The deep and sheltered inlet of Zaton lies just 1.5 miles NW of the entrance to the harbour of Dubrovnik on the Adriatic coast of Croatia. It is a popular summer weekend anchorage for yachts out of Dubrovnik as well as offering a considerably cheaper alternative to the Marina Dubrovnik. Visiting yachts have the choice of anchoring at the top of the bay or, if there is space, lying alongside the short jetty at the settlement of Veli Zaton on the W side of the inlet. The shelter is the inlet is good, although strong southerlies send in an unpleasant swell.
There are no hazards in the approach to the inlet of Zaton. A light structure on the W headland of the inlet is visible from some distance. If intending to berth on the stone jetty at Veli Zaton, note that there is an underwater rock/wiki/Zaton#underwater_rockdangerunderwater rock [[Zaton#underwater rock|underwater rock]] 42°41.477'N, 018°02.600'Eunderwater rock42.69128;18.04333 some 200 metres E of the jetty with only 4.5 metres over it.
The main settlement in the inlet is Veli Zaton, located in a shallow bay on the W side around half a mile from the entrance. Here there is a small harbour consisting of N and E jetties, the inside of which is mostly filled by local boats. A ferryboat berths daily on the N side of the N jetty and usually stays overnight. Outside these times, this space is often filled with hotel boats or large professionally-captained charter boats. During the lunch and dinner hours, day trip boats deliver people for having a meal from surrounding area. However, there are six laid moorings on the outside of the E jetty where you can stern tie to the quay using a med style mooring. Keep in mind that sometimes these moorings are occupied by large professionally-captained charter yachts. The moorings to the north are deeper than the ones to the south, with the southern most morning beings less than 2 m. The mooring lines transition from 3/4 line to 3 inches, and may be problematic for some yachts. The owner of the local Konoba Kasar is "Ivan." His Konoba is locates just S of the harbour and he manages the moorings, for which there is a daily charge of 3/euro per meter. Ivan will help you tie up and can be reached at +385.20.891.226. Depths in this position are 4-5 metres, shallowing to 1.5 at the S end beyond the laid moorings. There are no facilities on the jetty, but there are two stanchions for water and electricity on the N jetty. A water hose has been extended from the north quay to the east quay, but requires some enginnering to connect it to boat hose. This seaside village has several swimming beach and the water was clear. The village primarily serves day trippers and. Arizona apartments for rent. There is a small market and bakery. The Bora from the NE can be strong in the inlet. There is not significant swell due to the small fetch, but the 30+ puffs can be uncomfortable for some.
Hotel boats and ferries monopolise the N jetty (viewed from E)
Yachts usually moor on the outside of the E jetty (viewed from S)
If there is no space, one can anchor off Veli Zaton (avoiding the rock) or - especially with N winds - in the bight at the top of the inlet. Depths here are 6.0 - 10.0 metres and the holding is excellent in the mud. Depths in most of the rest of the inlet are unsuitable for anchoring. Shelter in both Veli Zaton and the anchorage is good in all but strong southerly winds, when a heavy swell will be experienced, although the moorings on the outside of the harbour jetty do become uncomfortable with N or E winds much above 15 knots.
Amenities
None.
Provisioning
Veli Zaton Village/wiki/Zaton#Veli_Zaton_VillageprovisionsVeli Zaton Village [[Zaton#Veli Zaton Village|Veli Zaton Village]] Supermarket.
Eating out
Veli Zaton Village
/wiki/Zaton#.26nbsp.3Beatingout [[Zaton# | ]] Three konobas.
Transportation
Buses to Dubrovnik from 0600 to 2345. Details from helpful tourist office up steps next to post office. Uber also available for 100 Kuna (June 2019)
Tourism
The village of Veli Zaton sits in quiet pleasant surroundings. Round the inlet there are several summer residences built by the Dubrovnik aristocracy of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Friends
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
Forums
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.
Verified by
Date of member's last visit to Zaton and this page's details validated:
This is a usable page of the cruising guide. However, please contribute if you can to help it grow further. Click on Comments to add your personal notes on this page or to discuss its contents. Alternatively, if you feel confident to edit the page, click on the edit tab at the top and enter your changes directly.