We have just returned from six days of kayak camping in the Zadar archipelago. Here is what you get on one of our guided sea kayaking trips in spring — from Cold War submarine tunnels and wild asparagus foraging to downwinding in a Jugo blow and sleeping under a Milky Way uninterrupted by a single boat light.
Take a look at a 11 image photo essay and the short 2-minute video.
Dawn at Molat harbour. The ferry crowd has gone; the archipelago is yours.
Team getting ready to launch from Molat harbour.
Our guided kayak camping expeditions in the Zadar archipelago begin in Molat — a small fishing island that most tourists pass on the ferry without a second thought. That is exactly the point. The harbour at sunrise, kayaks lined up on the ramp, boats bobbing — it sets the tone for everything that follows.
Leaving another island village behind. Spring paddling in Croatia means you get the coast to yourselves.
Going off the beaten path in the Adriatic today is as much about when you go as where you go. In April, the islands are quiet in a way that is impossible in summer. Populations of 200–800 in season shrink to a handful of year-rounders. You paddle past olive terraces, moor next to a single fishing boat, and buy sheep's cheese and island olive oil directly from the producer on Zverinac island.
Paddling into the submarine tunnel on Dugi Otok. Kayaks are the perfect vessel for exploring these places.
On every Malik Adventures paddling expedition — Lastovo, Mali Lošinj, Brač, Hvar, Dugi Otok — one unmissable itinerary item is the Cold War military heritage left behind by the Yugoslav Navy. Here the team paddles into one of the submarine tunnels on Dugi Otok: a full-scale naval harbour carved into rock, big enough to swallow a submarine whole. Arriving by kayak, at water level, gives it a scale that no photograph can quite capture.
Inside one of Molat's military tunnels. Daylight at the far end — and history all around.
Beyond the submarine bases, the islands are riddled with smaller military tunnels — former cannon emplacements, observation posts, and supply routes. On this trip the team explored one such system on Molat: headtorches on, cool rock walls, and a beam of daylight pulling you forward. Exploring them feels like stepping into a scene that tourism never reached.
Inside one of Croatia's karst caves, visited as part of the paddling itinerary.
Croatia sits on some of the deepest karst cave systems in Europe, a result of its carbonate limestone foundations. Some caves are accessible by kayak or on foot from the shoreline. This trip included one natural cave visited on a shore excursion: stalactites, cathedral-scale chambers, and that particular silence only rock can produce.
Downwinding in a Jugo. One of those conditions you either love or respect — ideally both.
The predominant wind in Croatia is the Maestral (north-west), but in spring and autumn Bura and Jugo are common visitors for a day or two. For intermediate to advanced sea kayakers, this is a genuine opportunity for downwinding — riding the swell rather than fighting it. The Adriatic fetch is short by ocean standards, but the waves that build under a Jugo are fast and steep. This is one of the reasons spring guided kayak trips in Croatia attract experienced paddlers as much as beginners.
Camp kitchen in full swing. Local sheep's cheese from Zverinac, island olive oil, foraged herbs.
Spring kayak camping and foraging are inseparable. Wild asparagus is the prize: once you find your first patch in the macchia scrub you become slightly obsessed. But asparagus are just the start. Juniper berries, wild sage, rocket, thyme, immortelle (Helichrysum italicum) and lemons from island gardens all find their way into camp cooking. Camping food tastes better with local ingredients — this is a fact we have proved thoroughly over many trips.
The hike earns the view. The archipelago stretches south — tomorrow's paddling route.
Every Malik Adventures kayaking expedition includes at least one hike. It uses different muscles, it gives perspective — literally — and it gives you a preview of tomorrow's paddling route spread out below you. From the tops of the outer islands on a clear day you can count a dozen smaller islets, trace the channels between them, and understand why the Zadar archipelago is one of the finest sea kayaking destinations in the Mediterranean.
A moment of quiet between islands. The outer archipelago in spring is as good as it gets.
We spot dolphins on almost every weeklong spring camping trip. This time a pod passed the campsite in the night — heard rather than seen, which in some ways is better. In March and April it is also common to come across turtles surfacing to warm up in the sun. These are not staged encounters. They happen because the outer islands of the Zadar archipelago in Spring are quiet enough that wildlife behaves as if you are not there.
Watch a 2-minute video from this kayak camping trip here:
Kayaking experience. For a guided sea kayak camping expedition with Malik Adventures, we recommend Europaddlepass Level 3 personal proficiency skills as a baseline. In practical terms this means you are comfortable with self-rescue and assisted rescue in open water. If you are working towards that level, we run two-day skills courses using the Canoeing Ireland curriculum — combining a course with a camping trip is one of the most efficient ways to build both skills and confidence quickly.
The more developed your paddling skills, the wider the range of sea conditions we can take you into — and the earlier in the year you can paddle, since winds are generally stronger before March/April and after October/November.
Fitness. If skill is potential; then fitness brings it to life. For our kayak camping expeditions we look for three things: endurance (the ability to maintain a moderate pace over 15–25 km days), upper body conditioning (core and shoulder strength built through any regular activity), and agility (the ability to get in and out of a kayak from the water or a rocky shore). You do not need to be an athlete — but consistent training in any endurance activity in the weeks before a trip makes a real difference to how much you enjoy it.
Personal gear. If you are joining a guided kayak camping trip between November and May, you need your own dry pants or drysuit. This is non-negotiable for safety and comfort. Everything else — kayak, paddle, safety gear, camping equipment — is provided.
We also support self-guided kayak trips for paddlers with the experience and gear to manage the Croatian Adriatic independently. For a self-guided trip we recommend a minimum of BCU Level 3 skills. The outer Zadar archipelago offers a manageable scale for multi-day touring — the islands are closely spaced, there are natural shelter options and the logistics of resupply are straightforward in spring. Get in touch and we can advise on routes and logistics that suit your level and timeframe.
Complement this read with our photo essay about kayak camping in the Zadar archipelago in winter, or read about our circumnavigation of Lastovo. If you want to understand the full range of kayaking holiday types we offer, this overview is a good place to start.
If you are a single paddler and you would like to join one of our kayaking trips, a course or expeditions, drop me a message to marko@malikadventures.com and we can add you to one of the upcoming trips.
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'Moving your limits' isn't necessarily about the highest mountains, biggest caves, deepest canyons, or oldest ruins. But it is about great adventures — and that constant pursuit of the world's secrets, cultural as well as natural.
