Sunbathers enjoying the heat in Hvar, Croatia. Photo / Sarah Pollok
From private balconies overlooking the Adriatic to sun-drenched swims off Croatia’s coast, sailing with Ponant reveals the quiet luxury of slowing down and soaking it all in, writes Sarah Pollok.
The morning begins as all perfect mornings should: with coffee and books in bed and without anywhere else to be. However, my husband and I are sailing with Ponant, so my eyes aren’t fixed on my novel, but the view of the glittering Croatian coastline stretching out beyond our private balcony.
The morning passes slow and sweet as we bounce between reading, admiring the Adriatic and chatting about nothing until hunger tempts us to the buffet-style restaurant on deck six of L’Austral.
“Two poached eggs?” The chef calls out as a greeting from behind the counter. How he remembers the order on day two, as one of 150 other guests, is truly beyond me, but it seems to be the standard as I sit down and Nino delivers the second coffee of the day, just how I like it.
Flawlessly poached eggs with beans, sauteed tomato and cured salmon for him. Fresh fruit with granola, creamy Greek yogurt and cinnamon for me. We fall into our regular breakfast habits, albeit with top-quality ingredients we didn’t have to cook or clean up after.
Like every day of our seven-night cruise, our meal comes with a side of Croatia’s impossibly blue water, rugged rocky coast and a terracotta-topped town a five-minute tender ride away. Today, it’s the Venetian-era island town of Hvar, which was once a key naval base and is now one of Croatia’s most elegant historic ports.
Thanks to L’Austral’s small size, we’re parked up right beside the town, and a dozen tenders run back and forth from the ship the whole day, with no need to book or plan ahead. So, at 9.30am, we head to deck two, scan our cards and hop on the tender, pulling up alongside a line of sleek yachts and dinghies and stop not on to a red carpet but a navy Ponant blue one, which is set up with a shade and large dispensers with cold water.
We slowly stroll the honey-hued stone promenade, which has dozens of sandwich boards advertising boat, cave and island tours on the ocean side, kebab shops, bakeries and convenience stores on the other and holiday-makers in between.
It’s a popular spot, no doubt, yet I quickly realise the travellers meandering around Hvar’s limestone buildings and pristine marble laneways are fellow Croatians, Italians and French; Europeans who know this is the spot to come for a quiet piece of Adriatic splendour.
A brief internet search during breakfast reveals the best beach is Pokonji Dol, so after meandering around the small town square, we follow the promenade around the coastline until it merges with a dusty road that hugs the cliffside along with, unexpectedly, small pine trees that scent the air. To our right, rough grey rock plunges into the ocean that boasts the most magnificent display of colours; a glassy sea from green and deep cerulean, verdant emerald and shimmering cobalt. One thinks the ocean is simply blue-green (and in many places, it is), but the Croatian water seems determined to flaunt so many shades it seems somewhat surreal.
Eventually, a turned corner reveals a crescent-shaped pebble beach, cradled by a wall of lush green mountains. At 11.30am, the two beach-front restaurants and few rows of sun loungers are humming but still peaceful and we beeline for a large concrete platform beside the rocks, laying down towels and bodies to soak up the sun.
Pausing from my book, I peer over the edge and again marvel at the water, seeing every individual rock through the clear water. Clambering down a metal ladder, it’s as fresh and cool on hot skin and delightful unsalty; a surprise benefit of beaches that are stone rather than sand.
Several hours later, well-cooked on both sides, we gather clothes and take a shortcut back, over a small hill and I’m struck by how green the surroundings are as we trek under the shade of Aleppo pines, their needles perfuming the hot air. The area gets 2700 hours of sunshine a year, with summers averaging 30C, yet it’s not arid or dusty like some Mediterranean spots.
Back in town, overheated and hungry, I must admit things turn snippy between my husband and me. On a typical trip, it would be time to duck into a cafe for a meal, then push through the weariness to ‘make the most’ of our day in Hvar. Alas, sailing with Ponant means we simply return to the dock for a glass of chilled water before catching the 1.30pm tender to the ship.
Back in our suite, we scrub off the dirt, sweat and sunblock with deliciously cold, soapy showers and are ready for a fancy lunch at Le Coromandel.
Here, on deck two, it’s white tablecloths and silver service with giant windows framing the coastal views. Minutes later, Rudi the sommelier stops by to recommend some wines, his eyes twinkling with pure delight as he chats over the options. My Argentinian rib eye feels decadent enough, so I decline the offer of a red wine but indulge his offer of a small taste, which, naturally leads to a proper glass. “Wine is like chocolate for women,” he laughs, and I admit that it’s true, you’ve got to offer twice. At this point it’s rude to turn down dessert and we split a plate of sweet pear tart and pillow chocolate mousse I will spend the rest of my days dreaming of.
One cannot overstate how valuable these midday breaks were; how they enable you to squeeze the absolute most out of every destination. Rather than getting hot and hangry and pushing through, we nip to the boat for an hour or two, then return within five minutes, full, refreshed and ready to explore until it’s dinnertime.
Today, we do exactly that, and at 4pm, we’re delivered back into the heart of old town, ready to walk up to Španjola Fortress, the 16th-century castle built above the town to protect Hvar against the Ottoman raids.
Following a narrow stone staircase tucked in the corner of St. Stephen’s Square (Trg Sv. Stjepana), we trek up through a labyrinth of marble side streets and bougainvillaea-cloaked walls for 10 minutes, until the sound of chatter and clinking coffee cups fades and we emerge above the town.
Breath caught, we continue to a gravel switchback that cuts through a terrace garden of cypress trees, the early evening air thick with the smell of pine and wild herbs. Pausing a moment, we revel in the music of the moment: wind murmuring through the trees, path crunching underfoot, the quiet occasionally broken by a laugh or conversation from small groups around us. Up close, we discover the fortress isn’t especially impressive from the outside and while you can enter for a fee, we were there for the views and at 100m above sea level, the walk up delivers.
Below, Venetian-style terracotta roofs seem to spill down the lush mountainside, clustering around the bright white harbour, where tiny boats bob in the bright blue water. Nearby, the Pakleni Islands form a necklace across the horizon, where the Adriatic stretches endlessly on.
Later, after a cheeky final dip, we hop on the final tender, heads hanging out to watch Hvar bathed in golden hour’s rich warm glow, feeling the unrelenting warmth press through the evening. Spending just one day in such a beautiful, remote place feels cruel, but I take comfort in the fact that, with L’Austral, a dessert buffet or beautiful new destination is never far away.
Ponant Explorations’ ‘Cities and Splendours of the Adriatic’ departs on July 16 and August 13, 2026, starting from $8040 per person.
New Zealand Herald travelled courtesy of Ponant.