauty with romantic small villages and sandy beaches. This island with an area of 19 square kilometres is part of the Šibernik archipelago. Murter with its well equipped marinas offers especially boat owners and charter tourists best conditions for the ideal holidays in the Adriatic Sea.
Sea & Coast
The small island of Murter can be found in the southern Adriatic, just off the Croatian shores, part of the Sibenik archipelago which has 250 more islands and islets scattered around this part of Croatia. Yacht Charter come here for the restful atmosphere and for the natural setting.
The island is actually connected today to the mainland by a drawbridge in Tisno, 37m long and 20m wide. The northwestern part of Murter is characterized by fertile sandy soils and with a maximum altitude of 125m above sea level. The southeastern part is made up of limestone relief which generates steep drops to the sea and deep coves, especially in the southwest, where you’ll find most of the Yacht Charter crowds.
The wild vegetation of the island is made up of pastures and small, loosely wooded areas, especially in the center. The northern part of Murter seems to be better covered in wild vegetation, while the south has extensive olive tree groves, used by the locals to make olive oil but manage to somehow fall in the natural landscape, an appeal for Yacht Charter tourists.
Murter falls in the region of the Mediterranean climate, which entails warm summers and mild but rainy winters. August is the warmest month of the year, averaging 30 plus temperatures and 25 degrees averages for water temperatures. The island (and in turn the Yacht Charter visitors) enjoy over 2500 hours of sunshine per year. The predominant wind on Murter is the westerly Mistral, or maestral as it’s called locally.
Culture & History
This island is one of the most popular of the Kornati Archipelago, and as a testament to that there are several towns and villages here that are considered good sailing spots by the Yacht Charter community, like Murter, Jezera, Betina and Tisno.
The history of this place goes back to ancient times with the foundation of a Illyric-Roman settlement near present-day Betina. During the middle ages the other towns were born, first Murter and Jezera in the 13th century and Tisno later in the 15th century. The population increased when many mainland dwellers sought refuge here from the Ottoman invasions.
The island is also known as a cultural center, the site where many Glagolitic texts were found and also home to many medieval churches that still stand to this day and constitute Yacht Charter attractions. The population lives mainly on agriculture, fishing and tourism which has shaped the overall landscape accordingly.
Seamanship & Experience
Murter island is a known sailing destination and thus popular among Yacht Charter holidaymakers. Apart from the sailing yachts, one can also practice scuba diving and wind surfing around the island. The many sunny day and mainly predictable winds (the western mistral which makes up for 70% of the local wind activity) mean that sailing around Murter is very fun and quite easy.
There are many marinas al around the island, though the northwest with its deeper bays is more suited for mooring bigger Yacht Charter boats. You’ll also find lots of itineraries as the Kornati archipelago is just a couple of miles away, with many deserted island and islets which constitute a national park in Croatia. And, for the Yacht Charter enthusiasts, there is a major regatta each year, “Latin Sail” taking place at the end of September, on St. Michael’s Day, the patron saint of Murter Town.