Boat Rental Vrsar — 2027 Guide: Lim Channel, the Islets off Vrsar and Sunset with Dolphins

Vrsar is a small town on the west coast of Istria, with its old town on a hill above the harbour and the bell tower of St Martin's Church visible from far out at sea. It sits right on the northern side of the entrance to the Lim Channel (Limski kanal), and a group of small uninhabited islets lies in front of the harbour. That makes Vrsar the closest starting point for the channel and for swimming around the islets, while Poreč to the north and Rovinj to the south are each half an hour away by boat or less. This guide describes what you can reach by boat from Vrsar, the prices in our listings and what weather to expect.

For Poreč and Sveti Nikola island, read our guide Boat Rental Poreč, and for Golden Cape and the Rovinj archipelago, the guide Boat Rental Rovinj.

The Lim Channel from Vrsar

The Lim Channel is a drowned valley about 10 km long, narrow and lined with steep wooded slopes. The channel is a protected area, and part of its water is taken up by oyster and mussel farms.

• Distance. From Vrsar harbour to the entrance of the channel is about a mile and a half, and to the inner end of the channel about 6 nautical miles.
• What you see. You sail between steep wooded slopes, with no villages along the shore. At the inner end of the channel there are restaurants serving oysters and mussels.
• How much time. A half-day rental is enough to sail to the end of the channel, have lunch and come back.

The islets off Vrsar and swimming

• Sveti Juraj and Figarola. These are the nearest islets in front of the harbour, a few minutes from the berth. The water around them is clear, and in the lee of the islets the boat sits calmer than along the open coast.
• Other islets. Another ten or so smaller islets and rocks line the coast from Funtana to the entrance of the channel. South of Vrsar is also Koversada, an islet with a naturist camp.
• The coast. The west coast of Istria here is low and rocky, with flat rocks and pine woods down to the sea. You swim from the boat or from the rocks, and the water is shallow and clear right along the shore.

Funtana, Poreč and Rovinj

• Funtana. A small village with a harbour about a mile and a half north of Vrsar, the first stop on the way to Poreč.
• Poreč. About 5 nautical miles north, around twenty minutes in a fast speedboat. You enter the town harbour past Sveti Nikola island.
• Rovinj. About 5 nautical miles south, across the entrance to the Lim Channel. The old town with the bell tower of St Euphemia is at its best from the sea.

A full day can be put together like this: the Lim Channel in the morning, lunch at the end of the channel or in Rovinj, and swimming at the islets off Vrsar in the afternoon.

Sunset and dolphins

Vrsar faces west, so the sun sets straight into the open sea. Bottlenose dolphins live along the west coast of Istria, and the sunset trip combines both: cruising along the coast in search of dolphins and returning to Vrsar at dusk.

Our offer in Vrsar

Prices are in euros for the whole boat, and each boat can also be rented with a skipper:

• Marlin 790 Pro (8 m, Honda 250 HP, up to 12 people): €420 per day or €250 for half a day; shower, fridge, Bluetooth music and GPS. The largest and most powerful boat in our Vrsar offer, for Rovinj and Poreč on the same day. View listing.
• Marinello 22 Eden Open (7 m, Honda 200 HP, up to 9 people): €320 per day or €190 for half a day; shower and GPS. View listing.
• Bluline 21 (7 m, Mercury 150 HP, up to 9 people): €290 per day or €170 for half a day; shower and GPS. View listing.
• Stingher 550 (5.5 m, Yamaha 70 HP, up to 10 people): €230 per day or €140 for half a day; the most affordable boat, for the Lim Channel and the islets off Vrsar. View listing.

Trips with a skipper:

• Dolphin Tour near Vrsar: a two-hour sunset trip departing at 7 pm, €25 per person, up to 10 people. According to the listing, if you don't see dolphins, you don't pay for the trip. View trip.
• Private Excursion from Vrsar: you choose the boat, the duration (2 hours, 3 hours, half a day or a full day) and the route, for up to 12 people; from €140 for half a day. View trip.

Licence, wind and season

• Licence. All four boats require a valid boat licence (Croatian category B or a recognised foreign licence). If you don't have one, hire a skipper.
• Maestral. The summer north-westerly blows in the afternoon and raises short waves along the open coast. Mornings are the calmest.
• Bora. On the west coast of Istria it blows off the land: right along the shore the sea stays relatively calm, but the wind pushes the boat out to sea. When a strong bora blows, stay close to the shore or in the harbour.
• Jugo. The south-easterly brings clouds and waves along the whole coast; on those days a short trip to the islets is more pleasant than crossing to Rovinj or Poreč.
• Season. June and September bring warm sea and fewer crowds, July and August are the busiest so book earlier, and May and October are possible with cooler water.
• Booking. You send an enquiry with the date and number of people, we check availability with the owner, you pay us the reservation (that is our commission), and you pay the rest to the owner on the day of the rental.

Boat rental in Vrsar with Crystalium Booker

See all boats and trips on the Vrsar location page or send us your dates and number of people through the contact page, and we will suggest a boat. Do you rent out a boat in Vrsar, Funtana or elsewhere in Istria? List it with us.