Lost on the way to Croatia

Gargano Peninsula, Italy

It is about 70 miles across the Adriatic Sea from Bari Italy to Lavosto Croatia. Not exactly a straight line, but close enough. So one might wonder how we ended up lost? The answer is simple, as we sailed up the coast of Italy to cross over to Croatia, we were distracted by the Gargano Peninsula, a stunning coastal area in the Puglia region with more than 125 miles of sandy beaches, pine woods, bays, coves, cliffs, dunes and caves.

We had missed this beautiful expanse our first time on Italy’s east coast and we really hated the idea of passing it by again, so we were really more distracted than lost.

But we were already checked out of Italy, which means we were supposed to leave the country immediately, and since we always abide by the rules of our host countries, the plan was just to have a look at the Gargano and then move on. Too bad Berkeley East had “gearbox” trouble, forcing us to spend two unplanned days is this serene place.

Most of the Gargano Peninsula is a national park, the Parco Nazionale del Gargano. In geological terms, the Gargano Peninsula, which is mostly mountainous, was once an island, and is still separated from the mainland by a plain called Tavoliere delle Puglie.

The remoteness of the region has helped preserve its beauty. The Mediterranean landscape, dotted with olive trees and citrus groves gently descending to the shore, is contrasted by rugged rocky outcroppings jutting from the sea.

When it became apparent that Berkeley East’s mechanical issues would prevent us from continuing on to Croatia, we reluctantly dropped the hook at the famous Baia dei Faraflioni, white rocks emerging from the turquoise blue sea in the form of an arch.

During the day, the bay was busy with tripper boats and dinghies cruising the coast. At night, we were the only boat in the anchorage. We wondered if overnight anchoring was prohibited in the park and expected a 2 am visit from the Guardia Coasta telling us to leave, but it didn’t happen. Instead, we awoke in the morning to blue sky and crystal clear water, and spent another day lost in the beauty of the Gargano.