THE ROUTE
From a small Dalmatian fishing village, across three seas and deep into the Zrmanja Canyon — follow the journey from start to finish.
01 / STARTING POINT
NOVIGRAD
Our journey begins in Novigrad, a small Dalmatian fishing village nestled in a sheltered bay beneath the Velebit landscape. From here, we leave the harbor and set out across the Novigrad sea towards Novsko ždrilo.
02 / FIRST SEA
NOVIGRAD SEA
Sheltered between the surrounding hills, the Novigrad sea may feel almost like a lake — but its story is closely connected to both the Adriatic and the Zrmanja river.
This deeply indented sea bay stretches for around 10 kilometres and was formed when rising sea levels flooded part of the ancient Zrmanja river valley. The river still shapes the sea today: the freshwater flowing into it makes the Novigrad sea less salty than the Adriatic.
As we cross towards Novsko ždrilo, the bay begins to narrow and the two Maslenica bridges appear ahead — our gateway towards the Adriatic.
03 / GORGE
NOVSKO ŽDRILO
As the Novigrad sea narrows, we enter Novsko ždrilo — a dramatic, four-kilometre-long sea passage carved deep into the limestone landscape.
But this gorge wasn’t created by the sea. Around 40,000 years ago, the Zrmanja river carved its way through the rock here, long before rising sea levels flooded the ancient river valley. Today, we are literally cruising through a submerged part of the Zrmanja’s ancient course.
Above us rise the two Maslenica bridges — striking landmarks with a remarkable story of their own.
04 / SECOND SEA
ADRIATIC SEA
After passing beneath the Maslenica bridges, we leave Novsko Ždrilo behind and enter the Adriatic sea.
Here, beneath the impressive slopes of Velebit, we cruise along the coast towards our first swimming spot. The scenery feels completely different from the calm, enclosed waters of the Novigrad sea we have just left behind.
This is our first swimming stop of the day — a chance to cool off in the clear Adriatic before we turn around and head back through Novsko ždrilo.
From here, we cross the Novigrad sea once again — this time on our way towards the Zrmanja river.
05 / BACK ACROSS THE NOVIGRAD SEA
SHAPED BY THE ZRMANJA
After our first swim in the Adriatic, we head back through Novsko ždrilo and cross the Novigrad sea once again. This time, however, our destination is Zrmanja river.
The river has a powerful influence on the sea in front of us. Fresh water from the Zrmanja mixes with the salty water, creating distinctive conditions that shape this entire ecosystem — including one of the area’s best-known local delicacies.
This is the home of the Novigrad mussel, traditionally grown in these waters and prized for its flavour.
06 / THE RIVER
ZRMANJA RIVER
After crossing the Novigrad sea, we reach the mouth of the Zrmanja river and begin our journey into the canyon.
From here, we cruise around 9 kilometres upstream, following the river as steep limestone cliffs rise around us and the landscape becomes increasingly dramatic.
Deep inside the canyon, we reach one of the locations made famous by the Winnetou films, before turning around and following the river back towards its mouth.
07 / SECOND SWIM
WHERE THE RIVER MEETS THE SEA
After cruising deep into the Zrmanja canyon, we turn around and follow the river back towards its mouth.
Here, where the Zrmanja meets the Novigrad Sea, we stop for our second swimming break — this time in a place shaped by the meeting of fresh river water and the sea.
After the swim, we continue across the Novigrad Sea and through Karinsko Ždrilo towards the third and final sea of our journey — the Karin sea.
08 / LUNCH & RETURN
LUNCH BY THE SEA
After entering the Karin sea, we turn back towards Tisno, the local name for the narrow passage connecting the Karin and Novigrad seas.
Here, right by the water, we stop for lunch at Kalada, where you can choose between a fish or meat menu and take a break before the final part of our journey.
After lunch, we board the boat once again and cruise across the Novigrad sea back to Novigrad.
We arrive back in Novigrad at around 4:00 PM, bringing our journey across three seas and the Zrmanja river to an end.
