Anchorages that stay calm in the maestral
The maestral is an afternoon sea breeze, not a gale, but it still puts a chop across an exposed anchorage. These northern Dalmatian stops, from the Kornati to the Šibenik channel, are recorded protected from the northwest.
This guide is written for a north-westerly.
A maestral builds through the afternoon and drops again toward evening — mild by Adriatic standards, but enough to turn a northwest-facing bay uncomfortable for lunch or an overnight stay. The islands and channels from the Kornati up to the Šibenik channel carry many northwest-facing options; the ones below are recorded protected from that direction specifically.
What "protected" means here
Each entry's northwest reading is the recorded wind exposure shown on its own destination page — a fixed feature of the coastline and surrounding islands, not a forecast for any particular day.
- A maestral afternoon is a good time to be already anchored rather than still motoring between islands.
- Several of these sit close together, so a poor holding day in one is rarely far from a backup.
Where to go
- Lavsa (Otok Lavsa)
Anchorage · Kornati · Šibensko-kninska županija · Sand
Inside the Kornati group, recorded protected from the northwest, the west and the north.
Protected from the north-west
- Levrnaka (Otok Levrnaka)
Anchorage · Kornati · Šibensko-kninska županija
In the Kornati group, protected across the northwest, west and north.
Protected from the north-west
- Lojena (Otok Levrnaka)
Anchorage · Kornati · Šibensko-kninska županija · Sand
On the same island as Levrnaka, also protected from the northwest, west and north.
Protected from the north-west
- Jadrija (Šibenik)
Anchorage · Šibensko-kninska županija
Close to Šibenik itself, protected from the northwest, west and north.
Protected from the north-west
- Krknata and Krava Islands
Anchorage · Dugi Otok · Zadarska županija · Rock
Off Dugi Otok, north of the Kornati chain, protected from the northwest, west and north.
Protected from the north-west
- Dumboka (Dugi Otok)
Anchorage · Kornati · Zadarska županija · Sand
At the southeast end of Dugi Otok, protected from the northwest, west and north.
Protected from the north-west
Get an alert when the north-westerly turns up
Bova already sends weather alerts for the wind this guide is about. Install the app to get them, and report live occupancy back from the water yourself.
