Croatia SUP x Hike Week - Everything you need to know
We’ve put together this detailed guide on our SUP x Hike week in Croatia to give you all the info you may need before booking and for simple planning once you’ve confirmed your spot!
We’ll be covering:
Destination
Logistics - flights and transfers, departure
WhatsApp Group
Arrival day
Itinerary
Hiking
Climbing
Stand up paddling
Accommodation
Food and Drink
Free time
Packing and packing list
DESTINATION
Our first two nights and days will be set in the mountainous landscape of Velebit, one of the best preserved natural wilderness areas in south-eastern Europe. We’ll be exploring the Paklenica Nature Park, an area of outstanding beauty yet to be discovered by the masses.We’ll be staying in a mountain hut and we’ll trek to the peaks of Velebit for incredible views and enjoy an afternoon of rock climbing in the Paklenica canyon.
For the final four nights, we’ll be making the island of Molat, in the Zadar Archipelago, our base for the week. Molat is just 23 sq kms in size with a permanent population of 250 people over three small villages. Boasting unspoilt nature, it's super green - covered with pine forests - with hidden bays and sandy and pebble beaches along the coastline. Off the tourist radar, this makes a great base for the SUP part of our trip with just a couple of restaurants so perfect for slowing down and connecting with nature.
LOGISTICS
FLIGHTS & TRANSFERS
This trip starts on Wednesdays. The team will meet you in central Zadar at 8 - 9 am on Wednesday morning. You may find that you need to arrive a night before the start of your trip to be in Zadar by 9am, or simply because of flight timetables. Zadar airport is around 20 minutes from the centre by taxi / uber or 30 minutes by bus.
Flight options from the UK:
Ryanair fly to Zadar and back on Tuesdays (and Saturdays if you want to extend your trip!) from:
Bournemouth
London Stansted
Leeds Bradford
Manchester
EasyJet fly to Zadar from London Gatwick on Tuesdays (and Saturdays if you want to extend your trip!)
If you arrive in Zadar the night before the ferry, we can recommend the Downtown Boutique Hostel if you are looking for budget accommodation. You could also arrange to share accommodation with another guest, once you’ve booked you’ll be added to a WhatsApp group with guests on the trip.
You could also fly to and from Split and then take a bus to Zadar, however it will take 2-4 hours by bus to get to Zadar. There are various bus companies which travel this route.
British Airways, WizzAir, EasyJet and Jet2 fly from various UK airports to Split.
Flights are not included in the cost of the trip and you are responsible for making your own way to Zadar.
DEPARTURE
On the final day, our ferry will depart Molat at 06:50, arriving back in Zadar at 07:50. There is luggage storage near the ferry port in Zadar, so if you have time to kill before your flight home you can explore Zadar! It’s a beautiful town, so we do recommend this. The cost of the ferry is not included in the cost of the trip. (approx £6)
WHATSAPP GROUP
We will create a WhatsApp group for your trip; if you wish you can use this to plan any travel together.
Many guests arrange to meet at the airport before flying to us or arrange sharing taxis to or from the airport. Some choose to share a hotel or Airbnb at the airport in the UK before an early flight or in Zadar after a late one!
You’ll only be able to access the WhatsApp group once you have confirmed your booking with us.
ARRIVAL DAY
To help you ease into the trip and so that you know what to expect, here’s what generally happens on your first day.
We meet you in central Zadar at 8 -9 am.
Drive to the mountains; this will take about an hour
First activity that afternoon - depending on weather and other conditions, we’ll likely have our climbing lesson this afternoon!
Hike up to our mountain hut for dinner together and an early night ready for the next day of adventure.
Our activity choices are based on weather, wind and sea conditions, so please take our itineraries as a guide. We will make changes to ensure you have the very best possible experience with us and to make the most of local conditions!
ITINERARY
The itinerary on our trip page is very much a guide; see it taster of the adventures you’ll have when you join us in Croatia. We will arrange our timetable for the week based on weather, wind and sea conditions. We are likely to make changes to the itinerary to ensure you have the best possible experience with us and to make the most of local conditions!
HIKING
Before we head up to the mountains, you will have a chance to pack a smaller bag just for the two nights we spend up there. The rest of our luggage will be kept safe for us and we’ll collect it on our way to the island for the SUP section of the trip.
We recommend taking a 30-40 litre bag for the hiking section and just packing what you will need for these 2.5 days and 2 nights. You will need some space in the bag for group food.
You will need to carry this bag up to our mountain hut accommodation, so try to pack light so you can carry it comfortably!
It can get chilly up in the mountains, even in the summer, so please make sure you pack enough layers including a warm fleece, wind and waterproof jacket, waterproof trousers and perhaps an insulated jacket and hat for the evenings.
If you have hiking poles, feel free to bring them. They are completely optional, but can help protect your knees and improve efficiency!
Our hikes are quite challenging and the terrain is rugged, so be prepared to push yourself physically; we will be heading into real wilderness locations.
Hiking boots with good grip and ankle support are absolutely mandatory on this trip. This is for your safety and comfort. If you buy a new pair of boots for this trip, please make sure you wear them in first. There’s nothing worse than blisters appearing on the first day of a multi-day hike!
IMPORTANT: DO NOT wear trainers - you really need good ankle and foot support on this hike. If you arrive with nothing but trainers you will not be able to join the hikes and no refund will be given.
Make sure you also have a long sleeved top to cover up in the midday sun, a sunhat, sunscreen and a backpack to carry water and clothes in!
CLIMBING
We’ve teamed up with four fantastic climbing guides to offer an afternoon of climbing for all levels. The Paklenica gorge has hundreds of sports climbing routes, up to 30 metres high.
Over the course of four hours, we’ll climb up to five routes. This will be a great introduction to rock climbing for beginners and we can offer more challenging routes for more experienced climbers!
If climbing isn’t for you, we can’t arrange a different activity for you and we do recommend you try it.
On a Gutsy Girls trip, you’ll never be forced to do an activity you don’t feel comfortable doing, but we encourage you to approach our adventures with an open mind, and it’s an opportunity to get out of your comfort zone in an incredibly supportive environment. There will be opportunities to try small sections of the climb before you commit to a longer route and we can accommodate you if you decide not to continue.
We have a huge choice of routes from beginner to experienced. We’ve had guests who are scared of heights find that the supportive approach of the group and guides help them climb what they never thought possible! Our guides are highly trained to support you through the experience, so if you are nervous they’ll help and give words of encouragement, and you don’t have to climb very high if you’re not comfortable.
There is no pressure for you to complete or join the activity; we will support you no matter what you choose.
Please note though that we cannot switch our activities or offer discounts should you wish to not take part, and we won’t be able to leave you elsewhere, but you can help with the climbing from the bottom and still feel part of the experience! There will be other (world-class!) climbers in the vicinity who are also amazing to watch!
STAND UP PADDLING
For this trip, we ask that you have some paddling experience. You don’t have to be an expert but we ask that:
• You have had at least one formal lesson that taught technique.
• You have been on a board at least 5 times
We don’t ask you to show evidence of your SUP skills to join our trips, but we do ask that you are kind and honest with yourself about what level you are at the time of travelling.
We only have three days on the water so we’ll get more out of the paddling with a little SUP experience under your belts!
WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?
We provide:
Stand up paddleboard
Paddle
Leash
Small dry bags
Personal Floatation Device
All climbing equipment including climbing shoes
You will need:
Water shoes for getting on and off the board, NOT flip flops.
We don’t provide wetsuits, so if you have a shorty or spring suit for the shoulder months (early June / late Sept) you might like to bring it - but it is not really required.
Beach towel or microfibre towel
A sunhat
Sunglasses
Sunblock
UV long-sleeved top to cover up in the midday sun - this is non-negotiable - no heat stroke on our trips!
Swimwear / clothes for paddling
Hiking boots
Fleece / Midlayer
Light insulated jacket
Hiking trousers/leggings
30-40L backpack
Waterproof trousers
Waterproof jacket
ACCOMMODATION
For the hiking part of our trip, we’ll be staying in a mountain hut. This will be in a 4-bed dorm, with full bathroom facilities, it’s rustic but comfortable and has great views!
Private options are not available at the mountain huts, however, after a long day hiking and climbing, you’ll be fast asleep in no time!
On Molat we will be staying in locally run apartments, dotted across the small village, all within a short walk to the harbour and where we meet for food. There will be 1-4 guests in each apartment. This accommodation choice supports our responsible and sustainable tourism ethos, and provides a comfortable stay for your holiday! The apartments are simple, but clean, spacious and light, and have access to a kitchen, lounge space and bathroom, and they also have air conditioning. We tend to spend very little time in the accommodation - you’ll be out paddling most of the day and we’ll all meet for meals at the agriturismo which prepares our food for us. Most of our guests enjoy the two little cafes/bars on the island and spend time at the local (pebble) beach in their spare time.
We will buddy you up with other Gutsy Girls to share a triple or twin room, or you can choose to stay in a private room.
FOOD & DRINK
In the mountains, we have simple, rustic hearty food prepared by the guardian at our mountain hut who has lived there his whole life! We can cater for all dietary requirements but the food there is simple and there will be a minimal choice, but it will be perfect for fuelling you for your days in the mountains.
We work with a fantastic local family on Molat, who prepare all our breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The balanced meals our hosts create are traditional recipes that are deliciously fresh and use local ingredients. We’ll be provided with a big breakfast, while lunch is always a freshly packed lunch which we take with us on our days out, and delicious dinners are served with wine. We are able to cater for all dietary requirements!
FREE TIME
Whilst we are on the island, there will be a little bit of free time every afternoon (2-3 hours) for you to do as you please. This is a conscious decision to ensure you have the best time with us, you may feel tired - that good kind of tired - after our activities, so it’s a chance for you to rest your body! Some guests may choose to spend this time alone which we fully support; it’s your holiday!
Many of our guests opt to take it easy at Molat’s pebble beach or harbour or hang out at one of the two small cafes with a good book, or even take a little afternoon siesta!
The midday sun can be very hot so we do encourage you to stay out of the sun in the hottest part of the day.
PACKING LIST
We'll keep it pretty casual, mostly we will live in active/sports wear. Before we head up to the mountains, you will have a chance to pack a smaller bag just for the two nights we spend up there. The rest of our luggage will be kept safe for us and we’ll collect it on our way to the island for the SUP section of the trip.
We recommend taking a 30-40 litre bag for the hiking section and just packing what you will need for these 2.5 days and 2 nights. You will need to carry this bag up to our mountain hut accommodation, so try to pack light so you can carry it comfortably!
30 - 40 litre rucksack for the hiking section
Hiking boots - hiking boots with good grip and ankle support - MANDATORY. This is for your safety and comfort.
Warm layers for the mountains
Good windproof, warm and / or insulated jacket for the mountains
Waterproof jacket and trousers
Warm hat and / or buff for the mountains
Hiking poles (optional)
Swimwear
Water shoes (shoes you can get wet for exiting the water on sharp rocks). Avoid wetsuit booties as these are a nightmare to put on and flip flops are not secure enough.
Quick drying leggings / or shorts
Long Sleeve top - to protect arms from bushes when hiking and to protect you from the sun
T-shirt - Ideally a UV protection tshirt/rash vest to wear in midday heat.
Cap/Hat -essential!
Sunglasses
1-2 litre water bottle
Suncream
Towel - a lightweight one is fine, just for taking to the beach
Light jacket for the island evenings
Jumper for the island evenings
Insect repellent
Shorty wetsuit/long john wetsuit - optional but recommended for October trips.
Waterproof case for phone
Sunglasses strap - to keep them safe
